Hope everyone had a wonderful, restful Labor Day weekend. It is always hard to say goodbye to our beautiful NW summer. Fortunately, there are plenty of long days and good weather to enjoy as we move into fall.
NHUAC will not be holding a September meeting. Our meetings will resume on Thursday, October 5th at 7pm when we host a Candidates Forum with Teresa Mosqueda and Sofia Aragon, who are running for the King County Council’s District 8 seat. Joe McDermott, who has held this seat since first elected in 2010, did not run for re-election.
If you have attended any of our past forums, you know there will be plenty of time for attendees to address questions to the candidates (see links below to their websites).
Mark your calendars and plan to attend on Thursday, October 5th, 7pm, over Zoom.
Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 873 9166 6828 Passcode: 419924913
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Happy Pride Month! Before joining NHUAC’s last meeting before our summer break (June 1 @ 7 pm), King County Councilperson Joe McDermott will help kickoff the festivities at the White Center Pride Flag Raising Ceremony outside Mac’s Triangle Pub.
Please join our discussion with him, which is sure to cover his decades of experience in public office. Although history is important, it will not be our focus. We’ll discuss issues that face our North Highline community today, including:
The lack of deputies;
Homelessness and housing;
The abundance of graffiti and
Our lack of community greenspaces, which in addition to their beauty and positive effects on physical and mental health, help protect communities like North Highline from the damaging effects of climate change.
We’re also looking forward to voting on adding Brigett Vaughn to NHUAC’s board and hoping to meet White Center’s new Store Front Deputy – Glen Brannon!
Knowledge Is Power
Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.June 1, 2023 at 7 pm – Invite Your Neighbors
Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253-215-8782 Meeting ID: 894 3453 0620 Passcode: 060150115
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NHUAC’s May 4th meeting will start with a changing of the guard. Last month we learned that Deputy Bill, White Center’s Storefront Deputy, would be retiring after 25 years with the King County Sheriff’s Office. It is now official; Deputy Bill has retired. However, his sense of community carries on. Bill will begin the meeting by introducing his successor, Deputy Glen. Join us in wishing Bill the best and welcoming Deputy Glen Brannon!
Property taxes, many of us pay them, whether we own or rent our homes. The amount of our taxes is directly related to the property’s assessed value. We’ll be joined by King County Assessor John Wilson to bring us up to date on the assessment process, possible exemptions, and other things pertinent to this substantial expenditure.
In addition to their beauty and positive effects on physical and mental health, greenspaces also help make communities like North Highline more livable by protecting them from the damaging effects of climate change. Last month, we learned from King County’s Dave Kimmett of an opportunity to purchase some property near Seola Pond. NHUAC, with the help of community member Sabina Beg, recently wrote a letter supporting the acquisition of those parcels. (Thanks, Sabina!) A few months ago, we submitted a letter in an effort to protect North SeaTac Park. This month Sandy Hunt and Noamie Maxwell will join us discuss that very worthwhile effort.
Deputy Glenn has been asked to make his first report to our community. We’re looking forward to that as well as hearing from Brigitte Vaughn, who has stepped forward to join NHUAC’s board.
Join us as we look to a future with the addition of new members and Deputy Glen!
Knowledge is power.
Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.
Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 824 5445 6397
Passcode: 989947391
At last month’s meeting we introduced Amelia, a North Highline resident who works at a local business and responded to February’s announcement that we are looking for people to join NHUAC’s board. Thursday’s NHUAC meeting will begin with a formal vote on Amelia’s addition to NHUAC. Join us as we look to NHUAC’s future with the addition of new members.
Are you interested in saving money? Are you concerned about pollution and climate change? Have you heard about Spark Northwest, the non-profit that has helped thousands of homeowners, farmers, tribes, and low-income communities switch to clean energy? At our April 6th meeting, NHUAC will be joined by Amy Bettle, Project Manager at Spark Northwest. Amy will share information about her organization’s contract with King County to bring energy efficient heat pumps to hundreds of residents of North Highliner Highline and Skyway.
In addition to their beauty, parks also help make communities like North Highline more livable by protecting them from the damaging effects of climate change. NHUAC recently wrote a letter supporting an effort to protect North SeaTac Park. It said, in part: “We are writing to urge you to…permanently protect and perpetuate this park… North SeaTac Park offers rare access to nature…. our physical, emotional, and community health are tied to accessible green spaces…Urban green spaces provide critical habitat and land upon which air and surface water pollutants are filtered. They also mitigate the urban heat island effect. North SeaTac Park is a collective natural backyard for those of us not fortunate enough to have one….” Please join NHUAC and King County’s David Kimmett, who has been working on adding much needed greenspace to North Highline.
Knowledge is power.
Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.
Meeting ID: 844 1007 4134 Passcode: NHUAC2023 (Case Sensitive)Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 844 1007 4134 Passcode: 598963166
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Thursday’s NHUAC meeting will include introducing Amelia, a North Highline resident who also works at a local business. Amelia responded to last month’s announcement that we are looking for people to join NHUAC’s board. The current NHUAC members will vote on Amelia’s membership at NHUAC’s April 6th meeting. Join us as we look to NHUAC’s future with the addition of new members.
