City Council - Regular Meeting

Okay, I'd like to welcome you to the July 21st, 2026 meeting of the King County Council. I'm Sarah Perry, Chair of the Council, joined by Vice Chairs Jorge Baron and Reagan Dunn, and our council colleagues today. And this meeting is called to order. Before we begin, please join me in acknowledging that we are on the traditional lands of the Puget Salish people's past and present. We thank these caretakers of this land who've lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial, bringing the cultural ways of life and greatly enriching our communities.

Clerk Hay, will you please call the roll? Thank you, Chair Perry. Councilmember Balducci. Here. Councilmember Barone.

Here.

Councilmember Domboski. Councilmember Dunn. Councilmember Fain. Here. Councilmember Lewis. Here. Councilmember Mosqueda. Here. Councilmember Von Reichbauer.

Chair Perry, you have a quorum. Thank you very much. I'm just going to take a moment and ask folks, we need to have folks seated in as chamber rules seated in chambers. So if you are here and you're here for the service awards, if you could step outside until your name is called and then when people's names are called, they will circle back out and you can exchange with each other. I'll wait just a minute while we allow for that. Thanks very much. If you're already seated, you can certainly remain seated. Yeah, if you're already seated, you can certainly remain seated. Thank you so much. I sure appreciate your help with that. Next, let's please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Lewis.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Council Member Lewis. Vice Chair Barone, may I please have a motion to approve the minutes of the July 14th, 2026 council meeting?

I move approval of the minutes of July 14th.

Thank you. The motion is before us. All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say nay. Minutes are approved. Clerk Hay, are there any additions to the council agenda? I have none. Okay, thank you very much. Turning next to our two special items. The first special item is... is this proclamation recognizing the 100th anniversary of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, led by me, and joined me in spirit by Executive Zahilay. Following the proclamation, Executive Zahilay will present the County Service Awards, recognizing the exemplary public service of our King County employees and their contributions to the county. I will give remarks down at the podium now, and I just want to make sure that anybody who is here to join us from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials that may be in the hall could come back in and join us in here.

Thank you.

Yeah, just throw this thing right there. That'd be great. Sure, we'd love that. Great, thank you. Hello, join us. Yes, please. I'm pleased to co-sponsor the recognition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials in spirit with Executive Zahilay today. For 100 years, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials has played a vital role in protecting the health and safety of us all by advancing safe sanitation practices, protecting drinking water systems, and promoting sustainable plumbing technologies. The plumbing and mechanical systems in our homes, in our offices, restaurants, and community spaces aren't often consciously thought about by the general public. But it's because of the dedication and expertise of members of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials that we can rely on these systems without a thought. Our own public health department has worked with this association for more than 30 years to protect the health and safety of our communities. the training, certifications, and many other resources they provide have enabled us to provide more effective services for all King County residents. We're glad to have Public Health, particularly our Environmental Services Division and UA Local 32, our local plumbers, pipe fitters, and HVAC Refrigeration Union here with us today to celebrate this historic milestone for one of King County decades-long partners and a centuries-long leader in the field of plumbing and mechanical systems. Thank you for being here. Really appreciate it. I invite the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, UA Local 32, and Public Health at the podium as we read the recognition. And afterward, we'll have some of our guests say a few words, starting with David Yao from the association and followed by UA Local 32. Set? Yes? Okay. Whereas the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, IAPMO, was established in 1926 and has dedicated the past 100 years to protecting public health and safety through the development of plumbing and mechanical codes, standards, education, and certification, and whereas IPMO has played a vital role in advancing safe sanitation practices, protecting our drinking water systems, promoting our sustainable plumbing technologies, and improving the quality of life for communities around the world, and whereas IPMO's work has significantly contributed to the prevention of disease, the protection of public health, and the advancement of the plumbing profession through its commitment to technical excellence and code development, and whereas Public Health Seattle and King County has worked alongside IMPMO for more than 30 years to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our communities through the advancement of sound plumbing standards and practices, And whereas public health has benefited from IAPMO's code development, inspector training, professional certification, education, and technical resources that have strengthened the effectiveness of our plumbing and gas piping program and the services we provide to King County residents. And whereas collaboration between IAPMO and public health has ensured the delivery of safe drinking water, effective sanitation systems and reliable plumbing infrastructure that protect the health of millions of residents and visitors. And whereas IAPMO Centennial Anniversary is a historic milestone that celebrates a century of innovation, leadership, service and dedication to advancing public health through safe and effective plumbing and mechanical systems. Now, therefore, we, the Metropolitan King County and King County Executive, recognize the 100th anniversary of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and express King County's sincere gratitude for more than three decades of collaboration to protect the health and safety of our communities, dated this 21st day of July, 2026, and signed by all members of King County Council and the King County Executive. And now we'd like to hear from David Yao, followed by UA 32. Yes.

Thank you. Briefly, Council President and Council Members, this is a recognition, but it's more than that. It's a partnership. And today we celebrate what we all know is true, that where there is water, there is life. And because of the work that this Council has done, the work that IATMO does continues forth with sound plumbing standards, with clean water, with communities that are served with what they need. And with a skilled and trained workforce that delivers those goods into the places we all live. So thank you again for celebrating this with us and we look forward to the next 100 years.

Thank you, Council Members. My name is Kurt Cushman. I'm a business agent with Local 32, and I'm also a licensed plumber in the state of Washington. I'm happy to stand here and speak in support of IAPMO. For 100 years now, they've set the standard for plumbing codes, education, and certification. IAPMO writes the codes that we adhere to as plumbers in the state of Washington. They test products that are going to be installed in commercial and residential settings. And they also educate the members on code issues and other plumbing issues. And as a member of IATMO and a plumber, I am happy to be able to come up here and just express what they do. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, council. My name is Derek Pell. I'm the Assistant Division Director for Public Health Seattle King County. Thank you for this proclamation. Thank you for this recognition. The partnership, indeed, is what makes water safe and reliable for all of us. So congratulations on 100 years. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. uh council members would you please join me down here for a picture with our with our uh recognized guests of iotmo thank you very much thank you okay so let's see should we move this back here let's come in front of okay

That's public health. No, no, nope, nope, nope. This way. It goes this way.

