White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From Dick Thurnau from Friends of Hicks Lake — a followup to the call for ideas that we published 3 weeks ago:

Friends of Hicks Lake did a lot of research to reach what we feel are the best and wisest decisions for improvements to utilize the $25,000 allotted in King County’s budget for Lakewood Park / Hicks Lake to make it a most enjoyable place for all.

We enlisted the aid of whitecenternow.com and White Center Community Development Association asking for the community suggestions.

The responses were limited but the # 1 was a water feature in the lake. #2 was a walking path around Hicks Lake, as a large share of the present pathways are on a hillside, making it difficult for older people and the disabled to use. A Boy Scout troop volunteered to do the labor portion of the pathway. #3 was to have a fulltime caretaker in the park to oversee and control the concerning, costly problems occurring in the park — graffiti, vandalism and illegal alcohol usage on these premises.

Our recommendation is a water feature consisting of an attractive floating fountain and underwater air diffusers (bubblers) which will provide aeration to help cleanse this unhealthy water in Hicks Lake. Pricing for this equipment from Absolute Aquatics would be under $10,000, including freight with a 3 year warranty. Other services required: $7,000 for an electrical Contractor, $2,000 for miscellaneous material, $1,000 for electrical power for one year, $2,000 for unforeseen developments. Total, $20,000, using volunteer labor to construct concrete anchors (2 required) and dig a trench from power source to the Lake and place equipment leaving a surplus for other projects. Another supplier gave a quote which was much higher in pricing but did give us a listing of many users of aeration features.

Sent an information brochure pertaining to this equipment described above to King County’s Surface Water Engineering for their evaluation — the question of a possibility of electrical shock, being the sealed motor is submerged in the water. Yes, that is a concern; however, manufacturers could or would not be able to sell these units for all these years if that were the case.

The above-suggested project of aeration is an interim objective until the White Center Regional Storm Water Improvement project, which is planned for 5 years down the road, is constructed.

Friends of Hicks Lake’s purpose and goal is to have clean, healthy lake water in Hicks Lake once again for the community to utilize this facility.

We’ll keep you posted on what happens next.

I interviewed Dow Constantine this afternoon in West Seattle for a West Seattle Blog follow-up to the announcement last night that he’s running for County Executive. One of the questions I asked was about annexation, and what happens now that a Seattle City Council vote has thwarted the Memorandum of Understanding between Burien, Seattle, and two fire districts. While we try not to repurpose material too much between the two sites, it’s been suggested we repost the entire story here, so here goes:

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor/White Center Now news editor

Instead of a once-planned family vacation on a sunny beach, King County Council Chair Dow Constantine is spending this partly sunny Seattle day — the first official day of his campaign for King County Executive — doing interviews, answering phone calls, e-mails, and text messages. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This is fun,” he insists, as we part ways after a conversation at West 5 (WSB iPhone photo at left), in a space the native West Seattleite also remembers from spending many a day there in boyhood, when it was West Seattle Speedway, slot cars and all.

Read the rest of this entry »

That’s King County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who represents White Center and West Seattle (among other areas), announcing he’s running for County Executive. More details at our partner site West Seattle Blog.

Just a reminder, most county facilities will close this Friday (February 13) because it’s the next “furlough” day as part of the King County budget money-saving process. Here’s the list of the few places that will be open.

Just announced this morning, King County Executive Ron Sims has been nominated to become a deputy secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Detailed coverage, including comments from White Center’s King County Councilmember (and council chair) Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, on our partner site West Seattle Blog.

The county has just announced a VERY long list of programs and agencies getting $36 million dollars in all. Among them, the Homestead Community Land Trust, which will be working with eight first-time home buyers in White Center. Read the full list and details here.

