White Center Now: The blog about White Center

As planned, the King County Council‘s Committee of the Whole took up the proposed unincorporated-area fireworks ban on Wednesday. With an amendment, it passed 5-4. The amendment by Councilmember Girmay Zahilay (read it here) has three key points:

-The first year this is in effect (2022), violators would be warned rather than fined

-Once fines do take effect, they would be $250, not $1,000

-A study would be required to see what it would take to get immediate, unarmed, non-police response to reports of violations

The fireworks ban, sponsored by our area’s Councilmember Joe McDermott, now goes to the full council for a final vote.

Announced today:

A transformative tenant protections package has been officially introduced by two King County Councilmembers. The measure, headlined by capped move-in fees and new ‘just cause’ eviction criteria, was officially put forward today by Councilmembers Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Girmay Zahilay.

While King County residents look ahead to a brighter, post-pandemic future, many will continue to live in fear of losing their housing – or struggling to get housing at all.

The proposal, referred to the Community, Health and Housing Services Committee on Tuesday, aims to add a series of protections for both month-to-month and longer-term lease tenants.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout have exacerbated our already difficult housing crisis — putting large numbers of renters on the brink of eviction,” Kohl-Welles said. “For many of our neighbors, it’s a thin line between having a roof overhead and spending the night in a shelter or in a tent on one of our sidewalks. And for many, it’s having to decide to pay for rent or pay for needed medical care. We know that housing is essential to stability for King County residents. By enhancing protections for renters, we can work on the front end to prevent even more people from entering homelessness.”

Key among the protections included is the establishment of “just causes” that must be satisfied before a landlord can terminate a month-to-month tenancy, begin eviction proceedings, or fail to renew a fixed-term tenancy. State law doesn’t currently include just cause provisions for most tenancies, and while a bill is moving through the state legislature to add requirements to the books, that proposal falls well short of the King County proposal.

“After decades of gentrification and a full year of COVID-19 hyper-charging regional housing instability, people are struggling to stay housed. We have to come together and give tenants the housing security needed to survive this crisis,” Zahilay said. “Evictions, especially those inflicted without specific cause or reasonable notice, will exacerbate our homelessness crisis, crime, and public health issues. The legislation introduced today by Councilmember Kohl-Welles and I will be a difference maker for those already struggling.”

In addition to adding the just cause requirement – a significant factor in avoiding a wave of individuals and families losing their housing once temporary protections triggered by the COVID -19 pandemic end – the proposal would add a series of protections for tenants in unincorporated King County, including:

Cap move-in, security and other fees and deposits and allow incremental payment
Require landlords to give up to 4 months’ notice for significant rent increases
Prohibit rent hikes in unsafe or unlivable housing
Allow tenants to adjust rent due date if they live on fixed income
Add protections against eviction over late rent
Prohibit landlords from requesting Social Security number for pre-rental screening
Landlords who violate any of the new protections would be liable for damages in court.

“King County’s homelessness crisis is already one of the worst in the nation. We know that most people who are evicted end up homeless, many of them sleeping unsheltered,” said Katie Wilson, general secretary of the Transit Riders Union. “This ordinance is a common-sense measure that will help to protect tenants from arbitrary evictions when the moratoriums are lifted, so that many more people don’t fall into homelessness.”

In 2019, while unincorporated King County saw more no-cause evictions than any other jurisdiction in King County, according to data shared by Edmund Witter, senior managing attorney with the King County Bar Association. While only 6.8% of all evictions were filed in unincorporated King County, that part of the county made up 20% of all no-cause evictions countywide.

An estimated 22% of households in unincorporated King County are renters, which means about 25,000 households would be impacted by the proposal.

As part of the new legislation, the Executive would set up a central phone number for tenants to report suspected violations and would have to create an outreach plan to educate residents about the new protections. A one-pager with more details is attached.

The legislation would take effect 90 days after full council approval.

