White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

King County government was in the spotlight during fall’s first meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council tonight at the North Highline Fire Station.

KING COUNTY SHERIFF: Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall was first up. Regarding the storefront deputy, she said KCSO staffing is still “challenged – 100 vacancies out of 805.” They’re doing some “creative recruiting” with “incentives,” currently focused on in-state laterals, “people who can get up and running very quickly,” two to four months. She mentioned the recent 40-40-40, $40,000 signing bonud, 40 hours sick leave and 40 hours vacation from the day they start. Recruits also get to ask for specific work locations. If they’re trained in a specialty, they can compete for similar jobs. “We’re trying to incentivize these experienced officers to come.” As of two weeks ago they had 16 applicants: “We’ve got a hill to climb” … and once there are some new hires , then they can talk about a storefront deputy. Major Koby Hamill of the Southwest Precinct says he’s at 70 percent staffing, short about 12 deputies. He’s approaching two years at the precinct and has lost the storefront deputy in Skyway. He said they train people so well that theirs get poached, both internally and externally. Filling the White Center storefront spot “remains high on my list” but he has to be fully staffed for 911 calls as first priority. One thing: “I did carve our a traffic deputy” for this area, one at day, one at night, but they serve Skyway, Vashon, and WC.

Attendee question: Has the restriping of 16th affected things? “I was impressed,” said Hamill.

Cole-Tindall reiterated that the storefront deputy position will be filled, “we’re just looking at when.” The sheriff then mentioned the sales-tax increase that the Legislature is allowing localities to involve. The charging starts in January. If not for the tax, they would have had to cut 80 deputes – “you would have been gutted.” This covers the next two years but “2028-2029, that’s going to be a problem … Public safety is very expensive. Vehicles. Body cameras. Training.” She also noted that, for example, Burien pays them for police services – they have “customers who pay us for police service … 56 percent” of what they do is for “paying customers.” Those officers sometimes have access to different training and tools, if the contract city/tribe provides them.

Will potential federal recruiting for ICE affect KCSO? Cole-Tindall talked a bit about the restrictions on police tactics here, saying she has a friend in the South who says his officers “chase them till the wheels all off,” and some prefer to work without those restrictions. She says people elsewhere in the country still have a CHOP/CHAZ view of this area even though that’s years outdated and also, “We’re not Seattle.” As for how KCSO might interact with ICE, Sheriff Cole-Tindall mentioned a video they’d made. Discussion of fear and commitment among immigrant communities ensued. They try to stay under the radar out of distrust, others said.

Maj. Hamill talked about working with the Language Line so they have access to a long list of languages, helping them communicate better with members of the community. He also mentioned tech under development to incorporate that into body cameras. “In 25 years on the job for me, we’ve come leaps and bounds in the past few years.”

Also, they’ve been getting some exposure via a reality TV show, “Police 24/7.” It’s their second season of participating now, although Cole-Tindall wasn’t sure how much longer it will last.

Various other issues were discussed briefly – like traffic complaints, which you can make online or via phone. Various other car-related topics came up, including the illegality of license-plate covers.

What about the Citizens’ Academy? Major Hamiil said that hadn’t really gotten going again after the pandemic.

Another attendee brought up the effect that non-prosecution of arrestees can have on officers. Cole-Tindall said, “Public safety is a continuum … We’re on the front end.” But things evolve. Major Hamill added, he’s in it for the “front end,” stopping or arresting or jailing someone and keeping them from further harming someone, and that’s how he feels he make a difference. He further said that when he says he’s from Seattle, people from elsewhere raise their eyebrows and say, how do you even do it there?

Before the sheriff and major left, attendees and NHUAC board members expressed gratitude for community service officer Nate.

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE RACE: Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay, both King County Councilmembers, are the contenders for the seat that Dow Constantine left to become Sound Transit CEO. We recorded this on video so our notes will be simple. (We’ll upload the video upon return to HQ.) First question was, tell us about yourselves. Balducci, a former Bellevue mayor, said she got her start by “showing up for the neighborhood.” She said that you’d be wrong to think she’s rich because she comes from Bellevue. She has worked for King County 25+ years and has been a labor lawyer. She is running for county executive because KC has a $10 billion annual budget “and we have a lot of service needs we’re not meeting today.” She said the county could do better for unincorporated North Highline. She has seen “very clearly” the investments made in a city vs. what’s invested in the unincorporated area. They were also asked how often they get out this way – Balducci admitted, “Not often.”

Zahilay spoke next. His district is east of here. He lives in the Allentown area of Tukwila. He hopes to “build a region of safety and opportunity for everyone.” His family fled Ethiopia, and he was born in Sudan, coming here when he was 3, raised by his mom after his parents divorce. His family lived in public housing when he was a kid. He said he knows firsthand that strong social safety nets can help someone like him succeed. He’s worked as a lawyer. He wants his “American Dream story” to be available to everyone. He is dad of a 1-year-old girl. But, he warned, there are “forces” trying to make that story not available to everyone. His priorities include building (not just housing), boots on the ground, and better government. He didn’t answer the question of how often he visits this area.

First question, asked by NHUAC’s Barbara Dobkin, was about infrastructure to support densifying development. Are the candidates willing to improve it? Zahilay answered first: He didn’t really know what underserved meant till his family moved out of public housing and into Skyway. They felt isolated. He said when he first got on the County Council, urban unincorporated areas were his priority. He said he got a lot done for Skyway, including a community center, in the early going. He mentioned “participatory budgeting to,” support programs for small projects, and declared that he understands how the County Council has to serve the unincorporated hours – “We’ll be your mayor.” He promised an “authentic, collaborative relationship,” and to focus on issues.

