The King County Council has adopted a new model for interaction between the county and residents living in the unincorporated communities.

The adopted legislation calls for the establishing unincorporated community service areas (CSAs) which will cover all of the unincorporated areas. A single point of contact will schedule meetings with services areas to develop work programs. Unincorporated area councils (UACs) would work with King County officials.

Steve Heister, chairman for the Greater Maple Valley Area Council (GMVAC), expressed uncertainty over unincorporated CSAs.

“Basically that legislation is changing the relationship between the unincorporated areas,” Heister said. “Prior to this new ordinance, a lot of the UAC members have felt that gave us a stronger relationship with King County. Now, that’s going to be eliminated.”

King County Councilman Reagan Dunn expressed a similar degree of uncertainty.

“It’s been a long and challenging process,” Dunn said. “It’s a much different kind of governing.”

Dunn represents District 9, which includes area around Maple Valley. He stated in a phone interview he had reservations about the new legislation.

“This new system has yet to be defined,” he said. “It is going to be a question of whether it’s going to be able to provide feedback.”

A county release explained, “teams of existing staff from across the spectrum of county programs and services would coordinate public outreach and service delivery in each CSA, in close collaboration with the county council member for that district. Staff would continue working with UACs while expanding outreach to include work with community councils and other organizations.”

This legislation comes on the heels of the King County budget cuts, which included funding for the GMVAC.

Heister explained, “The UAC is going to be a community organization without that tie to the King County government.”

Still, he said he was unsure whether the changes would be positive or detrimental.

“How it’s going to change? It’s hard to say,” Heister said.

According to information provided by the county, the new legislation would preserve the existing Community Service Centers.

Executive Dow Constantine is expected to deliver a proposal to implement the CSA plan in September.

Currently, 285,000 King County residents live in unincorporated communities.