As we reported last week, the County Council’s Committee of the Whole delayed its consideration of the bill to ban fireworks in unincorporated areas. Next Wednesday, it’s on the agenda, 9:30 am. As the preview from council staff notes: “If approved, it would still have to go before full council and then would have a one-year waiting period before it could take effect. It would not ban properly permitted fireworks displays or impact fireworks on tribal trust lands.” Read the bill here. If you want to comment, before or during the meeting, the agenda explains how.

Thursday is a big day for public-school students in our area. Here’s the announcement from Highline Public Schools:

This Thursday, March 11 will be the first day in a school building ever for some of Highline Public Schools’ PreK and kindergarten students!

The next phase of hybrid instruction was assured last evening with teachers voting to ratify an agreement between Highline Education Association (HEA) and Highline Public Schools.

The start dates for the next phase of in-person instruction are:
March 11: PreK, kindergarten, grade 1, and K-12 Intensive Academic Center (IAC).
March 22: Grades 2 and 3
April 1: Grades 4 and 5

The transition back to school buildings began in November 2020 when students served in Integrated Learning Center (ILC) and Community Based Services (CBS) programs had the option to return in the hybrid model. In hybrid, morning and afternoon groups attend on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Elementary students will be on a similar half-day, four-day-per-week schedule. Students served by the K-12 Intensive Academic Center (IAC) program will be in school buildings longer days due to the structure of the program, which is integrated with general education Zoom classes.

“I am grateful to the district and HEA bargaining committees who worked tirelessly to arrive at a plan that prioritizes the safety of our students and staff and provides our students with the in-person learning that they need and deserve,” said Superintendent Susan Enfield.

“I value our students and staff, and I take very seriously my responsibility for their health and safety,” she said. “We can all be confident in the safety plans and protocols developed in collaboration with our labor partners and approved by our teachers.”
Now that education employees are eligible to be vaccinated, Highline staff have an added layer of protection. On Sunday, all Highline staff who are working or scheduled to work with students in person had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Thanks to a partnership with St. Anne Hospital, almost 1,000 people received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Nearly every Highline employee on the list to get a vaccination was able to get one. Staff are working with anyone who was missed to make sure they are vaccinated. There were enough doses on Sunday to vaccinate many other staff members, as well.
For more information about hybrid learning, please visit our website at: highlineschools.org/return-to-learn/hybrid-learning.

Additional back-to-school resources about transportation, safety expectations, school safety plan, health screening form, masks and more can be found at highlineschools.org/backtoschool.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Health and safety were at the heart of presentations during this month’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, held online last Thursday night.

PANDEMIC UPDATE: Matias Valenzuela from King County started the update, showing the chart with the ups and downs of case counts, and now a plateau:

That’s a concern, as are the new variants, he said. Meantime, he recapped that the region remains in Phase 2 of reopening – limited-capacity indoor dining and shopping, for example. And he went through the eligibility phases for vaccination, so far, including the governor’s recent announcement of eligibility for educators and child-care workers. As the governor announced today, high-risk workers and others are coming up. So the approval of a third vaccine – the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot – is important. Valenzuela sought to quash any concerns it’s less effective, noting that no one who got it in the trials died or even had to be hospitalized. “We have three very good approved vaccines, very good news for what we have to do right now.” The newest eligibility categories mean 52,000 more people eligible in King County, added to 117,000 already-eligible older adults who have yet to get their first shot. They have many more vaccinators ready to go – they are just waiting for vaccine.

If you’re interested in more data, you can check out the county’s many data dashboards (start here). Valenzuela showed an example – 56 percent of white people in King County have been vaccinated, but only 37 percent of Black people.

69 percent of people 75 and older have gotten their vaccinations. Valenzuela showed the geographic percentages too:

They are working on various outreach strategies to get the word out, and to get people to vaccination sites.

