County Council to discuss emergency preparedness, county roads and public safety

Town Hall to look at the many ways you can “be ready”

May 9, 2016 4:33 pm

The Metropolitan King County Council’s Committee of the Whole will be in Redmond on May 18, for a special Town Hall meeting to look at the steps the public can take to be prepared in the event of an emergency.

6:00 p.m. Reception,
6:30 p.m. Meeting
Evergreen Middle School
6900 208th Ave NE, Redmond

With the anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens approaching, this Town Hall will be an opportunity for the public to learn about what the County will do in the event of an emergency—natural or man-made. Jody Miller, Deputy Director of the King County Office of Emergency Management, will brief the committee on what individuals, families and communities can do to be ready in the event of a disaster.

Along with a briefing on emergency preparedness, the public and committee members will receive information on the road system in unincorporated King County and the challenges of maintaining county roads. Brenda Bauer, Director of the Road Services Division will provide an overview of the financial challenges facing the Division.

King County Sheriff John Urquhart will also provide an update on the operations of the Sheriff’s Office in rural and unincorporated King County.

Following these updates we will hear from citizens during an open public forum.

“I look forward to the opportunity for all councilmembers to hear from our citizens about the real impacts of decisions on their day to day lives,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, chair of the Committee of the Whole. “This is an important opportunity for voices to be heard on local as well as regional government issues.”

This is the second Council Town Hall meeting of 2016. In April, more than 150 people came to Ravensdale to meet with members and hear more about the proposed 2016 changes to the King County Comprehensive Plan.

Town Halls are a special meeting of the Council’s Committee of the Whole, the only standing committee on which all nine members serve. It considers legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire Council. This is an opportunity for all the councilmembers, not just those who represent the unincorporated areas, to know the concerns and needs of citizens.