Good afternoon, everybody. I’d like to welcome everyone to the August 25th, 2026 meeting of the King County Council. I’m George Baron, I’m vice chair of the council, but I’ll be acting as chair today. We’re joined by my colleagues, and this meeting is called to order.
Uh, before we begin, please join me in acknowledging that we’re on the traditional lands of the Puget Salish peoples, past and present. We thank these caretakers of this land who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial, bringing their cultural ways of life and greatly enriching our communities with that.
Clerk Foss, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Chair. Baron Councilmember Balducci Councilmember Dembowski. Here. Council member Dunn. Councilmember Fain. Councilmember Lewis. here. Council member Mosqueda. here. Councilmember Perry Councilmember von Reichbauer. Here. Chair. Barton here. Councilmember Dunn here. Thank you very much. We have a quorum of the Council. Next, please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Fain.
Please stand if you’re able. I pledge allegiance to the flag in America. As you republic, for which stands one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much. Vice Chair Dunn. May I please have a motion to approve the minutes of the August 18th, 2026 Council meeting? Move. Approval of the August.
18th minutes. Thank you very much. The motion is before us. Any questions? Comments regarding the minutes. Seeing none. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Say nay. The minutes are approved. Clerk. Are there any additions to the Council agenda? I do not have any additions to the agenda, sir.
Thank you very much. We will now turn to the reading of items into the record and the hearing of public comment. Uh, Vice Chair Dunn, will you move to suspend the rules to hold an advertised public hearing on item seven? Proposed ordinance 2022 0297.
Move to suspend the rules to hold an advertised public hearing on item seven, which is proposed. Ordinance 2022 0297. Thank you. The motion is before us. Any questions or comments on that? All right. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Say nay. The motion carries.
Uh, item seven will remain in the Local Services and Land Use Committee until the committee has taken action. It will then be placed on the council agenda for action. Clerk, will you please read the items into the record? Thank you. Item number seven is proposed. Ordinance number 2022 0297 determining the King County Fire Protection.
District number 24 is inactive under state law, and it is in the public interest to dissolve King County Fire. Fire Protection District Number 24. Item eight is proposed. Motion number 2026 0178, confirming the executive’s appointment of Susan Lewis Moore, who resides in Council District six to the Washington State Major League Baseball stadium. Public facilities. District board of directors. Item number nine is proposed.
Motion 2026 0208, confirming the executive’s reappointment of young Sang Song, who resides in Council District nine, to the King County Priority Hire Advisory Committee representing local business organizations. Item ten is proposed. Motion 2026 0210, confirming the executive’s reappointment of Drew Gibson, who resides in Council District nine to the King County Priority Hire Advisory Committee.
Item 11 is proposed. Motion 2026 0211, confirming the executive’s reappointment of Dave Johnson, who resides in Council District three, to the Priority Hire District Committee representing contractors. Thank you very much.
The council will now take public comment on those ordinances and motions on today’s agenda for action, along with any topic directly related to county business. That is because it’s the fourth Tuesday of the month. Listening to the public and taking into consideration the public’s thoughts is an important part of our process, and it’s one that enhances our deliberations in order to allow everyone equal time to comment, I would like to set the following ground rules. Please limit comments to two minutes.
Remain seated until time for your public comment, and do not make audible noise during the meeting. This is also a reminder that public comment may not be used for the purpose of assisting a campaign for election of any person to any office, or for the promotion of, or opposition to any ballot
proposition. In addition, per Council Rule ten, disruptive behavior can or may lead to the commenter being asked to leave the meeting. Disruptive behavior includes the following. Among other considerations. Standing rather than remaining seated except when entering or leaving the chambers, or when providing comment at the podium after being called on to speak.
Speaking from the audience without being recognized to provide comment. Making audible noises in the audience. Beyond speaking. Holding signs that obstruct the free passage of view or view of others attending the meeting.
The use of bullhorns or noisemakers, uh, for online comment, please, please press star nine on the phone or click the raise hand icon on the zoom toolbar, located at the bottom of the screen to notify the clerk. The clerk will call the names or the last three digits of the phone numbers in order, and will then unmute each line at the end of each comment. The clerk will lower our hands with that. Clerk.
Mueller, would you please begin calling the names here in person, followed by those hands raised online for public comment? Thank you. Chair. The first name on the list is Kevin Altmire. Chair. Today we stand here, folks, witnessing an atrocity. Last year, August 25th, 20 26 2025.
Two men sitting up there were involved in one of the worst things you could have done. And I’m accusing these two men of atrocities. Number one, Reagan, Don sends a letter to the Seattle Times feeding them propaganda. Rob Dembowski sends propaganda. Reagan.
Don, you remember that article that came out October the 31st? And he said that somebody at DCH needs to be fired. It was Kelly Rider. You know why? Because he had his staff send an email, and I have it to the Seattle Times and said, because Kelly Rider said DCH had no no loss and said Magee had no ethic violation and they went through three investigations.
Then they made a legislative record by basically him passing this ordinance called ordinance 19978. And it’s all de facto. This guy standing there got a writer by the name of Lula Ramadan.
Seattle Times, she said, hey, did you notice that Thomas Birmingham Barrington, who’s the director of ethics, says there was no ethics violation? You know what he did? He wrote and said, I’ve been trying for three years to open up a inspector general. It’s in my article. So if you go to King County Oversight files, dot com, you can read about these guys.