Mentioned at that point: The VA medical system says its vaccine process is open to all veterans now, to whom it provides care. Here’s the message shared onscreen at the meeting:

How are efforts to make more shots available to, for example, BIPOC communities managed to ensure that’s what’s happening? Valenzuela said they’re using a variety of screening and outreach tools to do their best. He also said they are working to decentralize the administration of vaccinations, so there are more community health clinics, pharmacies, etc., offering it.

Next, Fire Chief Mike Marrs talked about the risks they run of dealing with possibly COVID-positive people on emergency calls. If exposed, they have to go into quarantine, and that hurts staffing. “It’s been a challenging year in that regard.” But he said they’ve been successful at both keeping firefighters safe and keeping them from “bringing it into your homes.” He also talked about North Highline launching a mobile vaccination team three weeks ago. They “don’t have a mass vaccination capacity” but “we still make house calls,” so they’ve gone to adult family homes and King County Housing Authority sites, and are about to move on to senior facilities. At their peak, they can give about 120 shots a day. Eventually they expect to transition their mobile vaccination personnel to helping at mass-vaccination sites (he expects the closest one to be in Tukwila). The fire department also has handled two mask/sanitizer giveaways and is expecting to present at least one more event – those items are still key to stopping the spread.

OFFICE OF EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE: Director Arthur Hendricks spoke to NHUAC about the office‘s mission. Six goals cover how the office supports county departments. They both provide support in access to resources and support for equitable decision-making. Community engagement is a specialty; regarding equity, they look at distributional equity, process equity, and cross-generational equity – “the decisions we’re making today …how are they going to impact folks into the future?” They use tools such as an “equity impact review,” helping managers think about the impact of the decisions they make. The pandemic led to a lot of “hand-wringing” and disruption a year ago, putting everyone into “emergency-management mode” with action needing to be taken quickly, such as providing shelter for houseless people. He also talked about the “equity impact awareness tool,” which is centered on race because of how heavily that factors into the distribution of resources. Also examined – economic status and factors such as homeownership, food insecurity, and age. Geography, too:

Valenzuela rejoined the discussion and talked about addressing disability in equity discussions, too.

KING COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE: Major Jeff Flohr started by talking about the Grocery Plus drive-in burglary. They have identified the suspect as Tylor Saeteurn. The grocery store suffered about $30,000 in damage. He also mentioned the recent shootings. He said they don’t appear to be linked, but drugs seem to be a common theme, among other points.

To respond, Maj. Flohr found money for an extra car to do “targeted patrol” starting Friday, through April. That means a third car to float between White Center and Skyway, for higher visibility as well as quicker response. The Special Emphasis Team will work on drug/gun cases, targeting “folks who might live in the area who have outstanding gun warrants.’ The Major Crimes Unit is working on shooting cases.

He addressed the state Supreme Court ruling about drug possession. It means deputies cannot arrest a person for ‘simple drug possession’ nor confiscate the drugs. “There is nothing we can do about it.” They can still go after dealers and traffickers, but until and unless it’s “fixed by the Legislature,” there’s not much deputies can do. This also means programs like LEAD are de-toothed because there’s nothing to say ‘work with us or else…”

Stats: 911 calls were down last year, and response times to critical incidents were “in the top 25 percent of the country”:

What about criminal-justice reform and its effects? Maj. Flohr said he personally is concerned that there are no systems in place to replace law enforcement.

Deputy Bill Kennamer presented his regular update. The Myers Way shooting was a homicide, and “it was not a random act of violence.” A suspect was arrested in the recent Bartell Drugs robbery. Two local spa/massage locations were raided for human trafficking. Evidence has been sent to the prosecuting attorney’s office.

Asked about RV camping by the bog, Kennamer said the sheriff ordered deputies not to enforce parking rules if a vehicle appears to be a residence. What about tents? County Parks is not kicking people out, either. If you have feedback on those policies, Flohr and Kennamer stressed, contact the sheriff and County Councilmember Joe McDermott.

