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July 18, 2024
King
County launches first extreme heat strategy to prepare region for more intense heat waves caused by climate
change
Today King County and local partners announced the first countywide extreme heat strategy to
prepare the region for hotter summers and more intense heat waves caused by climate change.
July 17, 2024
NEWS: King County
awarded federal ‘Continuum of Care’ grant to improve youth outcomes and expand alternatives for secure
detention in King County
The King County Executive’s Office received a $450,000 award from the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the “Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth
Success” initiative. The funding will support Executive Constantine’s commitment to develop evidence-based
community alternatives to secure youth detention.
July 10, 2024
King
County, City of Seattle and community leaders unite for 100 Days of Action against gun violence
King
County Executive Dow Constantine, in partnership with the City of Seattle and local community-based
organizations, today announced the launch of 100 Days of Action — an intensive, collaborative initiative to
confront gun violence.
July 2, 2024
After five
consecutive years of drowning deaths staying at historically high levels, King County officials encourage
the public to be cautious at lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound
Recent data from Public Health – Seattle
& King County identifies dangerous trends for preventable drownings. Officials from multiple King County
departments urge caution this summer when open water temperatures remain dangerously cold even as air
temperatures rise.
July 1, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine appoints Leon Richardson as Local Services director, choosing a leader with community
connections, programmatic vision, and operational excellence
Leon Richardson has been appointed the
new director of King County’s Department of Local Services.
June 27, 2024
Expanded service
ahoy! Vashon community celebrates upcoming launch of midday water taxi trips
King County Deputy
Executive Shannon Braddock was joined today by County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, State Rep. Emily Alvarado,
and Metro General Manager Michelle Allison to greet Vashon residents who sailed to Seattle to celebrate the July
1 start of King County Water Taxi’s new midday service to the island.
June 24, 2024
NEWS:
‘A victory for regional trails, climate, mobility, and opportunity’: Executive Constantine thanks Sen.
Murray, Sen. Cantwell for securing funds to help close a key gap for Eastrail
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray
and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell secured a $25 million grant administrated by the U.S. Department of Transportation
that will help King County Parks complete the southern segment of Eastrail, an emerging 42-mile regional trail
connected to high-capacity transit.
June 18, 2024
NEWS:
King County begins implementation of Crisis Care Centers initiative, a transformational investment in
behavioral health care
The King County Council unanimously approved Executive Constantine’s plan to
implement the Crisis Care Centers initiative to bring five crisis care centers to the county, preserve and
restore residential treatment beds, and strengthen the behavioral health workforce.
June 13, 2024
Executive
Constantine highlights expanded regional evacuation campaign and increased county aerial wildfire response
capabilities
As the concern for wildfire grows, King County has partnered with Western Washington
counties to expand the Ready, Set, Go! evacuation campaign, and increased its response capabilities with two new
helicopter water buckets ready to be deployed.
June 11, 2024
NEWS:
Executive Constantine’s State of the County: Taking action with purpose and resolve
King County
Executive Dow Constantine gave his State of the County address, highlighting progress made over the last year in
areas such as behavioral health, housing and homelessness, and transportation, and sharing a vision for the
future.
June 6, 2024
VIDEO:
King County helping families switch to clean energy, cut utility costs through heat pump installation
program
King County is installing heat pumps in over 100 low- and moderate-income homes in Skyway and
White Center at up to 100% cost coverage through its new Energize program.
May 31, 2024
NEWS:
King County is transforming 1,000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle, adding the iconic structure to Eastrail with
funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, Amazon, City of Bellevue
A public-private
partnership that includes the state through the Climate Commitment Act, Amazon, the City of Bellevue, Kaiser
Permanente, and the King County Parks Levy started transforming the 120-year-old Wilburton Trestle into a trail
bridge that will be added to the emerging 42-mile Eastrail.
April 24, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine tours King County’s largest-ever floodplain restoration project, improving habitat and
protecting farmland along the Snoqualmie River
King County successfully completed the 145-acre Fall
City Floodplain Restoration Project, improving habitat and protecting farmland and homes along the Snoqualmie
River.
April 23, 2024
King County
highlights growing zero-emission fleet, announces $6 million electric vehicle charging grant from state
Commerce Department
Today King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a $6 million grant from the
state Department of Commerce to expand access to electric vehicle (EV) charging throughout the county, and
highlighted King County’s growing zero-emission fleet.
