White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Who will lead Highline Public Schools when Dr. Susan Enfield leaves as superintendent? The district has announced three finalists, and town halls next week during which you’ll hear from them, one finalist at a time. Here’s the announcement:

The Highline Public Schools Board of Directors named three finalists for the position of superintendent of Highline Public Schools, following a community engagement process.

The finalists are:

Dr. Concie Pedroza
Dr. Keisha Scarlett
Dr. Ivan Duran

“Through our community process, Highline Public Schools community members laid out high expectations for our next superintendent,” said School Board President Aaron Garcia. “These highly qualified candidates are a result of that community process and each of them reflects the qualifications and characteristics our constituents told us they value.”

Dr. Concie Pedroza began her career as a classroom teacher and later served as an elementary, K-8 and high school principal. She currently serves as the associate superintendent in Seattle Public Schools, the largest district in Washington state, overseeing schools, academics, student services and African American male achievement.

Dr. Keisha Scarlett is chief academic officer for Seattle Public Schools and formerly served as chief of equity, partnerships, and engagement. Dr. Scarlett has dedicated her career to advocating for academic opportunities and environments that tap into students’ inherent brilliance, particularly those furthest from educational justice.

Dr. Ivan Duran is a proud product of public education. An early passion for reading and learning sparked his interest in being an educator. He has served more than 30 years in public education and is currently chief of acceleration and recovery for the Renton School District. From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Duran was superintendent of the Bellevue School District.

To read more about the finalists, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/finalists

Next week, the finalists will each spend a day in Highline where they will tour schools and meet with students, a few stakeholder groups and school board members. Each day will end in a virtual town hall. At the end of each town hall, the community will immediately have an opportunity to provide feedback on the finalists through an online form.

Town Hall with Dr. Concie Pedroza
Monday, February 14
6:15-7:00 p.m.

Town Hall with Dr. Keisha Scarlett
Tuesday, February 15
6:15-7:00 p.m.

Town Hall with Dr. Ivan Duran
Thursday, February 17
6:15-7:00 p.m.

The questions to be asked of the candidates at the town halls are pre-selected. Some of the questions were generated through a community-wide ThoughtExchange. Student moderators will emcee the town halls and ask the questions.

To watch the town hall, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/townhalls

To provide feedback on the finalists, visit the Highline website at: highlineschools.org/feedback

The School Board anticipates appointing a superintendent following the finalists visits. The new superintendent will begin on July 1, 2022.

$3.6 million is waiting to be spent in North Highline – depending on how you think it should be spent! Here’s the announcement:

King County’s participatory budgeting process is coming to the community — and it needs your involvement.

After spending the last six months creating the framework for how this new process will work, the Community Investment Budget Committee is now helping educate people about how they can help guide $10 million in investments in five urban unincorporated areas of King County.

During the month of February, committee members are holding online Info Sessions to help residents understand this process, which they named “The People’s Budget: Your Voice, Your Choice.” These sessions are open to anyone who lives, works, plays, goes to school, or worships in these communities:

East Federal Way
East Renton
Fairwood
North Highline/White Center
Skyway/West Hill

Participatory Budgeting Program Coordinator Gloria Briggs says she’s excited because the committee’s work to date has produced a unique process that’s now in the hands of the larger community.

“Now we’re coming to the exciting part,” Briggs said. “The committee members can’t wait to share participatory budgeting with their neighbors. Ultimately, residents will nominate projects that they’re passionate about, and the community will vote on which projects receive funding.”

“The committee has already held several virtual Info Sessions, appeared on podcasts, and spoken at community meetings, and that’s just the start! There will be more Info Sessions this month.”

(Listen to Gloria Briggs discuss participatory budgeting on a recent episode of the Inside White Center podcast here)

More on Participatory Budgeting

Participatory budgeting allows communities to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects. Residents can help decide how to spend money on capital projects (physical things that are bought, built, installed, and/or fixed up), programs and services.