So what you’re witnessing are criminals who need to be charged a federal government arbitrator needs to come in here and take over the King County government, because this is an atrocity. What you have here. Mr. Zimmerman, you can’t applaud. Okay, that’s your first warning. Now, they may sit there. Guess what? And I sent out today I see Sarah Perry’s not here. And I see Claudia because they’re probably shocked of all of your emails I got.
I have over 60,000 emails through public disclosure requests. Mr. Alzheimer, thank you. Next speaker. The next name on the list is Alex Zimmerman. Thank you very much. I my you. Mind? I’m Alex Zimmerman. I ever never clapping. You know what this means for me Nazi Gestapo principle come to absurd. Yeah okay. My number my name Alex Zimmerman.
I’m president of Stand-Up America. I open right now. Our of this case about Ponzi schemes are on transit for $35 billion. It’s a serious problem that we have right now. I demand that is you counsel will be support this $35 billion.
And talking about the Spanish scam for ten years from beginning. So $35 billion, what they steal from us now? It’s never happened before in American history. You need to in very important because we have a leader in this business council. Banducci you know what is mean by definition.
She totally destroyed Bellevue because first train, what has come from this Ponzi scheme is come to Bellevue. What is cost us $1,000,000,000 billion in train go for one year right now. Totally empty. Totally empty. You know what is mean, Bellevue. This very rich place right now on from more rich city in America. People drive Mercedes Beemer car for $100,000. Nobody will be uses.
Idiotic situation. I talking about this for many years. But what you don’t do is this ship possibly be in jail. Trump absolutely right. It’s time right now put Democrat Keefe and Bandito Mafia to jail. If we need to start something doing right now. So this is my first complaint. What they have right now in auditor office.
Second complaint will be about King Country House, an authority who spent $100 million for thousands and thousands of legal immigrants who violate Trump’s executive order. Viva Trump, Viva new American Revolution stand up slap and happy cow. Now. The next name on the list is Chris Maniots. Yeah, yeah.
3:00 okay, I’m not going to be as loud as these guys. I have a safety issue at King County Airport I want to talk about. There’s hot fueling happening since 2025. That’s against the airport. Supplemental rules and regulation. It’s not in accordance with FAA policy. That’s a public safety issue.
And it’s up to you guys to enforce that, not to encourage vendors to do it or encourage folks. But my problem is there’s actually fueling with passengers on board. You have an observer that you have hired who is not on the on the tarmac when the pipes are connected.
So therefore cannot say whether there’s hot fueling happening or not. This is a safety issue. Yes. These are Ice flights. But you know, these people are shackled. They cannot run. They’re on the actual airplane when it’s happening. For all that is holy, do something about that. Encouraging a contractor to follow a rule is not enough. That’s it. Thank you.
The next name on the list is Dan Sakuma. Good afternoon. My name is Stanley Sakuma. I come representing Soohoo for solidarity. I’m the national co-chair. Co-Chair of that organization, as well as the Japanese American Citizens League. I’m a past president and current vice president for civil rights.
With that organization, both organizations have been in support of Larry’s intentions. Attempts to shut down the Northwest Detention Center and specifically for this group to stop the deportation flights in and out of the King County International Airport.
I’ve been working with a lot of assistance to observe and monitor flights for the last three years, and I can tell you that it is very disturbing to sit there and watch people being boarded on and off planes, occasionally being taken to the ground. It reminds us from the Japanese American community’s history of 1942, when our community, my mother was taken from Shelton.
No charges, no evidence, no due process, no hearings, no way to appeal. Uh, she was taken away and put on a train. Did not know where she was going. Did not know how long she would be gone. I did not know what the future would hold right now. That is happening again.
We’re using planes instead of trains, but the same process has been going on and it’s time for this county to stop it. Thank you. Thank you. The next name on the list is Benjamin Silberman. Hi, my name is Ben. I’m with Southend, indivisible.
I’m calling on the council to start from the premise that immigrants are human beings from which it flows, obviously, that they should not be held in shackles on airplanes that could explode due to hot fueling, that they should not be unobserved when crimes are taking place that could endanger them. There should be somebody watching to ensure the rules are being followed, or document when they’re not at all times.
When deportation flights or flights into the Tacoma Detention Center from uh King County Airport are, uh, respectively, taking off or landing, um, this is, uh, you know, useless. Of course, if the rules are not enforced and the. I’m sorry, can we pause the, uh, Mr. Alzheimer, you can’t be standing unless you’re providing public comment. Okay. Oh, I thought we could take pictures.
You can take pictures. You just can’t be standing. Thank you. You know, I am meeting. I need you to sit down. Thank you. Sir, thank. You, thank you. Thank you. Go ahead. So I understand that the federal government could, uh, sue to strike down any rules. They don’t like that could.
That will take time. And in the time that you are enforcing the rules, people will be safer. That is worth it. The, uh, the fact that you would be standing against the federal government’s cruelty is worth it. There should be no fear of the federal government doing something legal against basic treatment of human beings.
As human beings. Thank you. Thank you. The next name on the list is Greg Carlucci. Hi. My name is Greg Carlucci, and I’m a community member here. I live in Seattle. I’m very concerned also about the, um, ice, uh, flights in and out of King County Airport.
