Recently, King County Executive Dow Constantine spoke about his “Blueprint For Reform” in a speech to the King County Council where he laid out “a host of immediate and long-term challenges.”

He challenged the Council and the public to:

• invest… in a 21st century transportation infrastructure,
• protect… our health and the most vulnerable in our communities,
• maintain… excellence in public safety and justice for all,
• and partner… with our cities and regional governments, [and] business and labor leaders, to focus on creating jobs and opportunity.

Next, referring to his draft of the first-ever King County Strategic Plan, he cited four elements of his reform:

1. Service excellence
2. A quality workforce
3. Wise financial stewardship
4. A robust public engagement

And now, a public Opinionnaire® Survey through SocialCapitalReview.org has been issued about his “Blueprint for Reform,” where citizens are being asked to take a survey online here.

According to a press release from SocialCapitalReview.org:

One of the under-reported items of the Executive’s “blueprint for reform” is the element for “robust public engagement”. We focus on this element of reform at our new Social Capital Review blog and are highlighting a special online survey to gage the public’s reaction to specific quotations from his speech.

The special Opinionnaire® survey was created by the Forum Foundation “in the spirit of public service to the citizens of King County”. It is based on the same tools used by the Countywide Community Forums — an existing public engagement program from the King County Auditor’s Office that has been used since 2008 for critical feedback from anyone who lives or works in the county.

Registration of King County Citizen Councilors is at CommunityForums.org.

So, if you could spare a few minutes, and like to have your opinion heard, we encourage you to take the survey by clicking here.

On Wednesday (Feb. 17th), King County Executive Dow Constantine announced that he will vow to continue pursuing federal funding for replacement of the county’s South Park Bridge.

Constantine will need to do this because the latest round of federal stimulus money grants does NOT include any for this bridge, which is now scheduled to be closed down at the end of June.

According to Publicola:

“The latest round of TIGER (federal stimulus money) grants … includes $30 million in funding for the $200 million Mercer project … they skipped over a request from King County to replace the deteriorating South Park Bridge, which links South Park and White Center to the Duwamish industrial area and downtown Seattle across the Duwamish River.”

“I am very disappointed for the people of King County that our application for federal stimulus funding to replace the South Park Bridge was not approved,” Constantine said in a statement.

Constantine also added:

“While the bridge competed against a lot of other worthy projects, replacing this key transportation link is imperative to the economic health of affordable, diverse neighborhoods and the hundreds of industrial businesses that depend on direct vehicular access to State Route 99 and Interstate 5. It may not be a glamorous or high-profile project, but it’s one that is vitally important to our economy and our society.”

“I am determined to pursue funding for this project through future TIGER grant cycles, the jobs bill, other federal appropriations, and the state Legislature. I thank Senator Patty Murray and the Washington delegation for their unwavering support of federal funding for this project. It’s my hope that their hard work will keep the South Park Bridge near the top of the list in future funding cycles.”

“I will also keep working with the King County Council to explore funding options that can provide a local match to federal funding opportunities for this and other unfunded projects around the county.”

“Under the Road Services Division budget adopted by the Council last fall, the bridge is scheduled to be closed at the end of June, and eventually removed.”

And not to be out-disappointed, Councilmember Jan Drago released the following statement Wed. afternoon:

“I was disappointed to learn that the South Park Bridge project did not receive any federal stimulus grant money. While I am glad to see that the hard work and coordination at all levels of government did reap some rewards by way of $30 million in federal dollars for the Mercer Street project—a critical regional connection that will bring much needed jobs and economic stimulus to our area—we have scores of other infrastructure projects in King County and throughout the Puget Sound region that lack funding.

“I look forward to working with the King County Executive, my fellow Councilmembers, the city of Seattle and our state and federal leaders on solutions for the South Park Bridge project that will protect the safety of all drivers, and provide freight capacity for the Duwamish area.”

King County Councilmember Drago represents the communities of West Seattle, North Highline, Vashon and Maury islands, Burien, Normandy Park, SoDo, International District/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, West Beacon Hill, and portions of SeaTac, Tukwila and West Hill.

by Ralph Nichols

King County Executive Dow Constantine re-affirmed in a talk in SeaTac on Friday (Jan. 8th) his commitment to creating a new spirit of cooperation with other local governments.

Constantine, who took office in late November, declared, “We are going to improve our relationship … between King County and the 39 cities in King County.”

This new relationship with the cities “will be one of partnership,” he said.

Constantine added that the county also has an opportunity to work with businesses to prepare and “provide leadership for the economic recovery that is to come.”