Historically, King County’s five urban unincorporated communities have received inequitable and limited investments. About 100,000 people live in these areas, which have the county’s highest percentages of people of color and its highest poverty rates.

To help address these inequities, King County’s approved 2021-2022 budget includes funds specifically for these communities. That includes $10 million for capital projects for the five urban unincorporated communities and $1.35 million for programs, services, or capital projects in Skyway/West Hill and North Highline/White Center:

East Federal Way: $1.96 million for capital projects
East Renton: $301,000 for capital projects
Fairwood: $720,000 for capital projects
North Highline/White Center: $3.1 million for capital projects, $540,000 for services and programs
Skyway/West Hill: $3.9 million for capital projects, $810,000 for services and programs

The 21-member Community Investment Budget Committee developed the participatory budgeting process in urban unincorporated King County. This marks the first time King County has used this community-driven approach.

The process has five phases: developing the rules, brainstorming ideas (February), developing ideas into project proposals (March-April), voting (May), and funding winning projects (June and onward).

Who can participate? Anyone at least 12 years old who lives, works, owns a business, receives services, goes to school, or worships in any of the areas above.

Where does the money come from? The funds for the capital projects will be backed by bonds. The funds for services and programs in North Highline/White Center and Skyway/West Hill come from King County’s general fund and are supported by marijuana retail sales tax revenue.

How can I learn more? Are there any upcoming Info Sessions for my neighborhood? The best way to get information about participatory budgeting is to visit publicinput.com/YourVoiceYourChoice. Residents can find information on upcoming sessions, get information on the participatory budgeting process, enter ideas for their specific areas, and more.

Submit an idea

Online: publicinput.com/YourVoiceYourChoice
Submit your ideas in a video: flipgrid.com/7e157141
Paper Form: Look for Idea Submission boxes in your area
Email or phone: Contact gloria.briggs@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-5546 to leave a message

The deadline to submit ideas is March 5.

That stretch of unfinished work on 15th SW south of SW Roxbury in White Center was the backdrop as King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a plan to seek an alternate concrete supply as the local drivers’ strike drags on. The site is part of work to prepare for converting Metro Route 120 to the RapidRide H Line, set for this September but in danger of delay if work can’t resume soon. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was at the event too, announcing that the West Seattle Bridge’s midyear reopening will be pushed back if concrete isn’t available by February 20th.

Here’s the King County news release:

Ongoing labor disputes have frozen numerous private and public construction projects around the region, and King County is soliciting one or more concrete suppliers to ensure its construction projects can continue without disruptions and delays.

With ongoing labor disputes jeopardizing construction projects around the region, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the county is seeking one or more suppliers of concrete building materials to ensure projects can resume without further delays and disruptions. County projects like the RapidRide H expansion and the Georgetown stormwater facility have been delayed, along with numerous other public and private construction projects.

King County published a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) this week [read it here], seeking to guarantee a supply of concrete to meet the needs of County construction projects over the next three to six years. This RFQ is the first time the County is requesting proposals directly from construction material suppliers, and winning bidders will have the opportunity to lock in a contract with the County that’s worth $28M to $35M for the first three to four years. One of the qualifications to obtain the contract is to have an agreement in place that prevents work stoppages and employer lockouts to prevent future impacts to construction. Other public entities will be able to mirror the King County proposal and use similar qualifications.

“With transit improvements stalled and construction sites gone quiet, the impact of the labor dispute is leaving people out of work and taxpayers suffering delays in the critical infrastructure that the region needs built now,” said Executive Constantine. “Our proposal today seeks to protect the public’s interest by providing economic certainty to suppliers who treat workers fairly and keep our infrastructure projects moving forward.”