Um, also specifically about the lack of, um, a observer for what’s happening and who’s on the flights. Um, so La Resistencia has been doing a lot of the observing, but King County should hire a person, and I think they have hired somebody. But, um, that person has to be on the tarmac to do their job.
And if they’re not, then we don’t know exactly what is happening with these people. And so we do want to just have you all, uh, have King County, um, follow the laws. Thank you. Thank you. The next name on the list is Joe Harrington. Hello. My name is Joe Harrington. Uh, I’m with Southeast Seattle, indivisible. Um, and we are.
I’m specifically speaking to the use of chains on ice flights. Um, Ice has agreed to follow FAA rules on this, uh, FAA rules are very clear that the planes must be, uh, capable of being evacuated within 90s. Uh, flight attendants know this. Pilots know this, um, the people on these flights are being shackled. They have their hands shackled to their waists.
Their feet are shackled together, and those are shackled together. They walk hunched. Uh, they cannot walk quickly. If on a flight, the oxygen mask drops from above, they can’t reach up and put that on themselves.
Um, the ratio of guards to, uh, people detained on the flights is one for two. So the risk to the Ice agents on the flights, is it approaches zero. Um, there is no point in this except cruelty. Uh, we are asking the council to insist that the FAA follow its own rules, that ice follow the rules that they have adopted.
And, uh, we would really appreciate seeing a lot more fight. There are, uh, we understand that you can’t kick ice out of King County’s airport, but we can make a much, much bigger noise than we have been making to insist that they not use unnecessary cruelty. Thank you. Thank you. I’m going to start calling three names at a time.
The next up is Angela Depp, followed by Cynthia O’Toole and Rebecca Kate. Thank you for your time today. My name is Angela Depp. I live in Columbia City. I’m horrified by what is happening here in Seattle and across the country. Ice is unlawfully taking our friends, our neighbors and family members.
ISIS violent and has shot and killed individuals across the country. ISIS violating individual human and civil rights. We fear for their safety. I volunteer weekly to witness deportation flights at King County International Airport. We are concerned because detainees are not safe. We also monitor and track ISIS activity because Ice does not share information.
We need your help to ensure that our flight witnessing team has clear access to all detainees, that we can monitor how they are being treated, and track who is being detained. Ice parks their buses in a way that obstructs our camera view.
We need your help to ensure that Ice parks their buses in a way that gives us full visibility to all Ice activity during deportation flights. We also ask for assistance from King County International Airport Operations team to ensure that airport cameras are adjusted to maximize our visibility for detainees, to give us clear and unobstructed view of what is going on during deportation flights.
If operation could consult with us to understand the challenges we are having, we think the camera view can be adjusted for better visibility. Thank you for your time today. Hello, my name is Cynthia O’Toole. I’m a resident of King County, live in South Seattle. I have been observing in immigration courts.
I have been to the observation room that is at the King County Airport, and I know that many of us are very aware of the horrors that are going on under the Trump administration. And Stephen Miller’s mass deportation program, and we don’t need to elaborate on that.
What is deeply upsetting is that King County is not doing as much as we can to resist these things. There are rules and regulations that are not being adequately followed there. Have these things have been documented by the center for Human Rights at the University of Washington by La Resistencia, by Sudo. Everybody is aware more people need to be aware.
How can we help more people? Be aware. Follow your regulations, get that observer on the tarmac for every single deportation flight. So we know how many people are coming on and off the planes in shackles. We need to know how many people are injured in this process. We need to know if there is hot fueling going on.
We need to know these things. They need to be part of the public record. We as citizens of this county deserve this information because these things are happening to people that we care about.
I know that a lot of you care about this issue, and so we need to work together to make sure the rules and regulations are followed as much as possible. Thank you. Good afternoon. Rebecca. Kate. Um, King County resident, I’d like to add my voice to the concerns around this topic of hot fueling on these flight deportations.
Um, as as as already reiterated it, it it seems that the King County Airport is not following its own rules and regulations, and FAA policy. Um, this seems like a tremendous safety concern for this vulnerable population.
Of shackled immigrants on these planes where they may be, um, uh, open to, um, tremendous harm if something should happen and, um, to our knowledge, no long standing disciplinary measures have ever been taken to stop the contractors from violating local policy and putting people in danger. So I think if we were going to say that we support immigrants, we need to ensure their safety. This should be the highest priority.
If we were going to have these deportation flights, which I’m not for, I’m not in favor of in any way. But if we’re going to be having these, the safety of this very vulnerable population needs to be assured. Thank you. The next name on the list is Laura Cooley, followed by Kathy Cryan and Brian Dang. Thank you very much. My name is Laura Cooley.
I live in Northeast Seattle. I’m a former United Nations and UW employee, and the reason I’m here is to add my voice to the concerns that are being raised here, both on the humanitarian front, the safety front, etc. but I also want to make people aware, a different angle that people may not have thought about.
I’m not sure if people are aware that Geo Group has more than doubled its profit over the last year. We’re part of that. Specifically, Geo Group has said that it grew its net income in the first quarter of the year from by 96% to 38.3 million, from only 19.5 million in the same period.
So revenues have increased by 16% to 705 million, from 606 million. Do we really want to be part of that? I don’t think so, especially when they’re not enforcing the rules and regulations of safety concerns that they’re supposed to be.