Okay, everybody look right here. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Looking right at this camera. One, two, three. One, two, three. Thank you. Just real quick. Oh, hi.

Oh, sorry, sorry. Perfect. Good?

Okay. Thank you.

Okay, thank you very much. Next, we are turning to the County Service Awards. Executive Zahilai is here to join us.

Good afternoon everyone. Good to see you all. Thank you all so much for being here. Chair Perry, colleagues on the council, thank you so much for having me. It is such an honor to be able to work at King County alongside so many dedicated public servants who dedicate, in some cases, decades of their lives toward public service. And today I have the privilege of being able to recognize just a few of them who've spent a little bit more time than some of the rest of us in these roles. But before I do, I just want to say thank you. Thank you all so much for the incredible work that you do. And thank you for bringing your families with you today to share in on this experience. And thank you to the family members for sharing such incredible people with us and with the residents of King County. So I'm going to begin here. with, are these for the people on top? I'll just wait until I see it. Yeah, thank you. First up from Metro's Rail Division, we have Paul Margolis for 20 years of service. Come on up, Paul. Thank you so much. Thank you, Paul. Paul first joined King County as a part-time bus operator, then went full-time six years later. He has also spent three years as a Metro operations bus first-line supervisor, and six years at Seattle Streetcar as both an operator and an operations and maintenance supervisor. Paul has also served two years on the critical incident stress management team. Paul is a lifelong artist. They are genderqueer and also go by the name Elsa. They currently enjoy going to their property for one week each month with their wife, Mandy, and glamping in the woods on 20 acres of forest in Roy, Washington. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service, Paul Margolis.

Congratulations. Thank you so much.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Next up from Metro's Vehicle Maintenance Division, we have Walter Olson for 20 years of service. Walter met some Metro workers in college going to an apprentice program. He was hired into Metro and became part of the procurement team and factory bus inspection team. Most recently, he has enjoyed working in vehicle maintenance as a bus mechanic. Walter was also part of the ambassador program and found it to be very rewarding helping people find their way. Outside of work, Walter enjoys fishing, gardening, cooking, and car restoration. He is a long time blood donor and looks forward to volunteering with Christmas food drives. Walter recently retired, so he is also looking forward to traveling internationally. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service, Walter Olsen.

One, two, three.

One, two, three. All right, thank you.

Next up from Metro's Administration Division, we have Patricia Spanger for 20 years of service. Patricia joined King County as a metro bus operator in 2006. She enjoyed driving city routes at Central and Atlantic, where serving the public felt natural and rewarding. Driving provided a clear conscience and taught her a lot about people and life through real world experiences. She was promoted to first line supervisor in 2015 and field operations chief in 2017. Since late 2023, she has served as strategic planning manager for Metro's Zero Emissions Program, leading the launch of Metro's first all battery electric bus base, Tequila Base, which began delivering revenue service this spring and will expand service in the months ahead. Patricia is proud. is a proud guardian of two Chihuahua mixes, Ellie Mae at Midnight, her home's self-appointed operations manager. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service, Patricia Spanger. Oh, thank you so much. She gave me a pin.

Thank you.

Yeah, come on up, team. For any of these, if you want to come join your person, come on up, OK? Next up from Metro's Administration Division, we have Gerald Freeman Jr. for 30 years of service. Thank you. Gerald started with King County Metro as a part time transit operator in 1994. He was then detailed into marketing for several years and has now been here full time for the past 15 years. The first large event Gerald put together was King County Metro's 30 year anniversary. He will never forget it because of all the moving parts to make it all happen. such as getting the historic vehicles, collecting all the different items, and putting an all-transit operator band together. It was a true King County Metro celebration. And now I think Councilmember Dunn wants to say a few words.

Hold on, I've got to get in on the action here. You know, Gerald is a great American and a great member of the King County family. But he's got many titles that come with all your nicknames today. Are you ready for it? Are you ready? This guy's got great nicknames. Are you ready? G-Money. G-Unit, Swaggy G, Big G, G-Dog, and last but not least, Mr. Metro. Let's give it up for Gerald. I would love that.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Come on up.

Feel free to come up with everybody that you have as I read these.

Ready? One, two, three. One, two, three. Thank you. Congratulations. You're good. All right. Thanks so much.

Funny enough, all those nicknames are things that Reagan calls me too, so just so you all know. Swaggy G. Next up from Metro's Bus Operations Division, for 25 years of service, join me in congratulating Michelle Penny. Okay, we'll read this one next time. Thank you. Next up, from Metro's Bus Operations Division, for 30 years of service, please join me in congratulating Harold Olsoy. All right, Metro. Next up from Metro's Facilities Division, for 35 years of service, join me in congratulating Stephen Kendall. Thank you to all those three individuals. Thank you so much. Next up from Metro's Financial Administration Division, for 40 years of service, please join me in congratulating Lisa Durst. Thank you. Thank you so much. Lisa started with Metro in 1986 and has been at Metro through seven transit general managers. Wow, is Michelle Allison here? She began as a secretary in a general administration position with research and market strategy, but has been blessed to have bosses that allowed her to learn new skills and advance to the positions that she has today. Lisa has always worked with amazing colleagues and learning new skills has kept the work interesting. Her latest role is project manager for Metro's national transit database reporting. It's challenging work, but meets an important requirement which allows Metro to receive a great deal of federal funding. Thank you. Lisa will have been married to her high school sweetheart for 45 years in September. And they have raised three amazing kids. Her hobbies include cultivating, her hydrangea, and cactus gardens, and she has a passion for designing and making quilts. After crunching numbers and working with spreadsheets all week at work, working with fabrics and colors gives her so much joy. Please join me in honoring, for 40 years of service, Lisa Durst. Next, from the King County Sheriff's Office, for 35 years of service, please join me in congratulating Chief Marcus Williams. Come on up, Chief. Chief Williams graduated high school in Juneau, Alaska, where he attended the University of Alaska, Southeast, later transferring to the University of Utah. He then joined the US Navy, where he became a machinist aboard the nuclear submarine USS Alaska. Thank you for your service, sir. After separating from the Navy with an honorable discharge, he attended Highline College where he later earned his degree in criminal justice. Chief Williams joined the King County Sheriff's Office on June 5th, 1991 and was first assigned to work in the city of Federal Way. He later worked as a detective for the city of Burien and as the interim chief of police. He served as the commander of the Internal Investigations Unit, Criminal Investigations Division, as well as operations and investigations commander for Metro Transit Police. Chief Williams became the second chief of Sound Transit Police and currently serves as the chief of police for the city of SeaTac. Please join me in honoring for 35 years of service to King County, as well as his service to this nation, Chief Marcus Williams. Thank you so much, sir. and peace for you.