He spoke at a membership meeting of the Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce at the Cedarbrook Lodge.

“This region is the economic engine of the state,” he continued, noting that 30 percent of Washington’s population, 40 percent of its non-farm workforce and 50 percent of its economic activity is in King County.

These are primary reasons why “King County needs to reform the way it works with business … needs to reform the way it works with the cities.”

Reforms need to include county staff doing “the leg work” to find those regulations that affect individual businesses, so owners and managers can focus on running their businesses.

“We need to find ways to incubate new local businesses,” and then work to keep them here “rather than seeing them move elsewhere,” he said.

“Permitting in King County now is daunting,” Constantine said, and the county needs to establish “one-stop shopping” for business licenses and building permits, and to work with the state to simplify business tax codes.

County government also needs to be more efficient, he said.

“I’m very hopeful about our future as a region,” Constantine continued. “It’s clear that the economy in fits and starts is starting to come around. We need to make sure that living wage jobs are available to everyone.”

He added that “visitor taxes,” which helped build Safeco Field, Qwest Field and other public facilities, “need to go to help bring more visitors to King County.”

by Ralph Nichols

King County will cede previously contested Puget Sound Park to Burien when the city annexes much of the North Highline unincorporated area, county Executive Dow Constantine and Mayor Joan McGilton announced Wednesday (Jan. 6).

The joint announcement ends a seven-week impasse between the city and county over the fate of the five-acre park at 1st Ave. S and SW 126th St, and clears the way for Burien to proceed with the final annexation process.

McGilton said annexation probably will take effect on April 1. The city council is expected to vote on that date at their Jan. 11 meeting.

Residents in the southern half of the North Highline unincorporated area voted by a sizeable margin last August to be annexed by Burien. The merger includes transfer of county property in the annexation area to Burien, which the city now will maintain, including streets and parks.

But city officials learned on Nov. 20 that former county Executive Kurt Triplett, in one of his final actions before leaving office, offered to sell Puget Sound Park to the King County Library System.

The library system, which was interested in building a new facility at that site and consolidating the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries there, signed a letter of intent to purchase the land for $600,000.

Burien lawmakers, however, were adamant that the park rightfully should go to the city as part of annexation. On Nov. 23, they postponed a vote to approve March 2 as the effective date and delayed annexation until this issue was resolved.

Constantine, who as a county councilman represented Burien, North Highline and West Seattle, inherited the conflict when he took office on Nov. 24. Before taking office, he asked Triplett not to proceed with the sale, and Triplett complied.

Earlier last year, Constantine twice wrote letters supporting Burien’s claim to Puget Sound Park if the city annexed part of the North Highline area (read our coverage here and here).

“A deal’s a deal, and it was the city’s understanding of the annexation process that it would receive six parks from the County, including Puget Sound Park,” Constantine said in the joint announcement.

“After detailed discussions, I agree that transfer of the park to the city is the right thing to do and should occur as part of that larger annexation.”

McGilton told The B-Town Blog, “I am very pleased that King County understood what Burien was saying, that we needed to be a part of the process in order to acquire Puget Sound Park.

“We are very happy that our new King County executive listened to the concerns of Burien and ultimately agreed that this was the best possible outcome for the city of Burien, for our soon-to-be new residents in North Highline, and for King County as a whole.

She added, “This part of our community has been underserved by parks. We look forward to bringing Puget Sound Park up to Burien standards for the residents who use this facility.”

In the joint statement, McGilton noted the transfer of the park, which still needs to be approved by the King County Council, “sets the right tone for this new era in King County government. I thank the County Executive for his leadership to reach a fair agreement on the parks transfer.”

City lawmakers had made it clear they considered the attempt by King County to sell the park, which was in the works before Constantine took office, a breach of trust. City Manager Mike Martin declared at that time that annexation would not happen until Burien got Puget Sound Park as part of the deal.

The city council also delayed adopting budget amendments for 2010 that account for additional revenue and expenses due to annexation until the park issue was resolved.

Late Thursday (Dec. 3rd), the King County Council announced that its Advisory Committee has chosen four finalists seeking to fill the King County Council seat vacated by Dow Constantine upon his election as King County Executive.