As we reported late last fall, some of the most dramatic cuts proposed for King County public-safety services were avoided (the “storefronts” will all stay open, including the ones in White Center and Boulevard Park, for example) – but the budget ax hasn’t quite finished making its cuts yet – so this e-mail message from County Sheriff Sue Rahr may be of interest: Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s the last weekday before things start revving back up to normal on Monday – and there are two things to keep in mind today: Metro is on the “partial holiday” schedule one last day (changes listed here) and most county offices/facilities are closed because of the “furlough” day (changes listed here).

Most King County offices and facilities will be closed Friday (Jan. 2), the first of 10 “furlough days” that the county is implementing because of its budget troubles. Here are full details on what’s open and what’s not.

An alert from King County late today: Report storm damage ASAP. Here’s how.

From King County, more important words of warning – about your roof. And be sure any storm drains around your house are cleared, too – until this all melts away and we are back to “normal,” there’s still a chance of trouble.

(Photo courtesy Jerry, taken at 14th SW and SW 116th)

KING COUNTY: Closures and changes updated here

METRO BUSES: Here’s today’s outlook

A controversial case that started with a White Center-area chase/arrest has ended in federal court, with a deputy being found not guilty, and the Sheriff’s Office saying the case shouldn’t have come to trial at all. Here’s coverage in the Times.

(photo courtesy Alison – tend to your downspouts and storm drains when you can; eventually this will all melt)
Road/bus stories to share? Please add them in comments. Meantime, as of 4 am, Metro resumed updating its list of routes that are “suspended” and/or rerouted; see that (long) list here. Also, here’s the list of county road closures. Also note, Sound Transit has suspended 560 service between Burien and West Seattle; service alerts here.

9:41 AM UPDATE: If you have business to do in Burien, city hall is open limited hours today (more at rpin.org)

Known closures for Monday are now listed here – including Steve Cox Park and Evergreen Pool. More as we get it.

Just in from King County:

Fewer King County residents than expected are struggling with
weather-related impacts today as the overnight storm packed less of a
punch than forecast. The weather along with staffing and preparations by
King County departments and regional partners combined to help keep
people moving and safe overnight.

King County’s Department of Transportation sanding crews are working
around the clock to keep county roads clear in unincorporated areas.
They’ve deployed 27 trucks with a plow in front and sander on the back,
two plows, nine graders for pushing snow off roadways, and nine
anti-icer trucks.

Metro Transit is operating approximately half of its normal bus service
today. Riders should check the Metro Online website at
www.kingcounty.gov/metro to see if their bus route is operating and if
it is on snow routing; and note that travel conditions can change
quickly so the list of disrupted service may be revised at any time due
to weather and road conditions.

Metro is running Access vans on life-sustaining routes for established
riders.

Metro also helped keep thousands of cars off the roads today by running
its Seahawks shuttle service today to Qwest Field from Eastgate
Park-and-Ride in Bellevue, Northgate Park-and-Ride in North Seattle, and
the South Kirkland Park-and-Ride. Fans should expect crowded conditions
on the shuttles, and should give themselves plenty of time to get to the
game because the buses may be delayed by road and traffic conditions.

Public Health – Seattle & King County has conducted extensive outreach
on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, including contacts with
over 200 retail locations including pharmacies, grocery stores, gas
stations, hardware stores, with many agreeing to post warning pictograms
in multiple languages in their facilities. In addition, over 200 health
care and community-based organizations received carbon monoxide
information for dissemination with their clients. The posters and other
information about carbon monoxide poisoning, including symptoms and
prevention tips, are available online (
www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/disaster/ca
rbon-monoxide-english.aspx).
King County has closed its Factoria Transfer Station in Bellevue and its
Cedar Falls Drop Box in North Bend indefinitely today. The county’s
Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland was already closed.

All other solid waste transfer facilities are operating normally for
now, but could be closed early due to continuing severe winter weather
conditions. Customers should visit the King County Solid Waste Division
Web site for updates before getting on the road (
your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/transfer.asp).