Thank you for your service, sir. Okay. One, two, three. One more. One, two, three.

Next up, from the Department of Public Health Community Health Services Division, we have Blanca Phillips for 20 years of service. 20 years of service. Blanca began her career with King County in 2006 as an administrative specialist, too, at Eastgate Public Health, motivated to make a difference in the community. She has supported key initiatives such as the Best Starts for Kids program and served as a subject matter expert for the Family Ways program development. She has also served as community health worker for the asthma program and maternity support services and program manager for the COVID-19 care coordination, and grocery distribution team. Blanca enjoys being able to make a meaningful impact through public service. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family, gardening, and traveling. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service, Blanca Phillips. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Remember to feel free to bring family, friends up with you as you come up. Next up from the Department of Public Health Prevention Division, for 35 years of service, please join me in thanking David Delgado. Thank you so much for your service, David. Next up, from the Department of Public Health Emergency Health Services, please join me in thanking for 35 years of service.

Mr. Zimmerman, please leave chambers. Sorry, executive, go right ahead. Start again. I bet you are.

From the Emergency Health Services Department, for 35 years of service, please join me in thanking Burhanu Alamayu. Thank you so much. Burhanu is originally from the only African country that has never been colonized by European colonizers, where Lucy, the oldest and most complete human ancestor, was found, and where the lovely coffee plant was originally found. Ethiopia. As an environmental public health professional, one of the moments he is proud to be a part of is when he and other health inspector colleagues traced the 1992 to 1993 E. coli contamination outbreak from the Jack in the Box food chain. I remember that. Haven't eaten there since. Burhanu was a recipient of the Phil Holmes Award in 2008, recognized by his colleagues for his sincere passion to advance the environmental public health mission. Most of his off-work time is spent with his beloved wife and his beloved three young children who range from ages 4 to 13 years old. As one of the founders of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle and Tigray Community Association in Seattle, Burhanu volunteers with both organizations. Please join me in honoring, for 35 years of service, Burhanu Alamayu. Congratulations, Burhanu.

Congratulations. Smile.

One, two, three. And one, two, three. Thank you so much, sir. Thank you.

Next up, from the Department of Human Resources, HR Services Division, for 20 years of service, please join me in thanking Brittany Crosser. Brittany has worked in a variety of departments in different HR roles. What she loves most about human resource work is helping employees navigate complex systems. As a people leader, she loves developing employees and watching them learn, grow, and succeed. She is passionate about making a difference in her community. Outside of work, Brittany loves traveling and spending time with her husband and two sons. Please join me in honoring, for 20 years of service, Brittany Crosser.

And folks, just a reminder that if you're in chambers, please find a seat. It's the chamber rules. Thanks very much.

Next up from the Department of Judicial Administration, Case Flow Division. Please join me in thanking for 30 years of service, Michelle J. Hey, Michelle. How you doing?

Hi.

Good to see you. Michelle began working for King County at age 26 and is proud to have spent all 30 years of her career with the Department of Judicial Administration. She is currently serving as an SEP associate, too. Outside of work, Michelle is a competitive cross-country skier with the Skyhawks. In 2013, she traveled to South Korea to compete with Team USA in the Special Olympics, earning a silver medal in the relay. She enjoys painting. Yeah, absolutely. Give that a round of applause, actually. She enjoys painting, traveling, and continuing to build her computer skills. Michelle is grateful for the experiences and connections she has made throughout her career. Please join me in honoring, for 30 years of service, Michelle J. Come on up.

Let's have your seat. Thank you so much.

Is this a new one? Thank you. Next, from the Department of Assessments, Accounting Operations Division, for 40 years of service, please join me in thanking Makada Abube. Thank you, thank you so much. Absolutely, thank you. Makada began her journey with Martin Luther King, am I pronouncing your name right?

Makada Ebube.

Makada Ebube.

Perfect.

Makada Ebube. Makada began her journey with Martin Luther King Jr. County in 1985 as a receptionist and is now a customer service specialist. She has participated in the affirmative action equal opportunity advisory committee and is a former member of the King County Strategic Advisory Committee to the Department of Assessments. She has also been certified as an equity and social justice practitioner. Makada holds a master's degree in education and has earned an honorary PhD from Dr. Maxine Mims, founder of Evergreen State College, Tacoma campus. In 2008, Makada was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award for volunteering as a teacher of African dance to youth and adults. She also managed and owned Atunoba African Dance Theater with the support and participation of her beautiful, talented children. While she is a super proud mother of her children, and all their gifts and accomplishments, Makada is blessed beyond measure with her brilliant, glam children. Please join me in honoring, for 40 years of service, Makada Abubay? Abubay. Abubay. Come on up. Come on, everybody.

Come on. I got to take my fan off.

Feel free to come on this side, Super Ballinger. Paraminopole. I don't know what happened.

I'm on the short side.

Get nice and close.

Okay, one, two, three. Everybody looking right into this camera. One, two, three.

Right here.

Excellent. Great.