Other government entities, public agencies, and private companies have also been adversely impacted by the recent concrete strike. Construction delays or stoppages have happened on Sound Transit’s light rail expansion, WSDOT’s 520 Bridge Montlake interchange and 405 expansion, the City of Seattle’s West Seattle Bridge project, and the Washington State Convention Center expansion project. Private projects such as Microsoft’s campus modernization project, affordable housing, and market rate housing projects have also seen delays.

“Repair of the West Seattle Bridge remains one of the city’s highest priorities. While the Seattle Department of Transportation, contractors, and community partners have worked tirelessly to keep the West Seattle Bridge reopening on track for mid-2022, this continued strike threatens to delay that schedule, as well as impact many other major City of Seattle projects. For an on-time opening, concrete companies and workers must return to mediation and reach a fair agreement – further delay and uncertainty is untenable for hundreds of thousands of neighbors across West Seattle, our city, and the entire region,” said Mayor of Seattle Bruce Harrell.

“The inability to get concrete to Sound Transit job sites is causing serious delays to needed transit expansions and pushing construction workers into unemployment” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “On Sound Transit’s projects alone, we’ve missed more than 2,200 deliveries, equivalent to a line of concrete trucks more than 14.5 miles long. Our contractors have laid off more than 200 workers, and another 165 jobs are threatened. It’s critical that the parties to this dispute work together to negotiate a resolution. If that doesn’t happen quickly enough, this procurement that King County is leading will provide us with a potential tool to help us get our projects back on track and our workers back on the job.”

“On the Washington State Convention Center, the lack of concrete has already delayed the opening more than a month,” said Matt Griffin of the Pine Street Group who is the developer of the project’s addition. “This has caused the contractor to reduce the workforce by about 150 jobs. It’s sad to see these people out of work, as the community is trying to rebound from the pandemic.”

In addition to those mentioned earlier, there are two King County projects that are also currently impacted by the ongoing labor dispute including segments of the East Lake Sammamish Trail and the Loop Vehicle Maintenance Facility. There are a handful of other projects that, while they have not been directly affected yet, could be impacted soon, such as the Lower Russell Levee, improvements and repairs at West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Cedar Hills Landfill. All nine King County projects total roughly 850 yards of concrete needs presently or in the near future.

“Concrete is quite literally the foundation of our region’s infrastructure, and it’s clear the impacts of this labor dispute are far reaching. Without these construction projects, our region will fall behind at a time when we need to push further and faster,” added Executive Constantine. “All parties need to get back to the negotiating table quickly and resolve the dispute so everyone in King County can get back to work building our future.”

We were there for the briefing on 15th and recorded it on video:

As mentioned briefly in our North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting report, this Thursday brings a special Job Launch program for teens and young adults – this time, a chance to learn about cosmetology and barber careers! Here’s the announcement:

The FREE Virtual Job Launch for ages 16 to 24 is coming up on Thursday, Feb. 10 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. This Winter Program features Pathways to Cosmetology and Barber Careers and participating programs and employers include Everett Community College / Cosmetology Program, Opal x Iris Salon (West Seattle), Rudy’s Barbershop, and MikeTheBarber. Partner agencies include King County Parks White Center Teen Program, the YWCA, Pioneer Human Services, and Communities of Opportunity.

Hear from employers, workers, and training programs about the many different jobs, internships, and career paths in the Cosmetology and Barber industries in King County.

Come prepared with your questions for our panelists and learn about:

-School credit and certifications needed to work in a hair salon or barbershop
-How to rent a chair at a salon
-Find out the steps on how to start your own business in Cosmetology

More details are available at our eventbrite website. For additional information, please contact Jody Addicks with King County Parks at, 206.477.2095

Time to look ahead to this year’s youth-sports seasons. Southwest Little League baseball is registering players for spring! You can sign up at southwestlittleleague.org or in person on February 12th, noon-3 pm, at the Little Log Cabin in Steve Cox Memorial Park, 1321 SW 102nd.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

The biggest news from Thursday night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting was also the shortest item on the agenda. That’s how the night began:

16TH SW RECHANNELIZATION PROJECT: Months after a hint that something was in the works for 16th SW, the proposal has been unveiled. Broch Bender from King County led off the meeting simply to say that 16th SW is being proposed for rechannelization between 100th and 107th, and a postcard is going out soon to residents and businesses within half a mile of the project zone. This stretch has seen more than 20 pedestrians hit – at least two killed – in the past decade.