So everyone here in the room will be speaking, I’m sure, to various angles of this. I just think, please show some gumption. This is this is this is not who we are. Thank you. Hello, I’m Kathy Crayon. Um, I’m with South Seattle, indivisible and with Southeast Seattle, Indivisible and with.
I’m a volunteer at the Riverton Church in a legal clinic that assists immigrants. And I also volunteer at Casa Latina. Um, with all the horrors being perpetrated against immigrants right here in King County. And throughout this country. Um, many of us feel powerless. It’s very we’re overwhelmed. It’s it’s we don’t want it to happen.
We don’t know what to do. But in this case, you have the power to do something. And I think if King County takes a strong stance of, um, enforcing the regulations, the safety regulations at the airport and ensuring that your own rules or our own rules are followed, that will be, um, that will be something you have the power
here, and I’m asking you to take it. Thank you. Good afternoon. Uh, city council. My name is Brian Dang. I’m based in council mosquito’s district. I’m here to urge King County, uh, King County Council to enforce its rules at the King County Airport.
And not just encourage them to follow safety protocols, as we’re just allowing Ice to deport Americans unchallenged. First, we should be ashamed that we’re even allowing these flights to happen. That’s inhumane. We’re sending people to countries they’ve never been to before, that they are separated from their families. We’re not doing enough to stop it and get in their way.
King County has finally hired someone in a position to observe the flights at King County Airport. However, this role is incomplete. They’re not exclusively monitoring Ice flights, and they’re not on the tarmac for the entirety of the time.
King County must enforce that cameras are not obstructed from view of the observer’s view. We need all Americans accounted for, and I keep using this word Americans because that’s who they are. Please ensure that hot feeling does not occur and that it doesn’t put people in positions of danger where they are already shackled.
Again, please enforce the existing safety protocols and get in the way of all these Ice flights. Thank you for your time. The next name on the list is Guadalupe Gonzalez, followed by Filemon Tapia and Dalila Scholls. Our apologies. Delia Shoals. Uh. Hello everyone. My name is Guadalupe Gonzalez, King County resident and a member of La Resistencia.
I’ve been working with LR for the past couple of years to really document what’s been going on at the airport and try to contact both airport authorities and the King County Executive about the issues, to see if any of them could be resolved during these last couple of years.
Most of last year, we were just completely ignored. We often wouldn’t get responses from the people in leadership positions and it felt like no one was listening. Listening to what we were reporting, which included examples of hot fueling and other issues we were running into when carrying out observations.
Uh, really at the beginning of this years, when we finally started hearing back from the county, and they got to a point where we were told that once the new position was hired, then that position could document any violations of the rules, and actions could be taken. However, it seems that since this position has been instituted, things have changed.
We’re now being told that they’re going to document violations of the rules. But rather than punishing ISIS contractors which break safety procedures, something which the airport’s supplemental rules and regulations include, it states punishments and how they’re going to increase depending on like subsequent violations, rather than usage utilizing that which is in the rules, they’re instead going to, quote unquote, encourage
contractors on a voluntary basis to follow suit rules. To me personally, this feels like very cowardly behavior from those in power, and it feels like there are no points.
Often we’ve talked to the county, though, often say, you know, our rules at the airport for Ice flights are above what most of the US is doing. You know, compared to many other airports. We’re going we’re leading ahead. These rules don’t matter if they’re not being enforced. It’s just that words on paper.
So I’m going to reiterate what a lot of folks have talked about today, which is that we need to enforce these safety procedures. I understand that removing ice from King County’s airport is a whole different conversation, but if this county is going to support migrants, as it states within its many ordinances, its many public releases, and everything included, then it needs to actually take actions over what it can control, which is its own airport and the
treatment of human beings who have rights within it. Thank you. Good afternoon. Council. I know the King County Council has made many good statements in individual members of the council have been active in the struggle for immigrant justice throughout their lives, which I applaud and respect.
But the reality is the Ice is actively and openly operating at the King County Airport, which of course is on King County property with little to no pushback from the King County Council.
There’s countless amount of human rights atrocities that Ice commits on a daily basis, and usually there’s no oversight because they’re given the green light by the federal government to act with impunity in the streets of our communities. But we’re talking about today is ISIS actions on King County property and what seems to be county officials refusal to step in and enforce existing rules and regulations.
The ice, these ice bites at King County Airport continue to be fueled with the well while the engine is running, in the process known as hot fueling, which, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, is extremely hazardous. Yet this is done right here at the King County Airport. While shackled immigrants are on board.
When will aviation contractors like Sky service be sanctioned or stopped from continuous practice? And even when tragedy strikes due to this potentially volatile, explosive practice, will you be able to step in and say you did everything you could to stop it? The Geo Group, the private corporation that operates the Northwest Detention Center, whose bus is detention buses, are used in the facilitation of these Ice
flights. Buses are parked in a way that intentionally blocks the cameras on the runway. This is a clear attempt to hide their mistreatment of migrants on the on the on the bus, who are shackled and heard on these ice flights for more detention and eventual deportation.
Now, I know the county recently enacted a sanctuary or welcoming policy, but this means very little. If nothing is being done to restrict ISIS movements on King County property. So in closing, I just want to say the entire council must stay stronger and more decisive actions to challenge, disrupt and ultimately end all Ice activity at King County Airport, Alameda. Thank you.