Thank you. Next up we have from the Department of Executive Services Records and Licensing Services Team, we have Marcia Thomas for 20 years of service. Okay, good, thank you. Marcia initially started her career with King County as a temporary election worker. As a black female, knowing that black people in the United States have not always been allowed to vote, she found the job very rewarding as an important part of one of our greatest privileges and rights. Thank you. After leaving the elections office, Marcia was selected for a permanent full-time position with the King County Recorder's Office. After a couple years there, she was selected as the licensing for hire lead slash supervisor and later became a licensing inspector. What she enjoyed the most about working in each of these positions was working with individuals from all different walks of life and backgrounds and helping them through the process. Marcia has been married for 45 years to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children, three grandchildren, and two large German shepherds. Marcia also loves to support youth sports and local team sports. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service and 45 years of marriage, Marcia Thomas.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. One, two, three. One, two, three. One more. One, two, three. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Next up, from the Department of Executive Services Facilities Management Department, FMD, everybody, we have, for 25 years of service, please join me in thanking Candy Santo. Hello. Candy played a key role in modernizing county badge access systems. You all got in here today because of Candy. Helping transition from laminated badges and standalone systems to a unified, multifunctional badge system used today that serves 50 plus buildings and 1,000 plus card readers. She managed the ID access office while mentoring and developing numerous customer service employees. Candy oversaw badging at King County for more than 23 years, supporting everyone from judges and deputies to council members and trade staff. Candy championed equity and social justice as an original member of FMD's change team and a participant in FMD's peace circles, whose goal was to increase unity across the division by breaking down silos, fostering genuine connections, and acknowledging the humanity of every individual. She is an advocate for human rights and served as a shop steward for Teamsters Local 117 for 15 years. Candy has seven grandchildren and one three-legged dog named Dobby. Please join me in honoring for 25 years of service, Candy Santo. Thank you so much, Candy. Thank you for your work. Come on and let's scoot in this way. Do you wanna hold this today?

Okay, one, two, three. One, two, three.

Right this way, big smile. There it is, nice.

We're going to do one more photo with Swaggy G, Gerald, over here, because we had the wrong certificate before. Is this the right one? All right.

This is the correct one.

My bad. Do one with him.

Do one with him. Do one with him.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Metro. Thank you.

Next, from the Department of Executive Services, the Director's Office, we have Thomas Kony for 35 years of service. Thank you, Tom. Tom was hired by then budget director Pat Steele as a budget analyst assigned to the building and land development department. Notable projects he has been involved in include growth management act implementation, king dome explosion. harborview expansion council budget panel co-lead and keeper of the general fund financial plan inaugural parks levy 9-1-1 financial plan task force staffing the covet assessment and recovery center and shoreline and implementation of the Inquest program. Wow, that's a long list. Tom is deeply appreciative of all of the amazing colleagues he has worked with over the years. He has had the good fortune to work on very interesting things in an extraordinary place. Tom is an avid runner, having covered over 60,000 miles. He has competed in numerous marathons, including four Boston marathons, and achieved a top 25 finish at the Vancouver BC Marathon. Two hours, 49 minutes. Amazing. Tom has been married to his wife Pam for 33 years. She has been a provider of primary care and psychiatric care at Harborview, and together they have raised three children who are proud to call Council District 4 home. Jorge, are you listening? Please join me in honoring for 35 years of service, Tom Coney. Thank you so much.

Thank you, thank you.

Next, from the Department of Natural Resources and Parks Wastewater Treatment Division, we have Seng Ji Zhu for 20 years of service. Senji joined the King County Department of Transportation Road Services Division in 2006. He applied for this position from Canada after earning his PhD in structural engineering. Senji obtained his professional engineer PE license in 2009, and his structural engineer license in 2011. He began working for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks Wastewater Treatment Division in June 2017, and was promoted to principal wastewater engineer in 2023. Serving as the sole structural engineer in the division, he has participated in more than 100 projects. Senji's hobbies include hiking and traveling, and he is currently learning Spanish online. Doing good? Yeah? Good. C. He plans to retire in 2029, after which he intends to travel worldwide and enjoy life. Please join me in honoring for 20 years of service, Sen-Chi Xu. Thank you so much, Sen-Chi Xu. Thank you. One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Absolutely.

Lisa? Lisa and Katie.

Do you want us to have two rows or is it okay to have one row? Thank you, everybody.

Next up, from the Wastewater Treatment Division of DNRP, we have for 25 years of service, please join me in thanking Abraham Araya. A results-driven, confident, but humble person, Abraham cares about people and values collaboration, teamwork, and developing other people's skills to achieve common goals. His notable accomplishments include managing up to 17 staff and providing mentoring and coaching, developing and implementing monitoring, inspection and repair programs, successful management of a three-year-long regional flow monitoring project, and volunteering and serving in various leadership and professional positions within and outside of King County. Abraham holds a PhD in geology from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, a project management professional PMP certification from the Project Management Institute, PMI, and a certified professional in management CPM from American Management Association. He enjoys meeting people and learning about different cultures and traditions. Reading and football, a.k.a. soccer, everybody, you all just know, are his favorite hobbies. Please join me in honoring, for 25 years of service, Abraham Araya.

Thank you so much, man. Thank you. Hey, family. Congratulations. Thank you.

Next, from Water and Land Resources Division of DNRP, for 30 years of service, please join me in thanking Laura Hartema. Did I pronounce your name right?

Hearty mama.

Hearty mama.

No, it's hearty mama. It's hearty mama. It's hearty mama.

You got me there. Laura has remained in the same unit for 30 years where she has helped design, build, monitor, and maintain habitat restoration and mitigation projects. The reward is to see the beneficial long-term impact her team's work has had on King County's natural environment. Laura lives for outdoor adventures, travel, laughter, and human connections. She has been leading Friends of Des Moines Creek volunteers for decades. She published her memoir, Bering Sea Strong, about her time working on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska as the sole female among 25 men. The book is about overcoming difficult circumstances with determination, a positive attitude, and a whole lot of humor. Hardy mama. A bit like working for King County for 30 years. Please join me in honoring, for 30 years of service, Laura Hardema.