As shown on the flyer, they’re asking you for opinions on two options – with or without bike lanes. In both options, general traffic lanes will be reduced from two each way to one each way, and parking will be added on at least one side of the road. Here they are in cross-section view.

You can tell King County what you think via this survey. The project website has even more details – including, at the bottom, the project budget (about $1 million) and a construction timeline – 2024.

Also at the NHUAC meeting:

ENVIRONMENT: Nicole Sanders had three environmental/sustainability topics to discuss – rebates proposed for electric-vehicle charging installed in affordable housing, for starters. She said some have contended it’s not needed but within a few years, EV pricing is expected to match gas, among other reasons. There’s no funding currently set aside for these possible rebates but that could change.

Second, greenhouse-gas mitigation – whether this should be required. State legislation might pre-empt local action, so they’re advising county council not to pursue any specific local legislation right now.

Third, research on whether “new fossil-fuel facilities” have enough financial coverage – insurance, etc. to cover possible impacts including pollution and disaster. Three types of facilities can be built in unincorporated King County.

Sanders reviewed where these types of facilities can go and what requirements there are. She showed where there’s industrial land in North Highline that could allow these types of facilities, but also said the likelihood of any getting proposed/built seems low. Then she showed the risks and possible reasons for financial-coverage needs. Here’s the timeline for possible legislation – look for a public-comment period to start at the end of March.

If you have a question:

No, this isn’t coming forth in anticipation of any of these types of proposals – but they just want to be ready, the county reps said, in case one does emerge someday.

NORTH HIGHLINE SUBAREA PLAN: Jacqueline Reid returned to NHUAC with an update. They’re currently going through all the public comments received last fall, with a revised draft policy due at the end of March. These are some of the topics that have come up:

Planned upzoning is in the yellowed areas on this unofficial map:

Reid showed where residential zoning currently allows 6 dwellings per acre and would be upzoned to 12 per acre

Height limits would stay the same – 35 feet. This upzoning could add eventually more than 1,000 units. There’s also a proposal to increase some areas even further – up to 18 or 24 units per acre:

R-24 would have a 60-foot height limit. Questions were asked about some neighborhoods that are now zoned R-6 suddenly leaping to R-24 – “is there a discussion about stepping” to cover the transition? “This seems like a huge upzone … with no transition.” Concerns also were raised about a lack of services and infrastructure in some of the areas proposed for upzoning. One attendee was concerned that North Highline is targeted for more than its share of growth; Reid said that was not the case.

Ultimately, it was pointed out that the state sets the numbers that local areas are expected to absorb, and that means their comprehensive plans have to show how they will do that. Not planning for growth is not an option. Funding could be withheld, for one.

FIREWORKS BAN: Local Services director John Taylor was there to talk about the new fireworks law. It kicks in this year. Public displays are still allowed with permits.

They’re considering alternative non-police methods of enforcement for the second year and beyond (the first year is warnings only). That would include having people report fireworks violators, with citations to be sent to them via Code Enforcement, rather than sending an enforcer out.

Questions included, how could you cite someone by mail if they’re illegally shooting off fireworks someplace besides their home? Discussion included plans for education to make sure everyone knows fireworks are now illegal.

EX-TARADISE CAFE: NHUAC’s Liz Giba said there are concerns work is being done there without permits. Taylor said he’d look into it. A state Liquor and Cannabis Board rep said the new owner has received conditional liquor-license approval and apparently hopes to open within a few months. (We reported on the new owner two months ago.)