April 18, 2024
NEWS: King County
awards $3 million in grant funding for homelessness assistance in Tukwila and Burien
King County has
awarded $3 million in one-time funding to support and serve individuals and families experiencing homelessness
in Tukwila and Burien.
April 17, 2024
NEWS: King County
awards $2 million in grant funding to further assist asylees and refugees in Tukwila
King County has
awarded $2 million in funding to local nonprofits to assist in rapidly serving unsheltered asylum-seekers and
refugees currently residing in or near Tukwila.
April 3, 2024
NEWS: King County
partners with Compass Housing Alliance to open first all-veteran 24/7 enhanced shelter
King County
Executive Dow Constantine and Compass Housing Alliance announced the grand opening of the Blaine Veterans Center
in Seattle’s Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. The Blaine Veterans Center will provide a safe
place to sleep, on-site support services, and case management to meet the specific needs of
veterans experiencing homelessness in King County.
April 2, 2024
NEWS: King County
announces grand opening of Redmond Health Through Housing building
King County, the City of Redmond,
and The Salvation Army celebrated the grand opening of the latest Health Through Housing (HTH) location in
Redmond. The building provides 100 units of supportive housing for people exiting chronic homelessness and is
the first HTH site to open on the Eastside.
March 28, 2024
NEWS: King County
secures $500 million commitment from EPA for critical wastewater investments that protect water quality and
prepare for climate impacts while lowering finance costs
The King County Wastewater Treatment
Division secured a $498.3 million loan package from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete 14
infrastructure projects that will help improve water quality, while saving millions in interest costs.
March 6, 2024
NEWS: King County
Metro ‘charges toward zero-emissions’ with Interim Base groundbreaking
Executive Dow Constantine
joined regional partners to celebrate the start of construction at the Tukwila base that will support King
County Metro’s growing zero-emission fleet.
March 4, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine announces efforts to stop the surge of fentanyl overdoses and expand behavioral health treatment
in King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a multi-part strategy across five
priority areas to address the surge of fentanyl and stop overdoses. The strategies expand behavioral health
treatment, increase access to medications for opioid use disorder, and make overdose prevention tools and
resources more widely available.
February 28, 2024
NEWS: King
County partners with Doney Coe Pet Clinic to offer veterinary care for pets of homeless and low-income
families at new SoDo facility provided by King County
King County Executive Dow Constantine joined
Doney Coe Pet Clinic Board President Marti Casey to celebrate the opening of a new veterinary facility for
low-income and homeless families at a new location inside an unoccupied King County building.
February 27, 2024
NEWS: King
County announces $1 million in additional support for asylees and refugees in Tukwila
King County
Executive Constantine announced the launch of a $1 million grant funding opportunity to rapidly serve
unsheltered asylum-seekers currently residing in or near Tukwila. The one-time funding is open to one or more
nonprofits located in south King County to aid in providing temporary housing, food, support, and legal
services.
February 15, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine and regional partners announce launch of newly updated and expanded Puget Sound Emergency Radio
Network
Executive Dow Constantine and government partners from throughout King County announced the
launch of the new Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network – the updated and expanded radio system used for first
responders and emergency dispatch communications.
February 13, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine thanks Department of Community and Human Services Director Leo Flor for his leadership on
transformative investments for the people of King County as he accepts a role outside
government
Executive Constantine announced the upcoming departure of Leo Flor, director of the King
County Department of Community and Human Services, who will depart King County service this month for a role
outside of government. Flor joined DCHS in 2016 and was appointed director in 2018. Kelly Rider will serve as
interim director effective Feb. 27.
February 8, 2024
NEWS: Proposed
Metro bus network upgrades would launch this year for RapidRide G Line, Lynnwood Link
King County
Executive Dow Constantine is proposing King County Metro bus network improvements for later this year as part of
the launch of the RapidRide G Line in Seattle and Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link extension. The King County
Council will review and consider the legislative proposals in the coming weeks.
February 6, 2024
NEWS:
Executive Constantine appoints John Taylor as new director for Department of Natural Resources and Parks,
selecting a proven leader to reinforce King County’s reputation as a trusted environmental
steward
John Taylor, who has succeeded on multiple fronts as the first director of King County’s
Department of Local Services, will return to the Department of Natural Resources and Parks as its new director
after being appointed by Executive Constantine.
January 31, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine outlines next actions to improve outcomes, end use of traditional jail for youth in King
County
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the next set of actions toward implementing
six Care and Closure Advisory Committee recommendations to expand community-based alternatives and ultimately
end traditional youth detention in King County.