Do you want to bring your team up? Bring it in, boys.

Oh, yeah.

What do you want to do?

These are my people. These are your people. Spice it up. Spice it up. I love it. Good order, Josh. Congratulations.

Next up, from the Parks Division of DNRP, we have Rama Tal, RJT, 35 years of service. 35 years of service. Thank you so much for your service, sir. Thank you. Starting as a seasonal employee through an Issaquah High School program, Rama turned an early opportunity into a meaningful career doing work he genuinely loves. He takes pride in maintaining ball fields and mowing, finding joy in creating spaces where athletes and communities can come together. One of his proudest moments was competing in the 2018 Special Olympics World Games, where coworkers and supervisors cheered him on from the stands. His connection to the fields came full circle, working on the Preston ball fields during the day and then competing on them through Special Olympics. Amazing. In addition to his work in athletics, Rama also served on the board of directors for At Work, helping advocate for inclusive employment opportunities in the community. Please join me in thanking, for 35 years of service, Ramatal RJT.

Good morning.

Thank you so much. We want to join you.

Yeah, yeah. Come on up.

Oh wait, can we go first?

Yeah, come on up. Yeah, come on up. We'll take council members if you want to join us.

Okay, with everybody?

Anybody's welcome.

Okay.

Thank you for your service. Absolutely. Okay, great. Right here. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Thank you so much.

What a special note to end on, friends. Thank you so much, Rama, for all your service. And thank you to all of the King County employees who have dedicated their lives toward this very special region that we call King County. Thank you, everybody. Have a great day. Thank you, council colleagues. Thank you so much.

thank you very much executives ally for presenting these awards and thank you to the county employees recognized today for your distinguished public service and dedication to the residents of king county we'll now turn to the reading of items into the record and the hearing of public comments clerk hey will you please read the items into the record thank you chair perry item six was 100th anniversary of the international association of plumbing

Item 7 is proposed subsidy ordinance number 2026-0108 relating to the sale of the surplus property located at 46502, 268th Avenue, Southeast King County, Washington and Council District 9. And item 8 is proposed motion number 2026-0084 approving the King County Youth Diversion and Intervention Program Report required by 2026-2027 biennial budget ordinance, ordinance 20023, section 108, proviso P1 related to employment and education resources.

Thank you very much. We will now turn to public comment on those ordinances, motions, proclamations and recognitions on today's agenda for action, which includes agenda items six through eight. Listening to public and taking into consideration the public's thoughts is an important part of our process and one that enhances our deliberations. In order to allow everyone equal time to provide comment, please recognize the following rules. Please limit comments to two minutes. Please remain seated until time for your public comment. Please do not make audible noise during the meeting. Please also direct your comments to the chair. You can speak, say whatever you like, but please make sure that your comments are directed to the chair, not to the individual council members or audience members. It's a reminder that comment may not be used for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office or for the promotion or opposition to any ballot proposition. And no signs that impede the view or passage of others or holding signs at the podium. Thank you. We haven't mentioned the directing of the comments to the chair because we haven't needed to, but lately there have been comments made to the audience and to council and we need to make sure that we remember the decorum that the comments that are made need to be made directly to the chair. thank you for respecting that for online comment press star 9 on the phone or click the raise hand icon on the zoom toolbar located at the bottom of the screen to notify the clerk the clerk will call the names of the last three digits of the phone numbers in order and then we'll unmute each line muting it at the end and lowering the hands with that clerk miller please begin calling the names here in person followed by those hands raised online for public comment thank you chair the first name on the list is kevin althmeyer

Chair Perry, this is directed towards you.

Thank you.

January the 7th, you participated in giving the audit scope approval for the auditor. You also approved the scope that said juvenile diversion. What the auditor did in May the 14th came back and said broader DCHS, which wasn't on the scope. Then you know what that auditor did? She went and got a birth certificate, which is a class... It's actually a misdemeanor, but she committed a crime. She said, I am investigating a manager in DCHS at the same time that she's supposed to be doing a juvenile diversion audit. So guess what happens? You guys are here today knowing she dropped the performance model of the scope, and you're asking... for money to be sent to DCHS. The auditor came back with no findings. How in the world are you going to sit up there trying to fund something that was never evaluated? It also violated the legislator, what is that, RCW 71-24-908-909. And you guys are now being proposed to basically give DCHS some funding, and your so-called audit came back and said they didn't have the ability to basically monitor. Balducci did a motion that everything should be audited, and you're sitting up here trying to give money? You want us as taxpayers to be okay with that. Here's the other problem you have, every last one of your colleagues, were all involved in this fraud on the taxpayers. Because you know why? You guys knew what you wrote in January. You knew the scope. It was juvenile diversion management, period. Nothing else. And you allowed it to expand. But guess what? You got the emails from me today. It's being investigated now. But I told you guys it would happen.

Thank you very much.

The next name on the list is Yvette Dynish. After that, it's Tamara Miller. Chair Perry, I currently have no hands raised online and no more people in chambers.

Thank you very much. One more chance. If there's anybody here in chambers or online who would like to speak that hasn't had a chance to, please raise your hand or come to the podium. Anyone who'd like to speak that hasn't had a chance. All right. Well, thank you. Seeing no further requests, we'll close the public hearing. Really appreciate all public comments and encourage participation on the fourth Tuesday, especially because it is you have the opportunity to speak to anything that is not on the agenda as well as what is. We'll now turn to the first action item on today's agenda, which is consent ordinance item seven. Vice Chair Barone, would you please move consent agenda item seven?

I move that we approve consent agenda item seven.

Thank you. Item seven is before us. Clerk K, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Council Member Balducci. Aye.

Council Member Barone.

Aye.

Council Member Dabowsky. Aye. Council Member Dunn.

Aye.

