Dear Neighbors video transcript:

Hi. I’m Bob Ferguson. I’m your representative on the King County Council for District One and thanks for viewing my enews. Today we’re doing something different, which is the introduction for the enews is by video, so write back and let us know what you think.

So today I want to talk to you a little about the state legislative session and how what the state legislature does impacts King County and frankly all 39 counties in Washington State. Counties are creatures of the state, which means that many of the programs we run, the operations we run, are dictated by the state. The state can set all sorts of rules or funding restrictions on how we do business.

So one example which we’re working with the state legislature [on] is when it comes to Metro Transit. You may have read in the papers that nationwide and here at home, there is a dramatic funding crisis going on with transit operations. In King County, we recently had some new numbers came out, just last week, from Metro that shows we’ll be having an annual $100 million shortfall for Metro Transit.

I take the bus to work every day, the 41 from Northgate, and talk to folks on the bus who are very concerned that we may be cutting Metro Transit service, which will be inevitable if those hundred million dollars of cuts need to happen. So one thing we are doing with the state legislature this year is seeking additional revenue options for Metro Transit because King County has exhausted the revenue options the state has provided us already.

So I’ve joined a group called the Washington Association of Counties. They have a legislative affairs committee and I’ve joined that group and I go down to Olympia on a regular basis to meet with council members from other counties around the state and we lobby our elected officials in Olympia at the same time.

I also want to invite you to a town hall meeting I’ll be having. I have town hall meetings frequently throughout my district and we are having one on Tuesday, March 24, up in Kenmore and I’ll be joined by the Kenmore mayor, David Baker. And we plan to focus our conversation around possible ferry service from Kenmore down to Seattle, Washington. So we urge you to attend. It will be Tuesday, March 24 and you can get more details about the town meeting when you read my enews.

So feel free to write back any time, if you have questions or concerns, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Thanks very much.

Bob Ferguson
King County Councilmember, District 1

Sims to Serve in Obama Administration

I want to congratulate Executive Ron Sims on his momentous selection to serve as deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be selected by President Obama to serve in this capacity is a tremendous honor and acknowledgement of his years of service here in King County. Once Executive Sims is confirmed, the Council will appoint an interim Executive pending the election of a new County Executive this November.

Read more:

• Sims leaving for HUD job; wants "caretaker" to replace him – Seattle Times
• Sims picked for HUD; successor debate begins – Seattle PI

Alaskan Way Viaduct Project

The Council’s Committee of the Whole, which I chair, was briefed (requires free version of Windows Media Player) on the Alaskan Way Viaduct project in late January. The briefing focused on Governor Gregoire, Executive Sims, and Mayor Nickels’ proposal to replace the viaduct with a bored tunnel.

As part of that proposal, the Executive proposed a 1% Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) on vehicles registered in King County. The MVET would fund additional transit service both during and after tunnel construction. MVET funds would also provide a new source of revenue for Metro, whose primary funding source is sales tax. Because of the recent drop in sales tax revenues, Metro is facing a significant budget shortfall and existing service is in jeopardy if new funds are not secured.

I have concerns about using MVET dollars to fund transit. In any event, to institute an MVET, the legislature must first grant King County the authority to impose it. Several Council members, myself included, have emphasized that any MVET taxing decision should be made by the voters.

Currently, all decisions about the viaduct replacement and any potential MVET are in the hands of the state legislature. I will keep you updated.

Save the Dates for Town Hall Meetings

I want to invite you to my upcoming town hall meetings:

• The Council will be in Renton for a special town hall meeting on protecting public health and the risks of possible cuts to the Department of Public Health. The agenda is being finalized and will be available shortly. In the meantime, details include:
  

  Date:	Wednesday, March 4, 2009
  Time:	6 p.m. – Public reception 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – Program
  Location:	Valley Medical Center Medical Arts Center Building 400 South 43rd Street, Renton

• Kenmore Mayor David Baker will join me on March 24 to answer your questions about the King County Ferry District and possible passenger ferry service from Kenmore to Seattle. I hope you are able to attend.