January 29, 2024
NEWS: King County
and Compass Housing Alliance announce the grand opening of Health Through Housing’s Don’s Place in
Auburn
King County Executive Dow Constantine and Compass Housing Alliance celebrated the grand
opening of Don’s Place in Auburn. Acquired in 2021, Don’s Place is the Health Through Housing initiative’s sixth
building to open and provides 81 units of supportive housing for people exiting chronic homelessness, including
veterans and seniors.
January 25, 2024
NEWS:
Executive Constantine honors ‘those who have made historic spaces more accessible to new generations, and
created new futures for places that tell the story of our region'
This year’s recipients of the John
D. Spellman Awards include a city that transformed an historic post office into an arts and culture center, and
a parks district that rehabilitated an abandoned farmstead into an agricultural hub for local producers and
educational programming.
January 24, 2024
NEWS:
Climate-resilient infrastructure: King County’s new treatment station in Georgetown has already protected
the Duwamish River and Puget Sound from 32 million gallons of pollution
King County’s
state-of-the-art Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station is one of several climate-resilient capital projects
that are better protecting Puget Sound from stormwater and wastewater.
January 18, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine announces $26 million in affordable housing investments, opening 760 new units throughout
region
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced $26 million in funding for 10 affordable
housing developments that will generate 760 new affordable homes throughout King County over the next three
years. These investments prioritize housing that is affordable for people with the lowest incomes, especially
seniors, people with disabilities, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
January 5, 2024
NEWS: Executive
Constantine appoints three new members to Sound Transit Board
Executive Constantine announced three
new appointments of representatives from across King County to the Sound Transit Board of Directors.
January 4, 2024
NEWS: King County
operations reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% and other milestones in updated climate action plan;
Executive Climate Office expanding with new staff
King County continues progress toward meeting
greenhouse gas reduction goals and partnering with local governments and community-based organizations to
address the climate crisis.
December 27, 2023
NEWS: Top King County
Highlights of 2023
From generational investments in the behavioral health system and new affordable
housing projects, to healthy habitats and increased access to transit, 2023 was a year of progress for King
County. Check out Executive Constantine's top accomplishments over the past year.
December 26, 2023
NEWS: Ride
fare-free from football to fireworks this New Year’s Eve on King County Metro, Sound Transit, and regional
transit agencies
King County Metro and Sound Transit are teaming up with other regional transit
partners to provide free rides this New Year’s Eve.
December 20, 2023
NEWS:
Construction to begin on 235-unit affordable housing project at King County Metro Northgate site
King
County Executive Dow Constantine announced today the start of construction on a 235-unit affordable housing
project at King County Metro’s Northgate property after financing and permits are finalized this month.
December 7, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine outlines updated 2024 Comprehensive Plan proposal with focus on affordable housing, climate
resilience, and social equity
King County Executive Dow Constantine transmitted the proposed 2024
Comprehensive Plan to the King County Council today. The proposal is a once-a-decade update, which guides where
people live, work, and play in unincorporated King County.
December 6, 2023
NEWS: King County
providing temporary hotel room support for asylum seekers at Tukwila church
King County has hired a
service provider and begun funding up to 100 hotel rooms for people living in and around the Riverton Park
United Methodist Church in Tukwila, helping move people to a more stable location.
December 6, 2023
NEWS:
Executive Constantine announces $109 million for 52 conservation projects that will build climate
resiliency, increase access to open space, and advance food sovereignty
More than 50 projects across
King County will receive a combined $109 million in open space preservation funding after a plan proposed by
Executive Constantine was approved by the King County Council. This is the first round of funding for open space
preservation since King County voters last year approved restoring Conservation Futures Program to its original
rate.
December 4, 2023
NEWS: King County
launches one-time grant opportunity for homelessness assistance in south King County cities
King
County has allocated $5 million in one-time funding for one or more cities located in south King County to site,
construct, or operate projects that support and serve unsheltered individuals and families experiencing
homelessness.
November 14, 2023
NEWS:
Stream health is improving throughout King County – and scientists say there’s even greater potential for
additional gains than expected
Twenty years of data collected by King County scientists indicates
widespread improvements in the health of local streams even as the population grew by over a half-million
people, suggesting that effective growth management can protect urban streams.
November 6, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine statement on Green River Road project
Executive Constantine issued a statement in
response to King County Department of Local Services' launch of the Green River Road clean up project.
November 2, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine statement on charges against former corrections officer and others filed by US Attorney's
office
Executive Constantine issued a statement in response to charges filed today by the United
States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington against a former King County corrections officer
and five others on a bribery scheme.