Good afternoon. Thank you for your time. My name is Delia Scholes. I have I’m a resident of South Seattle. I’m a member of several organizations that work with immigrant justice, and I have been accompanying migrants to court and to ice check ins for the past year. I’m certainly aware of the many infections that Ice commits.
Um, and I am have my house looks at. I live on Beacon Hill and my house looks at, um, King County Airport. I am increasingly concerned about the humanitarian and safety violations that are occurring from those flights, and I feel complicit in all those that are happening.
I am, I think, very highly of this body, and I think that it’s encouraging that you are in a position to act and to enforce, rather than encourage, and I hope you will do that and let all of us as citizens feel that we are participating in distancing ourselves from what’s happening. Thank you.
The next name on the list is Leonard Sklar, followed by CJ. And finally Julie Ginger Rich. Um, hello. My name is Leonard Sklar. I’m a resident of district two. I’m a retired geologist, and this is my first time here. Um, thank you for listening.
I’m adding my voice to the community concern over the human rights violations taking place in our public airport. I was shocked when I learned some of the facts of what’s going on. Uh, apparently, people are being loaded onto planes in shackles because they’re categorized as cargo. My ancestors in Germany and in France, my Jewish ancestors were categorized as cargo and were loaded onto transport vehicles.
And we said, never again. And in this context that it is happening again and people are being sent to countries where they’re like an El Salvador, uh, you know, and the deaths that are happening under Ice detention, um, I think we should all be losing sleep over this.
We should all be doing everything in our power to minimize, at the very least, the risk that people are going to die in some fiery explosion because some company wants to cut corners. I mean, you think about this hot fueling. This is to make money, right? They could wait. They could take the time to do it. Right.
But they’re treating these passengers, these human beings, as cargo. And this is an excuse for them to make money. So anyway, please, I hope you will join me in losing some sleep. And you will do everything we elected you to do to stop this. Thank you.
CJ, our rules do not allow for, uh, science at the podium. So I’m going to have to ask you to put it down. Thank you. Okay. Um, so I’m here also speaking about the lack of safety at the Boeing field. Um, you guys have been just doing performance up here.
I have a rising sixth grader who’s going to start studying about government, and they’re very well aware of the dark times that we are living through and what’s going on. And I can’t honestly point to you guys and tell them and share with them what you actually do, because I don’t see that you do anything except just speak empty words.
You’ve passed measures that have absolutely no teeth behind them. You all of you lack spines to even speak out against the heinous crimes of human trafficking that is happening here in this county every single day. So it’s disgusting. And how am I raising a child in these dark times to tell her and show her? Oh yeah, we’ve got government.
We’ve got government that serves and supports the people, that upholds values of justice. I none of you are an example of that. None of you.
So what are you going to tell your grandchildren when they ask you what you did during these dark times? What are you going to tell them? Because you white guys have the most power in the opportunity to do something, and all you do is just pass empty measures without any, any, any spine behind them. So we’ve heard about the hop fueling.
Do we need to see people actually incinerated on the tarmac before you do something? Just like we see people incinerated in Gaza? Do we need to see that before you actually take action? So before I leave, he who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. That is from Martin Luther King. Chilly welcome. I’ve come.
Today as a resident of Southeast. Seattle. From my home, I can see, um, Boeing Field. I can go for a walk and go past King County Airport. And the more that I’ve been learning over time through advocates, um, like everybody else, I’m appalled. And today I’m even more appalled at the things I’ve heard.
And although I don’t like to speak in public, I showed up to give my voice and to support other people who are speaking out. And that’s what you put some muscle to it. Um, I had forgotten that we call ourselves a sanctuary city, and I hope y’all can find a way to put some muscle to it. Thank you.
The next name on the list is John Vito, followed by Suzanne Parenteau. And the final name on our in-person list is Yvette Danish. Hi, John Vito, I’m a member of the six District Democrats, and, uh, you know, we’re in a situation where, uh, those who are wielding the power of the federal government, uh, do not
conform to the laws and violate, uh, the rights of, uh, the the people. Uh, we, uh, as, uh, you know, members of or residents of, King County, uh, have, uh, responsibility for an airport that’s, uh, being used to, uh, uh, move people that are being subject to this, uh, extra legal, uh, confinement
and, uh. Sometimes torture, uh, and it’s, uh, incumbent on us to find ways, uh, to resist, uh, and protect those who are more vulnerable than we are and have, uh, less privilege. Um, as, um, our council members, uh, people here have been asking you to, uh, uh, use enforcement powers.
Uh, and I think that’s, uh, the minimum I do acknowledge that the county did, uh, uh, remove those, uh, flights from the airport at one point and, uh, federal judges, uh, uh, vacated, uh, that authority. But there’s still some authority that, uh, our county should be exercising over these. Hi, I’m Suzanne parenteau. I’m a resident of King County.
Um, I just want to say from a personal perspective, personally, I owe so much to immigrants in this country who, in my privileged background, basically helped to raise me. And I have a lot of really strong feelings about the gratitude that we owe the people that have been in clubs and babysitters and nannies.
