King County Councilmember
Bob Ferguson
District 1

In the January/February issue:

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Delivering brief remarks after being sworn in for a new term by Judge Downing.
Delivering brief remarks after being sworn in for a new term by Judge Downing. With me are my mother Betty, twins Katie and Jack, and my wife Colleen.

King County Connects interview:

Dear Neighbor,

The New Year brought a new opportunity – my colleagues elected me to serve as Chair of the Council for 2010. As Chair, I will set the agendas for Council meetings and coordinate the referral and scheduling of legislation. I am also responsible for the general direction of the Council’s resources and oversight of legislative branch employees. Instead of my usual video this month, you can watch the included video of a recent interview where I discuss the challenges and opportunities for 2010.

It is an honor to serve as Chair and represent District 1 on the Council. I look forward to addressing the important policy issues in the year ahead, and I remain committed to ensuring that government is open and accountable to its citizens.

On a personal note, I had the exciting opportunity to attend President Obama’s recent State of the Union address. It was a memorable experience.  

Regards,

Signature

Video transcript available upon request.

Like the video format? I invite you to check out all my YouTube videos.

Supporting Public Safety

The Council’s Law, Justice, Health & Human Services Committee recently approved a motion, which I co-sponsored, supporting the State Legislature’s efforts to put a constitutional amendment before the voters regarding when a judge can deny bail to criminal defendants facing life in prison. The amendment is in response to the slaying of four Lakewood police officers and the revelation that the perpetrator had been recently released on bail.

Related Article:

Making News

I was recently interviewed for a “Comcast Newsmakers” segment to discuss my efforts last year to reform government to be more transparent and improve public records disclosure. You can watch the interview on my YouTube channel here.

Government transparency is a priority for me. You can read here for more details about the public records reform legislation I sponsored.

Appointments: District 8 and State Senate

As I mentioned in my previous eNews, the Council was unable at the last meeting in December to agree on an appointee to fill the District 8 vacancy and would be revisiting the issue at the start of the year. On January 4, the Council appointed former Seattle City Councilmember Jan Drago to replace Dow Constantine. Drago will act as a caretaker, serving until certification of the election of a new Councilmember in November. She is an experienced and well-respected policy-maker and I am enjoying the opportunity to work with her.

Related Article:

The Council recently made another appointment as well, and unanimously picked Randy Gordon to fill the vacant 41st Legislative District state Senate seat. That vacancy occurred when Fred Jarrett left his Senate post to accept the position of Deputy King County Executive.

Related Article:

Bob’s Bus Books

BooksIn December, I started a new segment of my eNews to share what I am reading on my bus commute. I received a lot of positive feedback, including a mention in Carla Saulter’s (a/k/a “Bus Chick”) transit blog on seattlepi.com that you can read here.

I am currently reading Trask, a novel by Don Berry about a mountain man's mid-nineteenth century quest for new opportunities and new land to settle on the Oregon coast. My great-grandparents homesteaded on the Skagit River near Marblemount in the nineteenth century, so I have a particular interest in this story of the Northwest’s early settlers.

Over the holidays, I read The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the fire that saved America by Timothy Egan. It is an account of the biggest forest fire in America’s history – the 1910 blaze that raged across Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Egan is one of my favorite writers and a King County resident. One of his earlier works, The Good Rain, is a Northwest classic.

Out & About

With new Shoreline City Councilmember Shari Tracey, a former member of my staff.

With new Shoreline City Councilmember Shari Tracey, a former member of my staff.

  • I enjoyed attending the swearing-in ceremonies for newly elected and reelected city council members in District 1 in January. I was able to attend ceremonies for the Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore city councils. Working with my colleagues at the cities in District 1 is an important element of regional cooperation.

  • In January, I spoke at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Council meeting. We had a good discussion about issues facing the County in the year ahead.

  • Last week, I attended the monthly North King County Mayors Meeting. The mayors representing Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, and Woodinville meet regularly to discuss and exchange ideas about issues of regional concern.

    Groundbreaking for the second mile of the city’s Aurora Corridor Project. Photo courtesy of the City of Shoreline.

    Photo courtesy of the City of Shoreline.

  • I was in Shoreline recently for the groundbreaking for the second mile of the city’s Aurora Corridor Project. The project will include improved sidewalks, lighting, and a landscaped center median with left and U-turn pockets. You can learn more about the project and get construction updates at www.cityofshoreline.com/aurora.

Helping Haiti

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, and with authority granted by the King County Council, Executive Constantine recently signed an Executive Order allowing employees of King County government to donate accrued vacation time to earthquake relief efforts. County employees will be allowed to convert up to 40 hours of vacation or compensatory time into a cash donation to help provide relief for victims of the earthquake.

When the Council approved a similar measure following Hurricane Katrina, King County employees generously donated over $400,000.

To find out how you can help, visit www.usaid.gov/helphaiti.

MLK Day Celebration

Video ScreenThe County recently held its 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. The theme for this year’s celebration was “Marching to the Dream” and the keynote speaker was Congressman John Lewis, one of the most courageous individuals of the Civil Rights Movement. Read More…

To honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, the Council proclaimed January as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. month in King County. The Council also encouraged residents to observe the holiday by contributing to our community. Read More…

 

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.

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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