Council Member Fain. Aye. Council Member Lewis. Aye. Council Member Mosqueda. Aye. Council Member Von Reichbauer. Aye.

Aye. Chair Perry?

Aye. The vote is nine ayes, zero noes. Thank you very much. By our vote, we've adopted proposed substitute ordinance number 2026-0108. Turning next to item 8, proposed motion 2026-0084, which concerns the approval of the King County Youth Diversion and Intervention Program Report. As a reminder, this item was deferred at last week's council meeting for the purposes of amendment. Council Member Lewis, will you please move proposed motion 2026-0084? I move motion 2026-0084. Thank you. proposed motion 2026-0084 is before us and before we proceed I'll note we have Miranda Leskinen from council staff available to brief the item or answer any questions. I understand there are two amendments being offered today as well and with that do my colleagues have any opening remarks for discussion or any questions for staff?

Councilmember Lewis. Thank you. This motion is before us as a response to a proviso. We are replacing the restorative community pathways with the new program King County Youth Diversion and Intervention Program. Some of my colleagues have submitted amendments that I believe strengthen the new program and the provisions thereof. And I'll just say that since its launch in 2021, we've enrolled 1,200 youth in the Restorative Community Pathways Program, and 250 people who have experienced harm have also been served by the program. We know that diversion programs work by offering offenders an alternative to trial, prosecution, and the prospect of incarceration. There are several different diversion programs and reaching youth with opportunities and alternatives makes a difference. I am enthusiastic about this new model and continued success and I urge my colleagues' support.

Thank you very much. Any other comments? Okay, now let's go ahead and take up Amendment 1. Council Member Balducci, will you please move Amendment 1?

Thank you, Chair. I move the adoption of Amendment 1.

Would you like to speak to the amendment, or would you like Miranda to brief it? I'd be happy to do it.

I think it speaks for itself, but I'll just say a few words about Amendment 1. Amendment 1 would add two whereas clauses, that is non-binding statements of fact, one of which establishes that the goal of youth diversion is to intervene with young people address the needs that led to behavior that caused harm, put them on a path to success, and avoid additional or escalating criminal legal system involvement. And the second whereas sets out that King County provides a range of different paths for youth who are involved in the legal system, including this kind of community-based diversion that is the subject of this item before us today, but also includes Juvenile court diversion, community supervision through juvenile probation counselors, and adjudication. That means filing of charges, adjudication of offenses, and incarceration in appropriate cases. And I think the key statement is the prosecutor will make referrals to the appropriate program or level of response. based on the number of prior law enforcement referrals and the seriousness of the alleged offenses. I propose, colleagues, to add these two statements just so that we are being clear in our statements of intent. That is, all these are statements of intent about what the purpose of the programs are and how they will use escalating responses in order to achieve those goals. We did speak with the prosecuting attorney's office about this language. They helped to contribute to it and approved it in its final form. And I would encourage your support. Happy to answer any questions. Thank you. Thank you. Do my other colleagues have questions?

No? Okay, great. Thank you. Let's proceed to the vote. All those in favor of Amendment 1, please say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say nay. Amendment 1 is adopted. Turning next to Amendment 2, Councilmember Dabowsky, would you please move Amendment 2?

Move Amendment 2.

Thank you. Would you like to speak to the amendment or have Miranda brief it?

This is an amendment jointly offered by myself and Councilmembers Balducci and Barone, and I think it would be helpful to have Miranda brief the entire Council in public.

Thank you. Miranda, go right ahead whenever you're ready. Certainly. So as was noted, this is a co-sponsored amendment by Council Members Dembowski, Balducci, and Barron. Essentially what it would do is it would replace the Attachment A, which is the program report itself, with an updated version that incorporates some changes or edits within the program evaluation framework subsection of the report. Madam Chair, if you would like me to read through those individual edits, I'm happy to do so. But in a nutshell, that is what the amendment does.

Council Member Dabowski, would you?

Chair Perry, I think maybe Miranda might help to go through at least at a high level maybe the effect statement about what we're intending to do here.

Thank you. Certainly. So as I mentioned, the proposed amendment would make some edits within the subsection of the report that speaks to the program evaluation framework for the KCYDI program. So specifically, those changes would be to state that the prosecuting attorney's office will, rather than may, which is how it's written in the transmitted report, be involved in determining data collection methods as part of the performance measurement and evaluation planning process with funded partners. And then add language stating that the PAO prosecuting attorney's office feedback and concurrence on the evaluation plans, including finalized performance measures will be required prior to contract execution. There's language that would clarify that DCHS will finalize performance measures with contract partners in the evaluation plans that are created at the time of contracting prior to contract execution. So that's just a little bit of added clarity. It would state that routine evaluation by an independent party will be conducted at least once every three years throughout program implementation. That would include but not be limited to evaluation of program impacts on new arrests or referrals of program participants. And then overall a juvenile legal system involvement on metrics such as recidivism. It would include language that would essentially signal that the council may in the future request program performance measurements and outcomes reporting through the biennial budget process, such as through a proviso and or expenditure restriction. And then lastly, it would state that DCHS will provide a report to the council upon the three year anniversary of program implementation regarding implementation progress, initial lessons learned, and then any recommendations for program changes on a go forward basis. For example, such as perhaps recommendations regarding adding county program staff positions or adjusting the scope of work for county program staff positions. So that is the amendment. Madam Chair.

Thank you very much. Council Member Dembowski, did you have further?

Sure. Thank you very much, Miranda, for your work on this, and also to Leah Krekelzoppe, who I think also helped on some of the work. Was there one other person who helped from central staff? I want to make sure we get the thank yous out.

Oh, no, Leah. And many thanks personally to Leah as well for helping.