And I hate to say that, but, you know, we aspire to these things sometimes in business. And when you get right down to it, they can be raising your children for you, you know? So when I from a personal point of view, I have so much gratitude for, for the, the labor that
has been given to or to bestowed upon immigrants in this country. And I don’t see enough gratitude for what our, our ancestors who were immigrants have built, how much gratitude we owe the black community, how much we owe immigrants. We are on borrowed time. We are on borrowed land.
We need to turn our perspectives around and maybe look at the strengths that we have built as a country and give back. Be appreciative and tune into to, uh, actual feelings you might have for people in your lives who are immigrants. It’s a very personal thing.
Um, when I worked in mental health my whole life and worked with many immigrants and immigrants tend to struggle a lot, and they struggle more these days than they used to, I think. I don’t know, but anyway, um, please use the powers that you have through our privilege in this country to to follow the laws and fight for freedom. And thank you for your work. Thank you. I came back.
Welcome, Yvette. Thank you. Good afternoon, Council members. At first I want to thank you for money well spent. Uh, this month of August, I participated and gone to the big day of play, Cedar Arts Fest.
And the festival, the Marina Beach Grill off competition, and mostly the festivals on Sunday, which featured as a closing act, Morris Day and a time. It was just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. That’s very money well spent. I really appreciate that.
And also in that same note, I’m wondering if the office of the Inspector General was created yet regarding misuse of funds, and if so, can we expect to see an update? Um, because that was very disconcerting that how much money was screwed off by people, by, uh, people with no conscience stealing taxpayer money and, uh, using it incorrectly. And then lastly, I have a handout for you regarding, well, kind of sort of good news.
Um, it’s regarding this program that was started in Philadelphia called the Group Violence Intervention Program, and it’s an effort to reduce to redirect youth from lives of violence by providing counseling, therapy, employment and assistance, and help completing high school, enrolling, enrolling in GED programs. And that model is very successful.
So I’d like to see something like that emulated here now. But also given this information to the Seattle City Council, because I’m sorry of hearing about sorry for your loss or it’s a sad day, more kids get shot. And many beaches particularly prone evidently to kids running around with guns. So I’d like to see something like this.
Um, at least think on it. Regarding implementing this in King County. And again, you know, I appreciate the work you guys do. Thank you. Thank you that you can hand that to our clerk and we’ll we’ll get a copy of it. Thank you so much.
Um, do we have folks signed up? I think that was the last person on, uh, in person. Is that right? Right. Can we go to online, please? The first name for online comment is H. Brown. The proposed Petrovsky Park Disc Golf Course project will be harmful to the environment and should be halted.
This is a professional opinion based on my PhD in soil management and many years of natural resource stewardship. I authored the book caring for Land Trust Properties for the Land Trust Alliance. If parks cared more about the natural area in Petrovsky Park, they would protect this forest home for animals ranging from black bears to hummingbirds.
The county issued a Sepa checklist that has numerous errors, and the project does not comply with King County regulations relating to soil erosion, steep slope hazards, grading and wildlife habitat networks. My first concern is that parks is circumventing the requirements spelled out in a letter from permitting, that lists the actions required.
If a project disturbs more than 7000ft, the Northwest Disc Golf Association plan estimated the area to be cleared at 121,807ft. The second issue is the presence of a wildlife habitat network identified in the Critical area Assessment by Counties consulting firm ESA.
Bears, cougars, coyotes, beavers and otters travel through this park, but the checklist dismissed the importance of the corridor, which is regulated by King County Code. These two issues are just a few of the many problems created by this project. I need you to wrap up, please. My hope is that the council will terminate the project because of its shortcomings.
At a minimum, it should comply with all of the regulations detailed in my written remarks. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you. The next name on the list is Caleb Navarre. Hello, my name is Caleb Navarre. Good afternoon, Council members. I’m the vice president of the nonprofit for Northwest Disc Golf Association.
I’m here to this afternoon to thank the King County Parks for their willingness to be able to partner with us to install a disc golf course at the Petrovsky Park.
As a longtime resident of Renton, I’ve spent over 35 years using Petrovsky Park from playing baseball as a child to taking my kids as adult to the play area. I deeply appreciate the county’s continued investment enhancement of this park. We have been working with King County Parks for on this project for over four years, and grateful for their support and vast majority of the community members who also support this.
Um, we, uh, have already, um, spent a lot of time and effort to be able to address the concerns of the community and have gone through all the different regulatory requirements that are necessary to be able to stay within the the bounds of the law and be respectful of our environmental, regulatory and native sites that are important
to be able to ensure that we are being respectful and useful. This land and property, um, we are so grateful for this opportunity to be able to partner with the parks and the support of the council, as well as well.
We acknowledge that we have a small majority or minority of neighbors who are not supportive of this course, due mainly to their unwillingness to share their space. Um, uh, the park space near their homes. Uh, we want to assure you that we’ve been taking all the steps that we can with the King County Parks people to address these concerns.
If you’d like to hear more factual information about this project, you can visit our Petrovsky Disc Golf Course Project website. Through King County Parks and our website about this course. Thank you so much for your time and your dedicated service, and continue support of King County Parks. The next name on the list is Brandy.
I have been an active Fairwood resident for 13 years, where I have served our community as an RN at Valley Medical Center. I have three children in the Kent School District and I’m president of the Park HOA. I’m here to express my sincere disappointment and frustration with the process.