KING COUNTY PARKS: Darlene Sellers was there to talk about the many programs they’re doing virtually – including taking submissions now for an online edition of the Log Cabin Talent Show. They’ll have a distribution of free art supplies – plus masks – grab ‘n’ go style coming up. Here’s all the info she presented:

Everyone’s welcome to watch the show on March 26th.

OTHER NOTES: Chief Marrs thanked the community for re-authorizing the Benefit Charge to fund the fire department, which has bought two new fire engines and is buying a new aid car. Six future staffers are in the Fire Academy and they’ll need a few more to get 24-hour staffing and have it in service by year’s end.

NEXT MEETING: NHUAC meets first Thursdays at 7 pm online; watch here for connection/participation information.

From King County:

From our conversations to-date, we understand that stopping flooding and pollution, and increasing food security and access to parks and green space, are priorities in the White Center / North Highline area.

We want community members to drive what projects should look like, where they should be located, and the needs they see in their neighborhoods.

As a next step, we’re hoping to get additional feedback from the White Center / North Highline community via a quick 10-15 minute survey. Everybody who completes the survey will receive a $15 flat rate visa gift card as a thank you for their participation.

We’d love to get your help in two ways:

Take the survey! The survey is translated in the following languages:
English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H7CSQL7
Somali: Sahanka Deegaanka – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JSY3YWQ
Vietnamese: Bản Khảo Sát Cộng Đồng – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B2RMZPN
Khmer: ការស្ទង់មតិសហគមន៍ – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B2T3YSQ
Spanish: Encuesta de la comunidad – https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BWLG9K5

Share this survey with your friends, contacts, and neighbors in White Center.

The State Patrol says a motorcycle rider was killed after he crashed into the guardrail on southbound Highway 509 south of White Center around 7:20 this morning. WSP identifies the rider as 26-year-old Allen S. Sutton of Bellingham and says he was the only one involved in the crash, which troopers blame on going “too fast for conditions.” Roads were slick and temperatures still around freezing at the time.

All are welcome to the monthly meeting at 2 pm online – get updates, and ask questions, about the Seattle city-sanctioned tiny-house encampment that’s on the edge of North Highline, as the Camp Second Chance Community Advisory Committee meets. The videoconferencing link is here, or you can call in at 253-215-8782, meeting ID 858 5523 4269, password 9701.

In case you happened onto the closure at 26th SW/SW 106th tonight – this is why. The two-car collision did not result in nny serious injuries, deputies told us. When we were there, they were still trying to sort out what happened, but tow trucks were already arriving to clear the scene and reopen the intersection.

From the 34th District Democrats:

March 27 (Saturday, 10:30-noon) we are presenting a special program called The Elephant in the Democratic Party – Racism in Political Institutions.

Our webpage: 34dems.org/the-elephant-in-the-democratic-party-racism-in-political-institutions/

Racism is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest and in liberal spaces. Join us for a 90-minute presentation which will cover the history of systemic racism in political institutions and Progressive policies, and how it continues today. As members and leaders in the Democratic Party, we will gain new tools on how we can listen, reflect, and engage in important conversations that are necessary as we continue the fight against racism.

Presented by Olgy Diaz, who serves as a PCO in the 29th Legislative District as well as on the Boards of Casa Latina, Institute for a Democratic Future, and the National Women’s Political Caucus of WA.

This is a FREE presentation offered to the community by the 34th Democrats.

ZOOM: bit.ly/Anti-Racist-34th

The proposal to ban fireworks in unincorporated King County hasn’t made it out of a King County Council committee yet. The council’s Committee of the Whole was supposed to hear it yesterday, but ran out of time because of other long-running items and a need for members to move on to another meeting. This area’s Councilmember Joe McDermott promised it will be on the agenda for the committee’s next meeting (March 17th). He said the delay wasn’t significant since even if it was passed soon, its timetable means it couldn’t take effect before next year. The ban was originally up for consideration early last year – but then the pandemic hit, and it was shelved for months.