Date:	Tuesday, March 24, 2009	Kenmore Mayor David Baker will join us March 24.
Time:	6:30 p.m. – Public reception 7 – 8:30 p.m. – Program
Location:	Northshore Utility District Building 6830 Northeast 185th Street, Kenmore

District One Outings

• I was recently a guest at the Maple Leaf Community Council (MLCC) meeting in North Seattle. As a resident of Maple Leaf, I always enjoy meeting with my neighbors. My wife Colleen and I brought our one-year-old twins, Katie and Jack, so they could attend their first community meeting!
  
  I had the opportunity to address questions on topics ranging from the special election for the King County Director of Elections and the proposed use of taxpayer dollars to pay for the Husky Stadium renovation, to the recent Metro fare increase. For more information about MLCC, you can visit the MLCC website.

• I attended a Haller Lake Community Club (HLCC) meeting to discuss issues related to county government and answer questions. We discussed Northgate park and ride issues, the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Action Plan, and the King County Executive appointment process. You can visit the HLCC website for more information about the organization.

At community meetings, such as here in Kingsgate, I always enjoy talking with constituents.

• Recently, I spoke at the Kingsgate Highlands Divisions 3 and 4 Homes Association annual meeting. King County is the local government for this neighborhood, which is located in unincorporated King County. We primarily discussed a proposed municipal jail site located near this neighborhood and the possible annexation of this area into either Bothell or Kirkland.

• I attended the monthly North King County Mayors Meeting in Kenmore. The mayors representing Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, and Woodinville meet regularly over lunch to discuss issues of interest concerning their cities and the county.

Bob in the News Check out these two articles: • First, the North Seattle Herald asked me to write an op-ed about my experience at President Obama’s inauguration. • Second, the Washington State Bar News published my article “County Budgets and the Crisis in Our Courts.”

Enjoying Inauguration Day with Colleen.

Regional Municipal Jail Update

I am hearing from many of my constituents about the proposed municipal jail sites in Shoreline and the Kingsgate area of unincorporated King County. As a King County Councilmember, I had no role in the site selection process. This issue impacts both ends of my district and I am committed to keeping you updated on this issue.

My office is communicating with constituents about the site selection process being conducted by Seattle and the cities in north and east King County. These cities are working to build a new municipal jail and have announced six proposed sites. We are sending letters to District One constituents who live near the proposed sites and I also spoke at a community meeting in Kingsgate about the potential site near their neighborhood.

Funding Opportunities

• King County Housing Repair Program The King County Department of Community and Human Services is sponsoring a housing repair program that offers no interest loans and grants to low- to moderate-income residents. Assistance is available to keep homes safe and in good repair, including health and safety repairs, energy-related work and building preservation. For more information, visit King County Housing Repair Program or call (206) 263-9095.

• 2010 Conservation Futures Fund This year King County will distribute approximately $8 million to fund public open space land acquisition in Seattle, unincorporated King County, and the suburban cities. These funds are dedicated specifically for this purpose and, by law, cannot be used for any other purpose. The application process has just opened. The deadline to apply is Thursday, March 26, 2009. For information, please contact David Tiemann, staff liaison for King County Conservation Futures Citizen Committee at david.tiemann@kingcounty.gov.

About my E-Newsletter

Councilmember Bob Ferguson on the Web: www.kingcounty.gov/ferguson

I hope you enjoy my updates! Please review my recent e-newsletters.

To remove yourself from my e-newsletter list, send an email to fergusonenews@kingcounty.gov and copy "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

To subscribe to my e-newsletter, send an email to fergusonenews@kingcounty.gov and copy "Subscribe" in the subject line.

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at bob.ferguson@kingcounty.gov.

Phone: (206) 296-1001 | Fax: (206) 296-0198 | TTY/TDD: (206) 296-1024 | Toll Free: (800) 325-6165
Mailing Address: King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, Room 1200, Seattle, WA 98104-3272