King County Parks has used to advance an unfavorable disc golf course at Petrovsky Park. In addition to speaking today, I have submitted thorough documentation and evidence of my concerns. We learned about this project.
Incidentally, in 2024, despite being the neighboring HOA already identified as a project concern, we immediately met with parks where both Trubisky Park and Woodside Homes expressed substantial opposition. We were repeatedly assured it’s early and you’ll have a chance to weigh in as stakeholders. Then in May, we were blindsided with a finalized design that disregarded every single concern we brought forward at the meetings.
No opportunity to weigh in on the design as promised, and the project had expanded from 18 to 27 holes for an even bigger negative footprint. Flying discs will be approximately 50ft from neighboring homes and 20ft from the existing trail.
Despite being able to travel hundreds of feet when we requested greater setbacks, project manager Charlie Holbein responded with a factually inaccurate code citation, telling us the course could be just five feet from our property. Lines, as though we should be grateful for what we got. This is just one example of the dismissive disrespect we’ve experienced from parks.
Rather than being treated as residents who live here, know this park and deserve a meaningful voice, and what happens in our own backyard, I expect more from King County, and this does not reflect the standards King County claims to uphold. We are still waiting on outstanding public records requests from June. I’ve reached out to leadership on multiple occasions.
Our concerns continued to be sent back to the very people in charge of the project were complaining about, or ignored entirely. We have lost faith in this process, and we are dangerously close to losing faith in King County’s ability to hold its own departments accountable. The 740 and growing signatures opposing this project should tell you that this loss of trust extends far beyond me.
I’m asking you to halt this project and withdraw the current proposal. Listen to the actual community before our park is permanently changed and your Fairwood residents rally against you. Thank you. Next name on the list is Joe Councilor. Hi. Thanks. It’s Joe Councilor here for the monthly open mic time. Um, this month I want to address several issues.
First off is, um, the situation around, uh, the Seattle Public Libraries. I understand there’s a lot of open drug use down there. Um, I’ve seen Jonathan Cho videos as well as stuff from Seattle, so you may want to send some King County health, public health inspectors over to the Seattle
Public Libraries, make sure there’s no open drug use, and that the workplace is safe. Um, I just figured I should flag that for your office. Um, especially considering how your audience is so worried about immigration enforcement. Um, gotta keep the public safe.
Um, the second thing is moving along. Um, you know, I’ve asked you to do this before, and I think this week, with some of you looking forward to a great change of board meeting this Thursday, you need to adopt Sound Transit’s public comment rules for King County Council.
Alex Merriman should not be allowed to come down there and hurl hate, as he does almost every single week, like it’s, uh, like like the King County Council is just punching bag like like like he forgets that behind every council member is a family giving us a family member to a service of Martin Luther King County and Martin Luther King Junior County
deserves much better than drugs and libraries. And Zimmerman’s hate. And with that, I rest my comments for the month. I want to thank you all for your awesome public service. May God continue to bless America and protect our troops. Thank you. The next name on the list is James Hutchison.
Uh, the Community Partnerships and Grants, or CPG, has a projects webpage dedicated entirely to the Petrovsky Park Disc Golf course. It complains. It claims that 78% support the disc golf project, and survey results indicate strong support among park neighbors.
This is based on a 2024 survey that asks if King County Parks were to build a new backcountry style disc golf course at Petrovsky Park. I would. That’s it. No map, no design, no picture of what it would look like.
What does backcountry mean? Where will it go? Is the park bigger than we thought? We emailed Parks and Rec and Reagan Dunn’s office and told them the survey was biased. It targeted disc golfers and had no measures to prevent ballot stuffing. We have evidence shared this across their network. CPG spent 15 hours conducting their survey. Those 15 hours were spent trying to sell people on the project.
Fast forward nearly two years later, that is still the only survey CPG has done for this project. Of the over 400 hours I’ve spent defending this project this past week and a half, I spent over 80 going door to door, dropping off per household access codes to an informed survey that provides both sides of the argument.
The survey spans eight neighborhoods and consists of responses from over 365 households and 455 individuals. The CPG website claims 78% support the disc golf course. We measured 18%. Let me reiterate what this is. You have a project literally weeks away from breaking ground that only has 18% support from the surrounding communities, while the Parks Department claims a supermajority supported. That’s a huge, embarrassing difference of 60 percentage points.
This should never happen, and it is a scandal when not sure is excluded. Over 80% of votes do not support the course. We have asked Regan’s office to step up and do. Something about this. To wrap. Up, let’s do the right thing and put a stop to this farce today. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Chair Barton. I currently have no further hands raised. Wonderful. Thank you very much. Seeing no further request for public comment, we will close our. Public hearing public comment today. Uh, thank you to everybody who provided public testimony.
Uh, we’re going to move on with our agenda, colleagues, as a reminder, we’re going to item seven. As a reminder, this item will remain in the Local Services and Land Use Committee until the committee has taken action. It will then be placed on the council agenda for action. But I’m going to call on Councilmember Fain, uh, to, uh, speak on this on this item.
Thank you. Chair. Um, this proposed ordinance would effectively move the King County Fire Protection District number 24 towards dissolution. And last week, this body, uh, confirmed two new commissioners for fire district 24. They’re going to be sworn in shortly. Um, I’d like to give them an opportunity to be seated and understand the district’s current situation.