UNINCORPORATED AREA TOWN HALL: This year it’s going to focus on the Community Needs List, Taylor said – reviewing what they’ve heard and prioritizing it, so that the needs can be used in priorities for the next budget biennium.

CRIME UPDATES; From Deputy Bill Kennamer – gun crimes have more than doubled, and deputies are disappointed that when they do arrest people, “they’re out of jail very quickly.” He mentioned this week’s proposal that even fewer suspects be allowed to be booked. The County Executive’s Office has provided funding for 33 hours of overtime each week – almost a full deputy, as he put it – to crack down on crime in the core.

Asked if crime is getting more violent, Deputy Kennamer said absolutely, and ticked through various incidents including a brazen robbery in which someone was pistol-whipped.

OTHER UPDATES/ANNOUNCEMENTS: The LCB rep said an unidentified convenience store in White Center was caught selling alcohol to minors four times and lost its license; it’s since ben sold to a new owner who’ll been making a fresh start.

Darlene Sellers from King County Parks said teens have a new job launch program coming – they voted to have cosmetology and salon professionals present, next Thursday. (We’ll have a separate announcement on that tomorrow.)

NEXT NHUAC MEETING: 7 pm March 3, online.

The White Center Food Bank needs your help, if you can donate food. Here’s the announcement we received:

We are running low on the following items and need our community to help fill the shelves:

Soup (pop top)
Broth
Peanut Butter
Rice
Sugar (in a box)
Condiments (BBQ, mustard, mayo)
Oil
Flour
Coffee & Tea
Soy Sauce
Mac and Cheese
Ramen Noodles
Salt
Black Pepper

Donation hours at the food bank are 8 am-3:30 pm M-F, 10829 8th Ave SW.

Please get in touch with a staff member when you arrive and they can help load in.

If those hours or location are not convenient, we have donation barrels located at:

– BECU in Roxbury Safeway
– Moonshot Coffee
– Good Day Donuts
– Future Primitive Beer
– White Center and Fauntleroy Starbucks locations

Here’s the announcement of NHUAC‘s first 2022 meeting:

The Opportunity to Be Informed, Be Involved and Be Heard!

Where? North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting
When? Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 7 pm

Online: us02web.zoom.us/j/89442816603?pwd=Rzc5NjdhUmhjNDNpSnY0REVSWlBWZz09
Meeting ID: 894 4281 6603
Passcode: NHUAC2022 (case sensitive)

By phone: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 894 4281 6603
Passcode: 973460559

You are invited to NHUAC’s first meeting of 2022 on Thursday, February 3rd at 7 pm. The new year offers new opportunities to establish an equitable, healthy North Highline. King County has been busy. What we do today will determine North Highline’s health far into the future.

For instance, we impact our physical environment in many ways such as pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, and poor air quality. As a planner with King County’s Green Building Department, Nicole Sanders has worked on the county’s energy codes and has news to share about electric vehicle parking and research on greenhouse gases and fossil fuel facilities.

Unfortunately, the maps of zoning amendments in the county’s proposed Subarea Plan did not identify most streets. Jacqueline Reid of King County Permitting will be back to help us understand what the plan means. Understanding what the county is planning for us is essential. King County’s Subarea Plan will be a road map to life in North Highline from public health to economic and ethnic justice to segregation and discrimination to displacement, fair housing and opportunity to schools, parks and open spaces to density and permitting to roads and infrastructure, police, and public safety to fireworks and cannabis shops.

Speaking of fireworks, it’s been a long time coming but fireworks are now illegal in North Highline and the rest of unincorporated King County. We will be updated on that and other issues by John Taylor, Director of the Department of Local Services, Fire Chief Mike Marrs, and, of course, our Community Deputy Bill Kennamer.

Knowledge is power. Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.

February 3, 2022 at 7 pm – Invite a Neighbor!

(Metro photo)</em>