Considering the widespread snow and wind that pushed through the region,
relatively few residents are facing power outages and Puget Sound Energy
has been able to quickly restore most customers who lost power over the
last 24 hours. Roughly 50 PSE customers scattered throughout King County
are without power.

Although the winter storm warning for the Tacoma/Seattle/Everett Metro
Area has been cancelled, another weather system is expected to bring a
trace to two inches of snow around 2 pm today.

At least, that’s the purported source of this comment just posted this afternoon on our Monday night post in which we broke the news about the annexation-process deal between Burien, Seattle, and two fire districts. So we thought we’d give it its own post:

Members of the White Center and broader North Highline Communities:

We have observed the blog postings making interpretations of the proposed memorandum of understanding between King County, Burien, Seattle and Fire Districts 2 and 11 regarding proposed annexation boundaries for the cities of Seattle and Burien.

Questions and interpretations are being offered. The intent of this posting is to address both.

First, the MOU is a proposed memorandum of understanding between the cities of Burien, Seattle, King County, and Fire District 2 and Fire District 11. The MOU lays out general policy principles and specific activities that the parties agree to in support of transitioning North Highline from unincorporated to city status and to ensure fire and life safety services are not jeopardized by any annexation proposal by either city. This is not an “Interlocal Agreement” as defined by state law nor does it allow for “annexation by interlocal agreement.” The MOU is premised on each city filing their proposals before the Washington State Boundary Review Board and then, if approved by the BRB, the annexation question being put before the voters of North Highline for a decision.

THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE MOU WAS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THE BOUNDARY REVIEW BOARD PROCESS INITIATIED BY BURIEN THIS SUMMER:

• Fire and Life Safety Services Protected — In the event of annexation, Burien, Seattle, King County and the Fire Districts all agree to work collaboratively to maintain the level of fire and life safety services to North Highline communities and neighborhoods of North Burien, Arbor Heights and urban unincorporated areas of South Park.

• Agreement to Burien’s Proposed Annexation Boundary through minor adjustment — Many of the stated concerns with Burien’s proposed annexation boundary are resolved with a small adjustment that maintains Fire District 11’s Headquarters outside of the area to be proposed for annexation by the City of Burien.

• Agreement to coordinated phasing of Annexation Election Proposals for consideration by North Highline residents — The MOU recognizes that there is broad diversity of opinions and preferences in the North Highline communities regarding annexation to Seattle and Burien and acknowledges both cities represent reasonable governance alternatives. The MOU supports Burien’s proposal for annexation election for the southern portion of North Highline and Seattle’s proposal for an annexation election for the northern portion of North Highline.

• Agreement that both Seattle and Burien should have access to the same level of state funding if either city is able to move forward with annexation of White Center and the northern portion of Boulevard Park

— Both cities acknowledge that the cost of serving this area (“Area Y”) is greater than the cost of serving the southern area proposed for annexation to Burien (“Area X”). The MOU acknowledges this through the agreement to have all parties work collaboratively to amend the annexation state sales tax credit law so that both Burien and Seattle would have access to up to $5 million if either annex Area Y.

The aim of the proposed MOU is to remove the obstacles that stop both Burien and Seattle from making annexation proposals to the voters of North Highline. The mediated agreement presumes the decision to annex will rest in the hands of North Highline voters.

If you have questions or comments about the mediation agreement, please feel free to contact the King County Annexation Initiative at: annexation@kingcounty.gov. Thank you. – King County Annexation Initiative

In case you didn’t see it on channel 5 news tonight – they followed up on the King County budget story (reported here earlier) by coming to White Center for this report, which includes a couple soundbites from White Center Now‘s own FullTilt!

The announcement isn’t yet on the county website but we’ve posted it at partner site West Seattle Blog – County Council members are now proposing a plan they say would save ALL the storefronts and public-health centers, among other things. Read the full details here.

Check out the Waste Free Holidays participant list on the King County website, just revealed today – we’ve just started browsing WFH, and noticed this Evergreen Pool deal is among the offerings.