Despite the fact that four of the 11 candidates were from the Burien area (Dr. Arun Jhaveri, Lucy Krakowiak; Kathleen Quong-Vermeire, and Shawn McEvoy), and that two members of the selection committee were also local (Joan McGilton and Doug Osterman), the committee recommended these two non-Burienites who intend to run for the seat in the November 2010 general election:

• Rep. Zack Hudgins—State Representative from the 11th District
• Sen. Joe McDermott—State Senator from the 34th District

The committee also recommended two others who intend to serve in a caretaker capacity until the general election in November 2010:

• Jan Drago—A member of the Seattle City Council who is leaving the Council this year
• Rep. Sharon Nelson—State Representative from the 34th District

All four candidates recommended by the Committee will be interviewed on Monday, Dec. 7th at a 9:30am meeting of the Council’s Committee-of-the-Whole in the council chambers of the King County Courthouse.

The advisory committee was chaired by former Seattle Deputy Mayor and Municipal Court Judge Anne Levinson and Mark Okazaki, Executive Director of Neighborhood House, a human service agency with facilities in High Point and Greenbridge. They were joined on the 12-member advisory committee by community leaders and elected officials who live or work in Council District 8:

• Aileen Balahadia, Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Association,
• Steve Daschle, Executive Director of Southwest Youth and Family Services,
• Tom Dean, Executive Director of the Vashon/Maury Island Land Trust,
• David Johnson, CEO of NAVOS, a mental health care facility that provides housing,
• Joan McGilton, Mayor of Burien
• Patti Mullen, CEO, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce
• Behnaz Nelson, co-chair of the King County Coalition of Unions
• Kathy Nyland, chair of the Georgetown Merchants Association and chair of the City Neighborhood Association
• Doug Osterman, Normandy Park City Councilmember
• Chris Porter, business owner and a nurse practitioner who is active on park and recreation issues.

Co-Chairs Levinson and Okazaki said the committee represented a diversity of perspectives and experiences and took to heart the charge from the Council to forward a slate of candidates who would best serve the needs of the County and District 8.

“We had a remarkable pool of applicants and appreciated the number of people willing to step forward to serve. The finalists each bring experience and understanding of the complex array of issues facing the County. Each would hit the ground running and be a very effective addition to the Council,” said Levinson and Okazaki.

The committee’s criteria for evaluation of candidates included:

• Knowledge of the functions of King County government;
• Knowledge of the issues and challenges facing King County government;
• Knowledge of the issues affecting the constituents of Council District 8;
• A demonstrated ability to develop a responsible budget;
• A demonstrated ability to respond to public concerns; and
• Demonstrated leadership skills.

The County Council has final authority for making the appointment, and is expected to take action by Monday, Dec. 14th, the last Council meeting of 2009.

by Ralph Nichols

A letter written on April 3 by then-King County Councilman Dow Constantine – this one sent to Ron Sims, who was still county executive at the time – affirms Constantine’s apparent support for preserving Puget Sound Park.

Constantine, now the new King County Executive, informed Sims that he could not “support the Sustainable Communities and Affordable Housing proposal until Puget Sound Park is removed from further consideration” for conversion to housing.

Located at 1st Ave. S and SW 126th St., the park is in the unincorporated area of North Highline that is to be annexed by Burien early next year.

“I was dismayed to see this parcel listed along with several other non-park properties being prepared for conversion to housing use,” Constantine wrote Sims.

“I have previously stated in writing that I would not support any conversion proposal for any portion of this park that did not have the support of both the North Highline community and the city of Burien, which is pursuing the annexation of the surrounding neighborhood.

“As the city of Burien has registered its formal opposition and the community appears adamantly opposed to selling all or part of the park, it should be removed from the proposed ordinance.

“Parks have immense value to their surrounding communities, and replacement of this park property in this immediate neighborhood would be difficult at best,” he continued. “Replacement at a site elsewhere in King County is, of course, wholly inadequate….

“I do not feel that the conversion of public parks to housing sites is appropriate … and, if this legislation is introduced, I will take immediate action to amend it to protect this neighborhood park.”

Before becoming county executive, Constantine represented Burien, North Highline and West Seattle on the county council.

On April 13, Puget Sound Park was removed from consideration as a project site for the Sustainable Communities and Affordable Housing program. 

Noting he was “pleased to learn” of this action, Constantine added, “our public parks – both active and passive – are valuable assets to their surrounding neighborhoods and King County that must be preserved and enhanced whenever possible.”

When the King County Council adopted the Sustainable Communities and Affordable Housing ordinance on Sept. 14, Puget Sound Park was not included as one of the properties for conversion.

Nevertheless, Constantine’s immediate predecessor, former county Executive Kurt Triplett, attempted to negotiate a backroom deal for the sale of Puget Sound Park to the King County Library System (read our previous coverage here).