October 23, 2023
Christie
True – Executive Constantine’s longest-serving department director – retiring after 39 years of service at
Department of Natural Resources and Parks
Christie True, who has successfully led Executive
Constantine’s environmental initiatives for 13 years as a member of his Cabinet, will retire early next year
after serving 39 years at the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
October 19, 2023
King
County and Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. launch sewer heat recovery at new South Lake Union campus,
among first in the nation to tap wastewater heat for renewable energy
King County and Alexandria Real
Estate Equities, Inc. are partnering to draw heat from a large, underground sewer pipe to heat a 1.6
million-square-foot mixed-use life science mega campus in South Lake Union. This is one of the first large
commercial projects in the nation to save energy using sewer heat recovery technology, demonstrating how
public-private collaborations can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
October 17, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine creates Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention to coordinate gun violence reduction
efforts
King County Executive Dow Constantine announced the launch of the Public Health – Seattle
& King County Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention to ensure comprehensive coordination and
collaboration to address gun violence in King County.
October 10, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine releases mid-biennial budget, forecasts drastic hardships without state legislative fix next
year
Executive Constantine released his one-year $511 million mid-biennial budget proposal today,
which makes modifications to the County’s 2023-2024 budget that was adopted last fall. The proposal eliminates
positions and makes other reductions to address the shortfall in the county’s General Fund. Without action by
the legislature, much more serious cuts will be necessary next year, including eliminating nearly all remaining
General Fund support for human services and closing Public Health clinics serving vulnerable residents.
October 6, 2023
NEWS: Pierce
County judge rules in favor of lawsuit filed by King County, 27 other counties and the Washington State
Association of Counties against DSHS
A Pierce County judge ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by 28
counties, including King County, and the Washington State Association of Counties against the Washington
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
October 5, 2023
NEWS: Executive
Constantine proposal invests $21 million from opioid settlements to combat overdose crisis
King
County Executive Dow Constantine announced a proposal to use settlement funds from opioid distributors to
address the opioid overdose epidemic. The funds will support local programs and services to reduce overdose
deaths, expand treatment, and bridge gaps in services for people with substance use disorders.
September 27, 2023
A
‘New Energy’ arrives as Executive Constantine unveils new colors for Metro’s electric fleet – Metro
Matters
King County Executive Dow Constantine unveiled one of Metro’s next-generation
battery-electric buses wrapped in the new colors of the fleet today at Metro’s South Base.
September 18, 2023
King
County Water Taxi to maintain year-round midday and weekend sailing schedule to and from West
Seattle
The King County Water Taxi will continue as a year-round transportation option for riders
going to and from West Seattle, providing midday and weekend service between downtown Seattle’s Pier 50 and
Seacrest Dock in West Seattle.
September 6, 2023
$30
million in King County Parks Levy grants will build and upgrade aquatic facilities, enhance parks and
trails, restore river corridors, and increase equity in recreation
The King County Council voted 9-0
to approve Executive Dow Constantine’s proposal to allocate nearly $30 million in grants funded by the King
County Parks Levy that will support 53 projects led by cities, park districts, school districts, and community
organizations throughout the region.
August 23, 2023
NEWS: 22 counties,
including King County, and Washington State Association of Counties file lawsuit against State of Washington
for refusal to provide necessary behavioral health treatment under state law
A new lawsuit against
the Washington Department of Social and Health Services, filed by a coalition of 22 counties, holds the state
accountable to fulfill its obligation to evaluate and treat patients with behavioral health conditions and would
reduce further strain on a crumbling behavioral health system that the state legislature and local governments
are actively working to restore.
August 21, 2023
NEWS: King County
awards two major grants as part of $3 million local priority hire program with cities and other public
entities to boost construction jobs
Executive Constantine announced today the awarding of two grants,
totaling $800,000, for priority hire projects that will be led by the Highline School District and the City of
SeaTac. The funding is part of a new $3 million grant program to support cities, towns, school districts, and
other public entities that have an interest in developing local priority hire programs to build a more
representative and reflective workforce in the construction industry.
May 14, 2023
NEWS: Two transit
routes, no driving! Issaquah Alps joins Mt. Si for 2024 season of Trailhead Direct
Trips to the
Issaquah Alps return for the seventh season of King County’s Trailhead Direct, the transit-to-trails service on
summer weekends and holidays. The Issaquah Alps route and service to Mt. Si begin on Saturday, May 25.