Colleagues... As you may know, I've had some concerns about some of the work of the Restorative Community Pathways program. I think it's important for folks following this to know that, at least it's my understanding, that for certain lower-level alleged crimes, state law requires that the county have a pre-filing diversion program. with the prosecutor, refer young folks who have gotten into trouble with the law, and I'm just going to use real simple and plain English here, so forgive me, that we refer folks to a course of response that is not necessarily court-driven, a typical arrest, prosecute, and then consequence model. And it is part of a restorative justice philosophy, which can be very effective in certain cases. Council Member Balducci has, in the amendment she brought forward, I thought rightfully reminds us all that there's a range of responses, this being one of them. We have partnered over the last few years with community organizations who have brought kind of forward to the county their approach and philosophy. And I would say there's been some success and there has been some failures in certain cases. And I think that's probably true of many programs. But here we're dealing with young people and I think we're there's an in my view anyway an added responsibility a heightened responsibility To be careful and cautious and help folks get back on track When when they're young so we don't hopefully see them later downstream with more consequential and more expensive programs and impacts to society. So we've taken a lot of care with this program. Procedurally, it comes before us in response to a budget proviso with kind of a report on what the Department of Community and Human Services has done to kind of revise and redesign the program here. And I think there are some very positive changes. We heard a great presentation, including from the prosecutor's office, in Councilmember Lewis's Law Justice Committee, which was informative. But what this amendment does, turning to the amendment, is strengthens the prosecutor's office authority over kind of the final design of the program, particularly around the reporting requirements that will be developed with our community partners. And it says the prosecutor's office basically has a veto power. to make sure that they get the kind of reporting requirements and the data collection from our community partners that we need. This is important because the prosecutor's office has to have confidence in this program to refer young people to it, and because there has been a history early on philosophically that they didn't want to share data, at least on an individual basis, with the county. We, I think the collective will is we want the data to show the efficacy and ensure the efficacy of the program and revise it if it needs to be revised. So by empowering the prosecutor's office, we make sure that these two branches of government, the independent elected prosecutor who has primary responsibility for this area, In terms of on the front end referral has confidence that our community partners will be collecting and sharing and reporting the data with the Department of Human Services that the prosecutor needs to make sure we have a functioning program. And we saw why this is important because the prosecutor at one point went out and got their own evaluation of the program. in addition to the one that DCHS does. So number one, prosecutor has some authority. Number two, we do ask for independent evaluation three years in. Council Member Barone had a good point. It takes a while to stand the new program up and to have folks go through it and to collect enough data to be able to do a study. And I think that's at least every three years. So it may take even a little bit longer, we don't know. But I wanna emphasize the word independent here There's that work is that word is doing a lot of word and work and that word is doing a lot of work in this amendment But for the record and for folks that may look back on this when you do this We are looking for a real independent evaluation of the program from an entity that can't be in whose impartiality can't be questioned I would say and who's competent we had a lot of debate around the two evaluations that were done and We want to have confidence when this program is evaluated that there won't be questions about who did the evaluation The third main thing here is adjustments to the program. In committee, the prosecutor's office mentioned how hopeful they were about having a county employee make the referral to the right program for the young person and how they were able to share data because it's a county employee program. They expect 300 to 500 young people a year to come through this program. And I do want to say I have a little concern that we might be lightly staffed on that coordinator or that referral role if we want to really engage individually in a deep way with young people. The prosecutor's office, in consultations with them, thinks it's adequately staffed. But there's a notion in here, a nudge in here to look at when they're evaluating the program, whether or not they need a little more resources in that space. So that is the, I think I've covered in my plain English way as best I can, the thrust of what we're trying to do here. Council members Balducci and Barone and I work together with staff and ourselves over a couple of meetings to kind of dig in on this and put this together. And I'm grateful for their ideas and suggestions and appreciate their Partnership and I want to thank chair Lewis for bringing the legislation through her committee and providing an opportunity to continue work on it Thank You councilmember Dombaski councilmember Barone Thank You chair Thank You councilmember Dombaski for taking lead on this amendment and for your work on it.

I I just wanted to note that You know part of this is a little bit of an unusual mechanism to do this right, because this is a we're kind of amending a report that the executive sent over about how they're planning and implementing this new Program. And so this isn't sort of an ordinance that we're amending this is something that came over from the executive, but we have gotten. You know an understanding from the executive branch that they're they're at least willing to to agree and so to me This is an expectation setting kind of message that we're sending here about what we expect and I think what I wanted to say and this is mostly just as a you know conveying both for the community and for providers and for folks from from the executive branch that are going to be implemented this program that My hope is just as for us to be sending a signal that we should learn the lessons of The problems that we had in the past and I think particularly I want to highlight the the evaluation piece of this Because I think when we reviewed the report in the Law and Justice Committee I think one of my concerns has been that it's it was a little bit like, you know we'll come up with the evaluation kind of down the road and And I think part of the problem with that approach is that in order to, you know, be able to evaluate, you need to be thoughtful about collecting the data and having an understanding of how you're going to evaluate the program early on. So I hope that, you know, while some of these details are not sort of written here because we're trying to be not super prescriptive and, again, because this is not kind of an ordinance or a proviso, My urge to the executive branch is to make sure that we are being proactive and part of the reason that we have this language about the Evaluation being prior to contracting is also to be fair to the partners that are going to be implementing this program That they know ahead of time I feel like that was part of the challenge that I heard from the prior iteration of this program that that that some of our nonprofit partners felt like, you know, they weren't asked for the data and then they were asked later after the fact. And so I just hope that we are very clear in the beginning what it is that we're going to be tracking, that, you know, the providers that are going to be providing the services are tracking that information, that maybe some of the entities that don't have the information, there's things like the recidivism part that they may not have access to that data, so they're making sure that we're working with the Prosecutor's Insurance Office. who's gonna be able to track that data, how is it gonna be done, so that we are more successful in the approach and learn the lessons from the past. I wanna emphasize that I believe diversion is a very important tool, not only because it can lead to better, impacts in terms of an individual and a young person in our community to put them in a better path after they had an interaction with the criminal legal system. It's also good for us as a government because the criminal legal system is very expensive and it's increasingly expensive. And so the more we can divert people from that system in a way that is going to lead to less interactions with the criminal legal system, that is a win-win for the community. But I worry that, you know, in the past, while I think that's really important, I feel like in the past the way that we've implemented has not been good and it's actually undermined. support and appreciation because there was competing narratives and competing data and competing evaluations. And so I just think we need to do it right because this is really important. It's an important component of our accountability systems. And so that's kind of the message that we're sending through this amendment is to emphasize that while there was a lot of important work and good work from the executive branch, that we felt like that part of the evaluation piece needed to be strengthened. Thank you again for the work on the amendment. And again, I just want to emphasize that's what we're focusing on here, is to make sure that we have good data and good tracking so that we learn from the mistakes that were made in the past. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Council Member Viceroy Barone. Council Member Fain.