Burien city officials learned about Triplett’s attempt to sell Puget Sound Park just days before the city council was scheduled to set March 2 as the formal date for annexing much of the North Highline unincorporated area – and just days before Triplett left office.

The city council subsequently put the setting of an effective date for annexation on hold – and city Manager Mike Martin declared in the wake of that revelation that annexation won’t happen until Burien gets this park as part of the deal.

In his monthly report to the King County Library System board of trustees prior to their regular meeting on Nov. 24, library system director Bill Ptacek said, “As reported earlier this year, the County reached out to KCLS with an offer to sell various parks to KCLS so that they could be maintained and kept open.

“One of the parks, Puget Sound Park, is in the area that recently voted to annex to Burien. The Park … would be a good location for a new Library in the area. KCLS has agreed (in principal) to purchase the developable portion of that property. The County still hopes to turn over the Park portion to the City of Burien if and when it completes the annexation process in March 2010.”

One unconfirmed rumor suggests that if the library system took ownership of the park, it might consolidate the White Center and Boulevard Park libraries in a new facility at that location.

Frank Abe, Constantine’s director of communications, told The B-Town Blog earlier this week that before taking office, Constantine asked Triplett not to take action on selling Puget Sound Park.

One of Constantine’s first actions as executive will be to sit down with all parties to discuss the future of the park to “figure out what’s best – especially for the people of Burien,” Abe said.

Here are links to download and read PDFs of Constantine’s letters regarding Puget Sound Park:

• Jan. 28 letter to North Highline Unincorporated Area Council
• April 2 letter to Ron Sims

by Ralph Nichols

King County Executive Dow Constantine, whose first full day on the job was Monday (Nov. 30), reportedly plans to meet with all interested parties before deciding the future of Puget Sound Park.

The King County Library System recently entered into a preliminary agreement with former Executive Kurt Triplett to purchase the park from the county in a deal brokered through county executive’s office.

But Puget Sound Park is located at 1st Ave South and SW 126th Street in the unincorporated area of North Highline that is to be annexed by Burien early next year. And City Manager Mike Martin said last week that annexation won’t happen until Burien gets this park as part of the deal.

Burien and North Highline officials knew nothing about the pending sale of the park to the library system until Nov. 20th (read our previous coverage here).

Frank Abe, Constantine’s director of communications, told The B-Town Blog on Nov. 30 that “one of the executive’s first action items will be to sit down with all the parties involved and to understand their concerns….

“Before taking office, Executive Constantine asked the previous executive (Triplett) not to take action until he could talk to everyone, and no action was taken” on a possible sale of the park, which is now on hold.

Constantine likely will meet with Burien Mayor Joan McGilton and Martin, King County Library System Director Bill Ptacek, and North Highline Unincorporated Area Council President Greg Duff, among others.

Abe said Constantine wants to “figure out what’s best – especially for the people of Burien.” Constantine represented Burien, North Highline and West Seattle on the King County Council until his election as county executive in November.

He added that Deputy County Executive Fred Jarrett has emphasized “we want to be certain the county doesn’t do something that’s arrogant or one-sided” where Burien is concerned.

Triplett’s stealth attempt to sell the park – initiated by the county and discussed with library system officials without informing the city or, apparently, library system trustees – prompted Burien council members at their meeting on Nov. 23 to postpone official annexation of North Highline, which tentatively was set for March 2.

Burien officials and North Highline residents hope that Constantine will intervene to block the sale, thus allowing Puget Sound Park to go to the city as part of annexation. And a Jan. 28, 2009, letter from Constantine to the North Highline Council, following a meeting he had with Triplett, may give them reason for optimism (download a PDF of the letter here).

At that time, while Burien lawmakers continued to deliberate the annexation issue, Triplett had identified Puget Sound Park as a county property that might be used for affordable workforce housing.

“Park property is hard to come by and especially dear to any community,” Constantine wrote the North Highline Council. “Any proposal to sell park property must receive the highest level of scrutiny and public discussion….

“Any specific proposal for Puget Sound Park would also need to be similarly presented for community review.

“Given that Puget Sound Park is located in the city of Buren’s Potential Annexation Area, I urged the Executive’s representatives to include Burien officials in any future discussions.”

“We expect to have that park,” Martin said following the Burien council’s postponement of setting a date for formal annexation. “No annexation deal will be done until we get that asset.”

And McGilton sent a letter to Constantine requesting his “direct intervention in this matter.”

Burien City Councilwoman Rose Clark, in remarks during the Nov. 23 meeting, called Triplett’s “eleventh-hour” attempt to sell Puget Sound Park “reprehensible.”