We will also be joined by Sandy Hunt, president of the Highline Teachers Association. The association is working to end violence and promote economic and social justice in the Highline School District. The future of North Highline rests with our young people and NHUAC looks forward to hearing from Sandy.
Jim Chan, King County’s Director of Permitting, has also been asked to join us. The Code Enforcement Division falls under Permitting and we understand it has a new leader, Tom Campbell, who will also be joining us. See you Thursday at 7 pm!
Knowledge is power.
Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.March 2, 2023 at 7 pm – Invite Your Neighbors
Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 817 6325 0231 Passcode: 155949808
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The death of Tyre Nichols, the young father who died as the result of a traffic stop in Memphis is heartbreaking and points to the importance of police knowing the communities they are sworn to serve and protect.
Deputy Bill Kennamer of the King County Sheriff’s Office is a regular participant in NHUAC meetings because he is an important member of the North Highline community. This month we are going to expand the public safety discussion. Deputy Bill will be joined by:
Undersheriff Jesse Anderson
Precinct 4 Commander Major Mark Konoske
Community Service Officer Nate Hammock
For the past 4 years, KCSO has supported the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) a/k/a “Let Everyone Advance with Dignity” program in North Highline. At a 2019 NHUAC meeting, then Major Anderson said:
‘The bottom line is, we want people to turn their lives around.…
It’s a great tool, like many other resources we bring in.”
To update us on LEAD’s work, we will also be joined by Reese Abram and Tanisha Davis-Doss of King County LEAD and Aaron Burkhalter, LEAD Program Manager with the Public Defenders Association.
Knowledge is power.
Learn, share, and help make North Highline a healthier community.
Mark your calendars and plan on joining the discussion at NHUAC’s December 1st meeting. As noted at our November meeting, we were hoping to secure a site to end the year with an in person gathering. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate a suitable space, so for the time being we will continue to meet via zoom.
The last two years have been interesting and challenging. We would like to extend a big thanks to all who continue to sign onto the monthly meetings and stay involved in community issues. Even though we have not been together in person, we have managed to stay connected and are grateful for the support you all have shown. Our goal is to keep the community informed, involved and to give a voice to the decisions that impact our North Highline community.
With that said, we are pleased this month to welcome the Director of the Department of Local Services, John Taylor. The Department of Local Services was established in 2018 to better meet the needs of unincorporated King County and is “the go-to agency” for the unincorporated communities. John will provide information as well as take questions regarding permitting, code enforcement and roads, to name a few.
We are also happy to have Bong Santo Domingo, Program Manager/Community Liaison to provide updates and information regarding community issues.
Deputy Bill Kennamer will also join us with an update from the Sheriff’s Office.
One more important piece of information –
on Tuesday November 22nd, the King County Council held a public
hearing on the proposed 2022 update to the King County Comprehensive Plan. This
followed 8 months of Council review of the plan, which includes the Skyway-West Hill
Subarea Plan and the North Highline Subarea Plan. The Council will consider the testimony received, and potentially take action at the December 6, 2022 meeting.
“The King County Comprehensive Plan is the guiding policy document for land use
and development regulations in unincorporated King County, and for regional services
throughout the County including transit, sewers, parks, trails, and open space.The North Highline Subarea Plan includes dramatic zoning increases in several of the North Highline Neighborhoods. NHUAC devoted several monthly meetings with county planners regarding the proposed changes. If you were not able to attend any of these informative NHUAC meetings and would like to review the plans you can find a thorough report on NHUAC’s April meeting at “whitecenternow.com” here.
If you would like information on the King County Council meetings click here
We look forward to seeing everyone – Thursday, December 1, 7pm
Unable to join via Zoom? Please call: 253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 833 7687 4452 Passcode: 742851493
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“Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human-beings.” -Nelson Mandela
King County Department of Public Health recently released its updated City Health Profile Report. The report includes demographics, social and health indicators for 48 King County cities and communities. The report’s data confirms that the North Highline/White Center community struggles with poverty, segregation, and their ramifications. City health profiles – King County
What can be done to improve the health and opportunity in our neighborhood? The job of planning belongs to our King County government. Joe McDermott, our representative on the King County Council, will be joining NHUAC’s November 6th meeting to update us on a variety of proposals and issues facing the North Highline/White Center community. They include the Proposed North Highline Subarea Plan, King County’s Proposed 2023-2024 Budget, and the White Center Microhousing Demonstration Project, which was approved by the King County Council over 2 years ago. How will these plans and projects improve life in our neighborhood?
We have also asked Jim Chan, King County’s Division Director for Permitting, to provide updates on the Microhousing Demonstration Project, the hookah lounge and other buildings in the area and the effect of the upcoming budget on hiring in the Department of Permitting.
North Highline Unincorporated Area Council 