How do you feel about King County and their budget? You still have time to weigh in on the King County Budget.
Community Wide Forums has extended the deadline of the King County Budget Survey: Achieving Sustainability Together to Oct. 23rd. What are your spending priorities for the county? What is your opinion on Metro Transit and other budget issues? Help the county make decision on the budget. This survey takes a high level look at the budget while focusing on Metro Transit. “The key question is how can we create a sustainable budget that avoids ‘crisis mode’ budgeting and maintains vital services?”
You can participate in this online survey until 11:58 PM, this Sunday, October 23.
Share your opinions and raise your voice on your County’s Budget and transportation system.
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Countywide Community Forums does not use any tax dollars from the county. It depends solely on the donations from supporters. It is underwritten by Dick’s Drive-In and family.
Your responses provide valuable insights to the King County Council and the County Executive on long-term budget solutions. In addition, when you select White Center CDA from the list, you will help White Center CDA earn a grant (from $250 - $5,000!) Please remember you can take this survey once, and we encourage you to tell your friends, family, and neighbors to participate as well.
Things to remember:
-The final date to complete this survey is October 16th
-You must either live, work, or go to school in King County to take this survey
-Optional background information and topic video are provided within the survey
-Questions with an (*) are required
-The video is 10 minutes and the survey takes 10-15 minutes
Background:
Countywide Community Forums (CCF) is a volunteer-based organization that promotes public engagement and community discussions about issues impacting King County. Previous CCF forum topics have included Public Safety, Equity & Economic Opportunity, Budget, and Public Transportation. CCF’s mission is to reach out to diverse communities and promote citizen participation and eduation in government. CCF is overseen by the King County Auditor’s Office, and receives no tax dollars. The program is privately underwritten by individuals, businesses, foundations, and Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants as part of their commitment to community service.
White Center CDA staff joined residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood and Family Connections staff (Mt. View Elementary and White Center Heights Elementary) to advocate for the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries at the King County Library System’s (KCLS) board of trustees meeting in Issaquah last night.
A large contingent of White Center’s community attended last night’s KCLS board of trustees monthly meeting to advocate against the closing and consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries. Among them were residents from the Greenbridge neighborhood to provide their perspectives on how a potential closure will effect them and their families. Lan Le and Anab Abdulle from Family Connections provided interpretation in Vietnamese and Somali, respectively.
The experience for our Greenbridge neighbors was a new one - many of them had not been to Issaquah but were eager to speak in front of the board. They spoke about access, how their families utilize the libraries, and how closing the libraries will have an effect on the Greenbridge library (located inside the YWCA learning center).
The board heard from many other White Center representatives, notably the White Center Library Guild, who have been longtime advocates of the libraries and leading a campaign to “Save Our Libraries”. Over 1,700 signatures were collected by the Guild and community partners, which was presented to the board by Astha Tada of the Guild. King County council member Joe McDermott was also in attendance to reiterate his support of the community.
The KCLS board of trustees decided to defer their decision of library consolidation of the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries until a decision about annexation is made by the City of Burien. We will provide more information about the library situation on this blog (as well as Facebook and Twitter) as it develops.
The White Center CDA supports the current efforts of the Save Our Libraries campaign, led through the grassroots community efforts of the White Center Library Guild. Below is CDA’s message sent out to the community to attend the next King County Library System’s Board of Trustees meeting on June 28. The next Guild meeting is on Monday, June 20, 1:00pm at the White Center Library.
Start of message:
There has been a proposal at the King County level to possibly close/consolidate both the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries. In response, the White Center Library Guild launched a “Save Our Libraries” campaign to advocate for these libraries and to stress its importance to the community. The Guild has created a petition that can be signed in front of the libraries and at various community events. Read news coverage about it here: http://tinyurl.com/SaveOurLibrariesWCBP.
The King County Library System Board of Trustees will be meeting on Tuesday, June 28 to further discuss this issue. Join the White Center Library Guild, White Center CDA and concerned community members to let the board know how important these libraries are to you, your family and your community!
WHO: Supporters of our White Center / Boulevard Park Libraries!
WHAT: King County Library System Board of Trustees meeting
WHEN: Tuesday, June 28, 5:00pm
WHERE: KCLS Service Center, 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah, 98027 (TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED, INFO BELOW)
WHY: To advocate for our libraries, our youth, our neighbors and our neighborhood’s future!
The first 30 minutes of this meeting is open to public comment. Those who wish to speak may sign up at the beginning.
We understand that transportation may be a barrier, so please call (206) 694-1082 or email ian@wccda.org and let us know if you need a ride to the meeting and back to White Center. Meet us at the White Center CDA office at 3:00pm.Our White Center CDA van and other vehicles will leave theWhite Center CDA parking lot at 3:30pm.
Brionne Corbray of the GAME Collective - one of the medical marijuana dispensaries to open in White Center - addresses questions from the audience at last night's White Center Business District Mixer, held at 3.14 Bakery. Photo courtesy of the White Center CDA's Twitter account, which was tweeted as the event happened.
Last night’s White Center Business District Mixer event was successful, complete with community announcements, networking and great food from Banh 88 Restaurant and 3.14 Bakery. The hot button topic around medical marijuana dispensaries opening up in the business district was also addressed. Brionne Corbray from the G.A.M.E. Collective and Chris Cody from Herbal Legends were on hand to introduce themselves and to address any questions/concerns regarding their businesses. Overall safety was a large concern, with other topics around legislation and operations.