Councilman Gordon Shaw called the move “very, very bad government…. I’m very disappointed with King County. The (North Highline) residents have said before they don’t want the park sold.

Shaw added that the timing of the revelation of the proposed park sale “gives (the city) a really good opportunity to work with Dow in a new collaboration and to get away from the dictatorial attitude the county has had toward Burien in the past.”

Shortly after the August election, when residents of the southern part of North Highline approved annexation by Burien, Triplett proposed mothballing King County parks to reduce county general fund expenses by $4.6 million.

Constantine quickly responded, opposing Triplett’s plan to cut funding for the parks in unincorporated areas.

“Parks are important to the health and quality of life of everyone in the communities,” and closing them would be “short sighted,” he said.

Four Burien-area politicians have thrown their hats into the ring to replace King County Councilmember Dow Constantine’s vacant seat, including: Burien’s first Mayor Arun Jhaveri; current City Councilmember Lucy Krakowiak; Kathleen Quong-Vermeire, Commissioner, Highline Water District and former Mayor of Normandy Park, and Shawn McEvoy, current Mayor of Normandy Park.

Constantine was sworn in as King County Executive on Tuesday, Nov. 24th, which means there is now a vacancy in Council District 8. The King County Council received a total of 11 applications from individuals who are seeking to replace his vacant seat on the County Council.

The replacement appointee will serve in office until certification of the next general election in Nov. 2010.

Of the four local candidates, two (Jhaveri and Quong-Vermeire) have stated that they would not seek re-election, while the remaining two (Krakowiak and McEvoy) have stated that they would.

The finalists will be determined by a 12-person panel that includes Burien Mayor Joan McGilton and Normandy Park Councilmember Doug Osterman, who were appointed on Nov. 16th.

So with any luck and perhaps a touch of local favoritism, we just might see one of our neighbors on the King County Council, at least for about a year.

The selection process for making the appointment will begin Monday, Dec. 3rd, when the 12-member advisory committee created by the Council will conduct interviews with the 11 who submitted their applications by the Nov. 23rd deadline, listed below in alphabetical order:

• Jan Drago—A member of the Seattle City Council who is leaving the Council this year
• Helen Howell—Former Director of the state Department of Financial Institutions, served as Deputy Chief of Staff under Governor Locke
• Zack Hudgins—State Representative from the 11th District and Tukwila resident
• Jake Jacobovitch—Engineer in the Road Services Division of the King County Department of Transportation
• Arun Jhaveri—Former Regional Technology Manager with the Federal Energy Management Program and former Mayor of Burien
• Lucy Krakowiak—Burien City Council Member and a member of the King County Library Board of Trustees
• Joe McDermott—State Senator from the 34th District
• Shawn McEvoy—Mayor of Normandy Park
• Sharon Nelson—State Representative from the 34th District,
• Vlad Oustimovitch—A partner at VoKa Incorporated, and a former Development Program Manager for the Seattle Housing Authority
• Kathleen Quong-Vermeire–Commissioner, Highline Water District, former Mayor of Normandy Park

The advisory committee will interview all of the applicants and send to the County Council for its consideration three to six candidates who meet the qualifications.

The committee will then use the following criteria to evaluate candidates, including:

• Knowledge of the functions of King County government;
• Knowledge of the issues and challenges facing King County government;
• Knowledge of the issues affecting the constituents of Council District 8;
• A demonstrated ability to develop a responsible budget;
• A demonstrated ability to respond to public concerns; and
• Demonstrated leadership skills.

Council Chair Bob Ferguson and Councilmember Reagan Dunn, chair of the Committee of the Whole, said the Council is ready to act quickly on filling the vacancy

“The Council is acting quickly to ensure representation for the nearly 200,000 residents of District 8,” said Ferguson. “Timely appointment will also allow the new councilmember to transition into the position, hire staff and hit the ground running in the new year.

“The process is in place to quickly review the applications we’ve received,” said Dunn. “With input from the advisory committee, I expect the Council to make the appointment before the end of the year.”

The panel’s recommendations will include at least one candidate who intends to run for election as Councilmember in 2010, and one who does not. Drago, Howell, Jhaveri, Nelson and Quong-Vermeire have stated they will not run for election. Jacobovitch, Krakowiak, McDermott, McEvoy and Oustimovitch said they would run for the position. Hudgins has not made a final decision.

The King County Council has final authority for making the appointment. The interview of the finalists will be done in the Council’s Committee of the Whole. Dunn said the Committee will interview the finalists on Monday, Dec. 7th.

The Council is expected to take action by Monday, Dec. 14th, the last Council meeting of 2009.