Thank you, Chair. I just wanted to thank the sponsors of this amendment. The previous program was one that I had followed pretty closely over the last year or two, and I'm really happy to see the forward-looking approach to this new program and appreciate The idea that we need to let providers know what data they should be tracking ahead of time so that they can plan ahead and work in partnership with the PAO and DCHS as well. gratitude to all of you for putting the amendment together and to the executive's office for agreeing with the approach and working in collaboration to ensure that this is implemented at the outset. So I was going to say a number of things, but Councilmember Barone addressed a lot of those, so I'll spare you all. I know I didn't have a chance to participate in the drafting of this, but I would like to co-sponsor it to show my support and emphasis for the public that this is important and really look forward to seeing the results of this successful program. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Fain. Appreciate that. So it looks like the discussion has all been held for this. Let's proceed to a vote. All those in favor of Amendment 2, please say aye.

Aye.

Those opposed say nay. Amendment 2 is adopted. Moving on to the underlying motion as amended. Do my colleagues have any closing comments before we proceed with a vote? SEEING NO, COUNCILMEMBER DEMBASKI.

JUST FOR THE RECORD I WANTED TO SAY THAT I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HUMAN SERVICES AS PART OF THEIR REVIEW OF THE RESPONDENTS TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO CARRY OUT THIS NEW PROGRAM TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE FULL RANGE OF FOLKS THAT HAVE OFFERED TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND BE OPEN TO NEW PARTICIPANTS VIA who may have a different approach or a better approach, but I was very heartened to see, I took a look, I was given the opportunity to take a look at the early folks and groups that have proposed, and I'm heartened to see a range of trusted community partners that I think could help the county do this very important work. And I'll say again, these are young folks. They're vulnerable young folks. They're having a tough time in life. Often they're in circumstances not of their making that lead to some bad choices. And I do think that we have a responsibility as King County leading with the philosophy that we do of care. for young people to engage early and keep them out of a system, if at all possible, that's very expensive and doesn't have really great outcomes, but sometimes is absolutely necessary. But if we can do this right, it's a very, very good investment. And I want to extend gratitude to our community partners who are doing the tough work. it's easy to sit on the dais and say these words but they have to work individually with families and young people who aren't maybe having the easiest time in life and it's important to keep that in mind as we talk about performance data and accountability and outcomes and all and the prosecutor's office and all that i i don't want to lose sight of the fact that there are organizations and people working in them every day who are engaging with young folks with the very best of intentions to help them get back on the right track. And I'm grateful for that. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Council Member Dembowski. Seeing no further discussion. My hand's up.

Sorry, Council Member Mosqueda. Thank you. I wanted to say thanks to my colleagues for the additional amendments. I'm really glad to see the school liaison language in there. I think that's a good addition. I also wanted to comment on the process for the evaluation. It feels important to call out that we are not inventing a brand new program here. We are building off existing research-backed models. And I hope that when we pass this today, we also send a message to the departments, our executive partners, and the community at large, that it's important to take into consideration that any analysis of results from this program should also be measured against the data that we already have of the traditional criminal legal system, which we know has very negative outcomes. So I believe that this is a good step that we're taking today. We should all have a vested interest in seeing this program succeed. And to do all of that, we can build on past successes and make improvements. And an important aspect of that includes scaling up staffing and the resources necessary so that the Department, Department of Community and Health Services can ensure that they are in the best possible position to absorb the numerous new bodies of work that they are being asked to take on, not just with this sort of analysis, but with the other levies that have passed in years prior. Scaling up the staff and the resources at DCHS has been called on, called out by our community partners and by the executive team as well. And I think it's a really important call to action for us as we consider how we can make this successful. So happy to support this today and have the outcomes of this compared against what we know and that's sending you to the criminal legal system.

Thank you. Moving on to the underlying motion as amended for the vote. Claire Kay, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Excuse me. Council Member Balducci. Aye.

Council Member Barone.

Aye.

Council Member Dembowski. Aye. Council Member Dunn.

No.

Council Member Fain. Aye. Council Member Lewis. Aye. Council Member Mosqueda. Aye. Council Member Von Reichbauer. Aye. Chair Perry? Aye. The vote is 8 ayes and Councilmember Dunn voting no.

Thank you. By our vote we've adopted proposed motion 2026-0084 as amended. If there's no objection the published marked agenda together with any changes made in today's meeting will stand approved as the first reading referral and referral of ordinances and motions items 9 through 15 as listed. Before we adjourn, I want to quickly announce the names of the nominees for two vacancies for the council-nominated at-large positions on the Harborview Board of Trustees, Dr. Meredith Matthews and Dorothy Teeter. I also want to remind my colleagues there's an upcoming vacancy for a council-nominated at-large position on the Conservation Futures Advisory Committee. This vacancy was announced at last week's council meeting, and I'm requesting that colleagues submit nominations to fill the position. Council members may nominate an individual by sending an email with the completed application forms to my office by 5 p.m. on Monday, July 27th, After receiving nominations, the names will be announced at the July 28th council meeting and forwarded to the executive. I'd also like to note that next week's meeting will be fully remote as we will be having some changes, physical changes made to chambers during that time. With that, do my colleagues have any other business for the good of the order? Okay, seeing no further business before us, this meeting is adjourned.