Deputies are launching a search right now for somebody who apparently drove into the Rainbow Mini-Mart at Ambaum/116th a short time ago. Radio communication indicates the car is still there but an “older white man wearing jeans and a tan shirt, carrying a box” was seen leaving on foot. A K-9 crew will be joining the search.

Last weekend marked exactly one year since the first King County cases of COVID-19 were reported. This Thursday, the pandemic is the focus of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s monthly meeting. Here’s the preview just in from NHUAC:

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

Where? North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting
When? Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 7 pm
How? Join Zoom Meeting: kingcounty.zoom.us/j/98750682577

​​​​​​Meeting ID: 987 5068 2577
​​​​​​Passcode (case sensitive): NHUAC2021

Unable to join via Zoom?
Please Call 253.215.8782
​​​​​​Meeting ID: 987 5068 2577 ​
Passcod​e 956569157

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been an exhausting and ongoing, yearlong natural disaster unprecedented in its duration, damage and pervasive impact on our lives.” (Dr. Jeff Duchin, King County Public Health Officer, 2.26.21)

North Highline has certainly suffered. According to the county’s COVID-19 Data DashboardDaily Summary, North Highline continues to have one of the highest positivity rates in the county. In recognition of the reality that the battle is not yet won, much of NHUAC’s March 4th meeting will focus on COVID-19, what we can do, what lies ahead, and the role social equity might play in crafting a winning response.

We will be joined by Matias Valenzuela, currently a Director with Seattle-King County Public Health and formerly Director of King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice; North Highline Fire District Chief Mike Marrs; and Art Hendricks, manager of King County’s Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Group. The Sheriff’s Office was busy in North Highline in February. Major Jeff Flohr and Deputy Bill Kennamer will join us for what is sure to be an informative meeting.

Have you heard? COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics will be held at Evergreen High School (830 SW 116th) in White Center on Wednesday and Thursday, March 3rd and 4th, from 10 am to 4 pm. These Vaccine Clinics are for White Center residents (and nearby neighbors) who fall into Phases 1A and 1B1 of the state’s vaccine prioritization schedule because they are: 65 or older; 50 or older and living in multigenerational households; residents of long-term care facilities; high-risk first responders; healthcare workers; or high-risk workers in health care settings. If a neighbor fits these criteria, please share this link and information with them.

kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated?vaccineGroup=ehs

In Step 1 (the location field), type 98146 to get to QFC-FM-CHAMBER-EVERGREEN HS(Clinic Event at 830 SW 116th St.) and make an appointment. If there are appointments available, walk-up registration will be done on-site.

​ Learn, share, and help make North Highline a better and healthier place.

March 4, 2021 at 7 pm – Tell a Neighbor!

Thanks to Tamsen for forwarding this notice circulated by the White Center Community Development Association:

Currently, a vaccination clinic is being set up in White Center for 3/4 & 3/5 (with the second dose 2 weeks after) to serve 900 of our people as we move into Phase 1B for Washington.

The ask that I have for you is to help distribute this information with intentionality to your network, as we work to sign up our BIPOC White Center community members. In consideration of the pandemic, we want to ensure a focus on our elderly, non-English speaking neighbors, and those that either may not have access to or high proficiency in online capabilities.

These vaccinations will occur at Evergreen High School (830 SW 116th St) in partnership with QFC and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce

Who this includes:

High-risk healthcare workers in health-care settings
High-risk first responders
Long-term care facility residents
All other workers at risk in health-care settings
All people 65 years or older
All people 50 years or older in multigenerational households (homes where individuals from 2 or more generations reside such as an elder and a grandchild)

Here is the link.

This link to COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics is reserved for residents in White Center and immediately surrounding areas that fall into Washington State’s current Covid-19 vaccine eligibility phases: 1A, 1B1 (healthcare workers, high risk workers in health care settings, high risk first responders, 65+, 50+ in multigenerational households). In location field, type 98146 for Evergreen High School Clinic to make an appointment. Please tell people to enter 98146 as the zip code for this clinic. If there are appointments available, walk-up registration will be done on-site. We will provide interpreters in multiple languages. Appointments will occur from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM both days.