Burien Mayor Joan McGilton, and Normandy Park Councilmember Doug Osterman were named Monday (Nov. 16th) to a 12-person panel that will recommend candidates to be considered for Dow Constantine’s seat that he’ll vacate when he takes over as King County Executive.

Constantine’s new gig starts next week, and it’s expected that the replacement will be chosen by the Council on Dec. 14th.

“The Council is acting quickly to ensure representation for the nearly 200,000 residents of District 8,” said Council Vice Chair Bob Ferguson, prime sponsor of the ordinance. “Timely appointment will also allow the new councilmember to transition into the position, hire staff and hit the ground running in the new year.”

The motion adopted today names a 12-member advisory committee of community leaders and elected officials who live or work in Council District 8, and who represent the geographic, economic, and ethnic diversity of the district.

Under the legislation, applicants for the impending Council vacancy must submit application materials to the Clerk of the Council by 4:00 p.m., November 23, including a resume, a brief written explanation of how they meet the criteria for appointment, and a statement of whether they intend to run for election as the Councilmember for District 8 in November 2010.

The advisory committee will meet no later than December 3 to interview qualified applicants and recommend three to six candidates for consideration by the County Council. The committee’s recommendations will include at least one candidate who intends to run for election as Councilmember in 2010, and one who does not.

The King County Council has final authority for making the appointment, and under the legislation will take action by December 14. The appointee would serve in office until certification of the next general election in November 2010.

“I am pleased with the composition of the advisory board,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett. “I am confident they will forward the County Council a qualified pool of applicants for the next representative of District 8.”

Along with Mayor McGilton and Councilmember Osterman, others named to the advisory committee include:

• Co-Chair Anne Levinson, co-owner of the Seattle Storm, former Seattle Municipal Court Judge, former chair of the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission
• Co-Chair Mark Okazaki, Executive Director of Neighborhood House, a human service agency with facilities in High Point and Greenbridge
• Aileen Balahadia, Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Association
• Steve Daschle, Executive Director of Southwest Youth and Family Services (and brother of former Sen. Tom Daschle)
• Tom Dean, Executive Director of the Vashon/Maury Island Land Trust
• David Johnson, CEO of NAVOS, a mental health care facility that provides housing
• Patti Mullen, West Seattle business owner
• Behnaz Nelson, co-chair of the King County Coalition of Unions
• Kathy Nyland, chair of the Georgetown Merchants Association and chair of the City Neighborhood Association
• Chris Porter, business owner and a nurse practitioner who is active on park and recreation issues

“I have a lot of confidence in this stellar group of citizens, led by co-chairs Anne Levinson and Mark Okazaki who have made so many outstanding contributions to our community,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips. “They will no doubt conduct a careful vetting process and offer thoughtful recommendations about the next representative for Council District 8.”

“I support the appointment process and its expedited timeline,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “The longer we wait to appoint a replacement, the longer the nearly 200,000 residents in District 8 are without a representative and advocate on the King County Council.”

Under the legislation the advisory committee would use the following criteria to evaluate candidates, including:

• Knowledge of the functions of King County government
• Knowledge of the issues and challenges facing King County government
• Knowledge of the issues affecting the constituents of Council District 8
• A demonstrated ability to develop a responsible budget
• A demonstrated ability to respond to public concerns
• Demonstrated leadership skills

The process is similar to that adopted earlier this year to fill vacancies in the offices of County Executive and County Assessor. Previously, the political party of the Council member vacating the office would submit nominees for an appointed successor, but voters last year amended the King County Charter to make most countywide offices non-partisan, including Council district seats.

Council District 8 encompasses Burien, Normandy Park, West Seattle, North Highline, Vashon/Maury Islands, SoDo, the International District/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, East Beacon Hill, and portions of the cities of SeaTac and Tukwila.

And yes, YOU too can apply to this position if you qualify – application materials can be sent by mail or electronically.

The mailing address is:

Clerk of the Council
516 Third Avenue, Room W-1039
Seattle, WA, 98104

E-mail applications can be sent to the Clerk at anne.noris@kingcounty.gov. Her phone number is 206-296-0364.

Goodspaceguy, are you reading this?

UPDATE WED. 11/4/ 5pm: The second round of election returns has been released by King County Elections, and with between 28-30% of the votes counted, Dow Constantine still leads with 58%, Jack Block Jr. with 55% and 76% voting NO against Burien’s Transportation Benefit District (sidewalks & bike paths) proposal.

Also, Initiative 1033 is still failing with 67% voting “No,” and R-71 is still passing with 67% “Yes.”