Here is a statement from the White Center CDA board of directors regarding these businesses:
The CDA supports new businesses that contribute to a healthy, robust economy in White Center. We support businesses that operate responsibly, follow the existing laws and serve our community. With the new medical marijuana dispensaries open in the downtown core, we offer the same support. Just like other community-minded businesses, we’d love to see active community participation from medical marijuana dispensaries, including but not limited to: participation in regular CDA business mixers, Chamber of Commerce meetings, contributions to community events, in-kind support of community projects and other volunteerism efforts so they are part of the White Center revitalization efforts.
However, if after careful watch we gather data and see a negative impact on our community, such as over dispensing or illegal/wrongful prescription abuse, the CDA may change this position. We recognize the varied emotion these businesses elicit amongst our community and look forward to working with the new owners, the White Center Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to work toward a positive outcome.
Our series opens with a very timely topic: Perspectives on the Federal Budget: Implications for Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Meaghan McCarthy, Senate Appropriations staffer to the Transportation & Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee and Douglas Rice, Senior Policy Analyst for Housing at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will be on the line with us for the lunch hour to share their insights and to answer your questions.
Watch for emails and updates on upcoming “Learn at Lunch” sessions. Possible topics include: Federal Advocacy 101, Sustainable Housing, the Low Income Tax Credit Program, Federal Homelessness Policy, Section 8 Voucher Reform, Transforming Rental Assistance, What does the Community Development Fund do for you?, Strategies for In-District Advocacy, and Making Social Media Work for Advocacy. And feel free to contact us with suggestions for additional topics or guests.
Please join us on the 31st for a lively and informative hour with the experts!
The Seattle City Council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee gathered today to discuss annexation, amongst other topics. Above is a photo we took right outside of the Seattle Council chambers after giving individual testimonies regarding annexation. Even though everyone knows that we love White Center, we had to show it too, by wearing our “I Heart White Center” t-shirts in solidarity!
Councilmember Richard Conlin announced a new resolution calling for a decision on annexation by February 2012. The entire City Council will consider this resolution on March 28. You can view today’s committee hearing in full on www.seattlechannel.org.
Pictured, left to right: Peter Chum, Virgil Domaoan, Patty Julio, Sylvia See, Kate Stannard, Mohammed Al-Shimari and Julia Bautista. Photo by Ian Dapiaoen.
UPDATE, 3/21: View the aforementioned resolution here, download the PDF version here, and view/download the North Highline Potential Annexation Area map here. You can view this hearing at the Seattle Channel by clicking here. We also added a screen shot of Mohammed, 15, speaking at the hearing (see above).
UPDATE, 3/29: At the 3/28 full council hearing, City Council voted to move ahead with making a decision about annexation in February 2012 for a possible vote in November 2012. The Council also agreed to not get in the way of any efforts that Burien may want to make in annexing White Center. You can read yesterday’s resolution here. You can also watch archived video from yesterday here.
There will be a Special meeting of the Seattle City Council Regional Development and Sustainability Committee on Friday, March 18, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. The agenda is attached and copied below.
3. RES. 31282
Adopting guiding principles and economic development actions and strategies for strengthening and growing the City of Seattle’s economy and creating jobs.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE (20 MINUTES)
Presenters: Steve Johnson, Office of Economic Development; Traci Ratzliff, Council Central Staff
4. RES. 31283
Potential Annexation of North Highline - Calling for the annexation, by election, of contiguous unincorporated territory to the City of Seattle, referenced as the North Highline Annexation Area, and generally lying in an area south of the corporate boundaries of Seattle, west of the corporate boundaries of Tukwila (but not including unincorporated territory lying along the western bank of the Duwamish River and north of S Director Street or a line extended eastward from the eastern terminus of S Director Street), north of the corporate boundaries of Burien, and east of Seola Beach Drive and 30th Avenue SW.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE (30 minutes)
Presenters: Doug Carey, City Budget Office; Kenny Pittman, Office of Intergovernmental Relations; Christa Valles, Council Central Staff
5. Industrial Development District Update
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION (20 minutes)
Presenters: Roque Deherrera, Office of Economic Development; Steve Johnson, Office of Economic Development
6. Duwamish River Corridor Master Agreement (Bluefield) - Public Outreach and Design Response for Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) Sites 1, 2, and 3
BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION (15 minutes)
Presenters: John Layzer, Seattle Department of Transportation; Meg Moorehead, Council Central Staff
7. C.B. 117126
Relating to the Natural Resource Trustees; authorizing an agreement with the Natural Resource Trustees for the assignment of a Restrictive Covenant setting out conditions under which the City of Seattle will guarantee the preservation of habitat to be created on City-owned property by Bluefield Holdings and authorizing the jurisdictional department to sign such a covenant when conceptual approval for the project is issued; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE VOTE (5 minutes)
Presenters: Judith Noble, Seattle Public Utilities; Meg Moorehead, Council Central Staff
Supporting Documents: Seattle Public Utilities
The “Women in the Green Economy” project aims to learn from women and their families in SE Seattle about what they need and want from the green movement. The project will survey low-income women and women of color around four issues: green jobs; green home; access to healthy and fresh foods; and public transportation.
To celebrate Black History Month we are happy to share with you a couple short video clips of Loretta Ross, cofounder and national coordinator of SisterSong, Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective.
Watch this video to find out the origin of “women of color.”