King County Sheriff’s Deputies are in the 10600 block of Myers Way South right now, investigating a shooting. A woman reported a man had been shot, and described the person who did it as male, Asian, 5’10”, 165 pounds, long dark hair, wearing a red bandana, dark sweatshirt, and black pants. We don’t know the victim’s condition; medics have been dispatched. Deputies plan to use a K9 to search.

Reminder – the Community Needs List for North Highline is still a work in progress, and you still have the chance to help shape it, King County reminds you:

Last year, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Council told the Department of Local Services to collaborate with those who live and work in unincorporated areas to create community needs lists. These are lists of projects for King County to complete in support of each community’s vision.

The first step in creating a community needs list is to gather requests from people who live and work in that community via an online survey at publicinput.com/UKCcommunityneedslist.

King County Local Services — the local government in unincorporated areas — aims to get as many people as possible in those areas to share their ideas by completing the survey for the community where they live or work:

These surveys will guide what will eventually become community needs lists, which will help the county prioritize projects and will inform the development of the county’s budget. Local Services will coordinate with other King County and partner agencies to develop actionable programs, services, or improvements that the county can deliver.

Next week, you can join four County Councilmembers, including our area’s rep Joe McDermott, for a Virtual Town Hall. From his announcement:

To say that this has been a busy start to the year is an understatement, so to keep you up to speed on important work we’re doing at the County Council this year I’m teaming up with a few of my colleagues for a virtual town hall on Wednesday, March 3rd – and I hope you’ll join us! … While we’ll be laying out our 2021 work at the beginning, the majority of the town hall will be dedicated to making sure we also understand your priorities for the County and region – this is an exciting chance for your voice to be heard by several members of the council at one (hopefully convenient) time.

That time is 6 pm March 3rd. For viewing/call-in info, go here.

That security video shows a burglar inside Grocery Plus at 16th/98th on Saturday night around 10:30 pm – a burglar who got in by crashing a car into the doors:

A member of the store owners’ family provided the video and photos, saying the burglar(s) “drove a mid-sized car/suv in a dark forest green color that police found was stolen into the front doors of the shop. Witnesses across the street have live footage they shared with the police, and the store also has a few surveillance videos that show the suspect rummaging through cigarettes and scratch tickets.” One of those clips is above; here’s a screengrab:

A plate from the car was left behind, and deputies told the victims it was stolen. This happened about two hours after closing time. If you have any information, report it to KCSO, and refer to case # C21005703.

(File photo, fireworks stand in White Center)
The long-in-the-works fireworks ban for unincorporated King County is back before the County Council. It was on its way to consideration one year ago – and then the pandemic hit, and shelved it. Now our area’s County Councilmember Joe McDermott has introduced a ban proposal, and it was discussed in the council’s Committee of the Whole last Wednesday. You can read the proposal here; you can watch the discussion in the meeting video here. McDermott said the July 2019 fire that killed a 70-year-old man in North Highline is a major motivation for him to get the ban passed; he noted at Wednesday’s meeting that 25 jurisdictions around unincorporated King County already ban fireworks. (That includes all the cities touching on unincorporated North Highline.) The bill would still allow permits to be granted for public fireworks displays. No action was taken at the meeting; the proposal will be up for action at the next committee meeting, and then a month’s notice is required before it can be brought up for a vote of the full County Council. You can email council@kingcounty.gov if you want to comment on the proposal.

The King County Sheriff’s Office isn’t providing details but does confirm that Bartell Drugs at 15th/Roxbury was robbed this afternoon. Scanner traffic at the time indicated that the robber was suspected to have fled north into West Seattle, so deputies searched for a while, with a K9 team helping. No word of an arrest so far. We also don’t know whether the robber targeted the pharmacy – in West Seattle, at least three pharmacies have bren held up in the past week, and Seattle Police believe there are links to what they call a regional series of holdups.