Here are the updated results culled from the King County Elections website as of 4:19pm Wed., 11/4/09:

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1,079,842 • 28.58%

• Susan Hutchison: 125,607 • 42.26%
• Dow Constantine: 171,006 • 57.53%
• Write-in: 621 • 0.21%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 308,650 / 1079842 • 28.58%

Initiative Measure No. 1033:

• YES: 92,654 • 33.28%
• NO: 185,721 • 66.72%

Referendum Measure No. 71:

• APPROVED: 202,125 • 66.59%
• REJECTED: 101,403 • 33.41%

CITY OF BURIEN:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Council Position No. 1:

• Sue Blazak: 1,981 • 44.83%
• Jack Block, Jr.: 2,413 • 54.61%
• Write-in: 25 • 0.57%

Council Position No. 3:

• Joan McGilton: 3,214 • 97.01%
• Write-in: 99 • 2.99%

Council Position No. 5:

• Rose Clark: 3,212 • 96.69%
• Write-in: 110 • 3.31%

Council Position No. 7:

• Brian Bennett: 3,363 • 98.22%
• Write-in: 61 • 1.78%

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 5,006 / 16,617 • 30.13%

Transportation Benefit District No. 1 Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 958 • 23.50%
• NO: 3,118 • 76.50%

CITY OF NORMANDY PARK:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 1,553 / 4,676 • 33.21%

Council Position No. 2:

• Clarke Brant: 1,025 • 97.99%
• Write-in: 21 • 2.01%

Council Position No. 4:

• John L. Rankin: 972 • 96.05%
• Write-in: 40 • 3.95%

Council Position No. 6 short and full term:

• Marion Yoshino: 995 • 98.03%
• Write-in: 20 • 1.97%

Proposition No. 1:

• YES: 680 • 47.16%
• NO: 762 • 52.84%

HIGHLINE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 401:

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 13,664 / 57,961 • 23.57%

Director District No. 2:

• Angelica M. Alvarez: 10,372 • 98.47%
• Write-in: 161 • 1.53%

Director District No. 3:

• Susan Goding: 10319 • 98.53%
• Write-in: 154 • 1.47%

KING COUNTY

Ballots Cast/Registered Voters: 254261 / 1079842 23.55%

Sheriff:

• Sue Rahr: 220,802 • 97.96%
• Write-in: 4,597 • 2.04%

Assessor unexpired 2-year term

• Graham Albertini: 52,192 • 20.91%
• Gene Lux: 12,175 • 4.88%
• Lloyd Hara: 82,864 • 33.20%
• Bob Rosenberger: 72,525 • 29.06%
• Bob Blanchard: 29,041 • 11.63%
• Write-in: 806 • 0.32%

by Mark Neuman

We spoke with King County Council member Dow Constantine, who, along with Susan Hutchison, will advance to the general election in November in the race to become the next King County Executive.

As of Wed., Aug. 19th at 4pm, partial vote count totals showed Dow in second place with just over 23 percent of the vote compared to Susan Hutchison’s 36 percent.

“We are in a very strong position to win the general election,” Dow said from his victory celebration Tuesday night (Aug. 18th). “I am very happy with our numbers.

“The four office-holding Democrats in the (primary) race were really splitting up the vote. And now we have a chance to consolidate that.”

We asked Dow Tuesday evening: Are you, generally speaking, having a good time tonight?

“Generally? Yes. It was pretty nerve-wracking leading up to the announcement of the vote totals. My girlfriend, Shirley, and my mom and dad and I were sitting and waiting for the results to come over. And when it happened it was a big relief.”

We asked Dow about his strategy for his general election campaign.

“There are two distinctions between the two remaining candidates,” he said. “One, Susan Hutchison has a philosophy which is way out of synch with the people of King County.

“And two, there’s also the issue of experience. Susan Hutchison has zero experience at solving the kinds of problems that we’re facing in our economy (and) in our county.

“I have served in the private sector as well as the State House and Senate and the King County Council. I have a strong record of reform legislation of exactly the kind that’s going to be needed as we weather this economic crisis,” Dow said.

“The four Democratic elected officials in the primary, including myself, had a robust exchange of ideas during the campaign. These are all bright, capable people. We raised a lot of great ideas.

“We need to throw open the doors of this county to everyone’s ideas and everyone’s proposals for innovation.

“I have had conversations on several occasions with (primary candidate and State Representative) Ross Hunter about how we can work together in the future between the state and the county to solve some of these structural problems. I’m very excited about that opportunity,” Dow said.