And, uh, weigh in on its future. Um, before we move to dissolve, uh, that body. So for that reason, I’m asking that we defer this matter. Thank you very much. I don’t think there’s any objection to that that I’ve heard. So thank you very much. Councilmember Fain. Uh, colleagues, we’ll continue with our agenda.
Uh, Vice Chair Dunn, will you please move. the consent agenda item eight. Move consent agenda item eight for approval. Thank you very much. That motion is before us. Uh, clerk, would you please call the roll? Thank you. Councilmember Balducci. Councilmember Dembowski. Councilmember Dunn. Aye. Councilmember Fain. I. Councilmember Lewis. I Councilmember Mosqueda. I. Councilmember Perry. Councilmember Reichbauer. Councilmember.
von Reichbauer. I. Chair Baron. I. The vote is seven I zero nose and Councilmember Balducci and Perry excused. Thank you very much. Uh, by our vote, we have adopted proposed motion 2026 0178. Next, we’ll move to our reappointment consent agenda items nine through 11. Vice Chair Duncan, would you move the reappointment consent agenda? Items nine through 11.
Move the reappointment consent agenda items Nine through 11 for approval. Thank you. Clerk. Would you please call the roll in the consent of the. Councilmember Balducci. Councilmember Dembowski. Councilmember Dunn. I Councilmember Fain. I Councilmember Lewis. I Councilmember Mosqueda I Councilmember Perry. Councilmember von Reichbauer I chair. Pardon.
I the vote is seven eyes and Councilmember Balducci and Perry excused. Thank you very much. By our vote we have adopted proposed motions 2026 02080210 and 0211. If there’s no objection to publish marked agenda together with any changes made in today’s meeting, will stand approved as the first reading, referral and referral of ordinances and motions. Items 12 through 19, as listed.
Uh, before we adjourn, I want to give Councilmember Dembowski an opportunity. To say a few words. I’ll do the. Well. Oh, thank thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, this morning, I think many of us became aware of the passing of a national icon, a personal hero of mine from Sevierville, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton, uh, from a young childhood in Renton watching on my dad’s nine inch black and white television. I always loved the Dolly Parton show. And her song Coat of Many Colors spoke to me. Um, as someone whose clothes came more often from the Goodwill and Salvation Army. Uh, although sometimes, on a good day, the Kmart.
But she rose from poverty, uh, to really an advocate for all of the best of America. She was a champion for LGBTQ communities. Um, and, uh, really just lifted people up. Loved her songs. 9 to 5, coat of Many Colors. Jolene. Of course.
Do I ever cross your mind? And, uh, had the privilege to see her years ago in concert down at Kent at the beautiful show where arena. Uh. And then in our state. She was a great champion for reading. Uh, she founded the Imagination Library in Tennessee, and it spread around the country, providing a monthly free book to children.
Uh, millions of them, because she saw their father couldn’t read and all that. That meant in his life. Uh, so I appreciated that. I appreciate the opportunity to just reflect here a little bit on the passing of this American icon, great feminist leader, uh, and a great leader for our country.
And we’re privileged to have been able to spend some time with her as a country. And thanks for letting me say a few words. Thank you very much. Councilmember Dembowski.
Um, the chair has received a request to adjourn the August 25th, 2026 Council meeting in memory of DeShawn Bennett Myers, and I’m going to call on council member Fain and then later Councilmember Lewis as well. Councilmember Fain. Thank you so much, chair. Uh. Today we are joining our. Meeting in. Memory of Tyshawn. R Bennett. Myers, who has lost to a tragic act of gun violence in SeaTac on July 27th, 2021.
I want to recognize not only to Sean, but also the large and loving family who continues to carry his loss. Tyshawn was a father of eight, a son, a brother, a cousin and a friend. His absence has left an immeasurable hole in the lives of those who loved him.
Today we honor to Sean’s life and the memories his family continues to carry. I especially want to recognize the members of his family who have joined us here today, including his mother, Diane Bennett, and his father, stepfather, Jamala Myers, and thank them both for joining us today, as well as other members, family members and friends. To Sean was loved.
He was needed, and his life mattered. I hope this moment makes clear to his family that to is remembered, and that the love that they shared with him continues to matter today and always. Thank you chair. Thank you Councilmember Fain Councilmember Lewis.
Thank you chair I would like to, um, um, amend or not amend, but add on to or piggyback on the comments from Council member Fain. I want to first express my condolences to the Bennett Myers family. Not only have the family members been longtime district to residents, but one of two Sean’s family members was my son’s kindergarten teacher.
The loss of Tyshawn, in addition to being a loss to his family, it was a blow to our community. The bright light of a light, that of a life that is engaged, involved in community is a blessing to all. Too many of our bright lights have been extinguished by gun violence.
The passage of time has amplified the need for us to be vigilant with regard to gun violence prevention. One of my friends, Annie Lee, the former director of of Team Child, used to say at every meeting that I attended with her, what opportunities have we given for children to succeed? What are
we giving to them in terms of a legacy and how do we pay the debt to future generations of doing more to stop these gun violence incidents? Thank you very much. Thank you. Councilmember Lewis and Councilmember Fain. Uh, seeing no further business, this meeting of the King County Council is adjourned in memory of DeShawn R Bennett Myers.