Balducci said both voted on the Sub-Area Plan in 2022. But the “underlying problem” when you talk about some of the infrastructure, the price tags are daunting. “There is not a dedicated ongoing funding stream” for what’s needed. She declared herself a longtime champion of affordable housing. But she said the infrastructure questions need to be answered when the development is approved. She said it’s a “systemic problem.” She said annexation can be one path to funding. To make a choice, she said, “ask yourself, who do you think is going to be able to deliver these things?” She touted light rail expansion (she’s also on the Sound Transit board).

Next question, how do you help middle-aged people who don’t have access to resources for youth and seniors, particularly regarding mental health? Balducci said a looming problem is that people are going to lose their coverage because of federal action. “We have this tremendous need” – and might be able to address some of it via an existing county levy. “Reprioritizing” and “honesty and transparency” can go a long way.

Zahilay harkened back to the “devastation of the pandemic” and the needs that rose over those years. He said he organized a panel of health-care experts to discuss “what’s going to happen” because of the federal cuts. One hospital CEO envisioned overrun hospitals. Reproductive health care losses don’t just mean abortion care but also STI screening among other things. “We have a big crisis ahead.” He also talked about the Behavioral Health Levy and the facilities that will be built as a result of that. Other levy renewals are ahead, like the veterans and human services level. “We have to continue working to keep our public-health clinics alive.”

Then the floor opened for attendee questions. “Should we have another Western State (type) Hospital?” Zahilay talked about various types of funding, as well as the declining number of residential beds for mental-health treatment. He said there’s definitely a need for residential involuntary care, but it has to be rare, and culturally competent. Balducci said she’s been “working on a proposal” regarding all this, acknowledging there are some people who just are in no xhape to make decisions. She said there’s some space in jail facilities where perhaps there’s a diversion program to connect people – “really troubled people” – who need connection to housing and care.

Next attendee question, “How much time have you spent in North Highline or White Center, to know what it’s like?” Balducci said she’d like to come here some weekend, walk around and see what it’s like. Dobkin said she could arrange that. Zahilay said he’d been here many times, including restaurants and Southgate Roller Rink.

Next attendee question started with sorting out how much of budget was spent on public safety. 70 percent of the general fund. The attendee clarified that she was wondering about whether efficiencies like Seattle’s Community Service Officers. “You start wth what is the level of service you need,” said Balducci. “But you gotta set the service level.” She said knowing that level is more important than working toward a specific service level.” And, she said, besides setting a level, accountability is important.

Talk from there got rather bureaucratic, about contracts and oversight, recently the subject of a major county scandal. “Frankly, we fail the community and the providers” when they don’t oversee things properly. The count has more than 600 contracts. She suggests a full audit once the new Executive takes over.

Zahilay said, to the original question, yes, there are ways to provide policing services less expensively. He talked about alternative safety strategies like violence disrupters. “I definitely believe in the ‘presence’ model of public safety.” Even corner greeters can make a difference.

Next attendee wondered about COVID money and tax money. Balducci again said, “We shouldn’t be judged by how much money we spend, but are we getting the outcome we want?” She said they focused on getting pandemic money to people in need. She said they need more financial experts in the county, and need to put more money into administration and less into services – so they have to find the people who can provide the oversight. And, “we have to do it very publicly so people can see that we’re doing it.”

The recent uproar over contract audits came up and the quest for accurate numbers. Right now, Zahilay said, they’re figuring out how to resolve it. He said he’s developed a plan that calls for an internal audit and quarterly audits, and that, as they’d both said, it needs to be focused on outcomes. “We should release it the same way a public company does.”

What went wrong, Balducci said – “we don’t know” because of the lack of oversight. “Without controls we’re inevitably going to lose money.”

Then, someone asked about homelessness. “My impression is that a lot of money is being spent but the number (of homeless people) keeps increasing. .. It seems to me like we’re spending a lot o money and not getting anywhere.”

Zahilay began, “We could discuss this one for an hour. … We start by saying we absolutely have a housing crisis.” But more behavioral-care facilities are needed. “At the same time, we know there’s a great nexus with our criminal-justice system.” He listed a long list of things needed “upstream” before cutting to what’s needed “downstream” – “Even if King County Regional Homelessness Authority was operating (perfectly), we would not solve our homelessness problem,” because there’s still not enough housing and other resources.” And they need to collaborate better with both government officials and NGOs, and “we need a strong continuum of care.” And there needs to be more accountability for what’s being budgeted and spent … If this regional model’s going to be successful, we’re going to have to have buy-in from the whole region.”

Balducci said they know how to move a person out of homelessness. and talked about her collaboration on a regional level. She also talked about the places where they require people to be indoors. “The problem in our region is there are so many people on the streets, to resolve it for everyone (is a tall order). She said they could target specific sectors – “we could eradicate homelessness among veterans,” for example.

One woman asked about the motels etc. the county bought for shelter/housing. Balducci said the services the county can provide are not enough for the people in those buildings. “A lot of those people are just sick,” she said, permanently disabled, etc. Zahilay said he agreed with everything she said but “permanent supportive housing does work when done well.”

The meeting ran past 9 pm and could have gone longer – lots of questions for the candidates. But they adjourned, and it’s on to the next meeting, likely first Thursday in November.

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