Thoughts about Burien?

“Burien is a good example of the way in which the county has changed and how the old structures need to be retooled to reflect that change,” Dow said.

“Burien’s leaders and business community set about to really reinvent the place and make it into an urban hub that is readily served by transit and is vibrant with multi-family and commercial and job opportunities.

“There are perhaps a dozen such hubs around the county now so King County is no longer just one big city surrounded by low density suburbs,” he said.

An invitation for an interview with the B-Town Blog has been extended to the Hutchison campaign.

King County Executive election results as of 4pm Wed. 8/19/09:

• Larry Phillips 25073 11.95%
• Fred Jarrett 26045 12.41%
• Stan Lippmann 2634 1.26%
• Alan Lobdell 5397 2.57%
• Susan Hutchison 75382 35.92%
• Dow Constantine 49109 23.40%
• Ross Hunter 23222 11.07%
• Goodspaceguy 2646 1.26%
• Write-in 345 0.16%

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Environmental Learning Center will be this Tuesday, June 23rd, from 3:30pm to 5pm.

The ceremony will take place at the location of the existing Caretaker’s Cottage, with refreshments served, as well as remarks by King County Council Chairman Dow Constantine at 4pm. All are invited!

The ceremony will be about 50 yards south (closer to the parking lot) of their existing office in the Marine Tech Center at the end of SW 140th St in Seahurst Park in Burien. The nearest parking is about 200 yards from the building. To get to Seahurst Park, from Ambaum Blvd SW turn west on SW 144th St., then right on 13th Ave SW then follow that road as it curves and becomes SW 140th St and goes downhill to the shore. There is some parking very near the end, if that is full there is additional parking part way up the hill.

It was announced Monday that Puget Sound Park, located near SW 126th and First Ave South in White Center, is no longer under consideration as a housing site.

“I was pleased to learn today that Puget Sound Park has been removed from consideration as a demonstration project site for King County’s Sustainable Communities and Affordable Housing program,” King County Council Chair Dow Constantine said. “I support efforts to create needed additional workforce housing in our communities. At the same time, our public parks—both active and passive—are valuable assets to their surrounding neighborhoods and King County that must be preserved and enhanced whenever possible.”

Puget Sound Park is located in the North Highline district of unincorporated King County, and will be part of the annexation area for the city of Burien, should the annexation vote be approved this summer.

View Larger Map

by Mark Neuman

Metropolitan King County Council member Dow Constantine has made it official.

“I’m running for King County Executive,” he said Monday (Feb. 16th) in an interview with The B-Town Blog.

“It’s a real big step, and I’m hitting the ground running.”

Dow has been on the Council since 2002. Just five weeks ago, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues as Council Chair.

Assuming current Executive Ron Sims’ nomination to serve in the Obama administration is confirmed by the US Senate, the council will select a replacement “quickly, soon after a vacancy in the office becomes official,” Dow said.

“The Senate vote is not expected to occur before the first week of March,” Dow said.

Dow favors selecting an interim executive “without political ambitions, but who has demonstrated managerial, budgetary and political skill.”

“We will strive to make the selection process open and transparent,” he said.

No matter who is selected to replace Sims on an interim basis, “the most important issue ahead of us on the council is the passage this fall of the toughest budget ever,” Dow said. “All of us on the council are keenly aware of the impact the current economic realities will no doubt have on the next budget.”

Dow, who in the State House and Senate represented Burien and surrounding areas before joining the council, is proud of Burien’s recent growth and development.

“It is a joy to watch Burien grow as a city,” Dow said. “I am proud to have included a provision for funding the Burien Transit Center on the recent Sound Transit ballot measure,” which passed last fall.

The Burien “Town Center and Transit Center are great models for other cities in the region to follow,” he said. “White Center and Burien are positioned as priorities for future light rail expansion.”

Dow promises more time for an in-depth interview with The B-Town Blog as the campaign progresses.

The only other announced candidate in the race for Executive is fellow Council member Larry Phillips.

For more information, here’s Dow’s campaign website: www.dowconstantine.org.

You can also view his video announcement on YouTube here.

According to The Seattle P-I, King County Councilmember Dow Constantine will announce Monday that he is running for the King County Executive position being vacated by Ron Sims, who has been nominated for a post in President Obama’s new administration.

Constantine, who has served as a councilman since 2002, joins fellow Councilman Larry Phillips as the only candidates who have formally declared their intentions to seek King County’s top job.

He currently represents District 8, which includes Burien White Center, West Seattle and Vashon Island.

Read the full story here.