Also in this May’s Scene email newsletter, the City of Kent reminds us that the city’s summer water rates are in effect from May 1 through September 30,  a two-tiered rate structure with higher rates as water consumption increases.

Rates rise each summer because we have less precipitation in the summer time and demand increases 35 to 45%, often due to watering of laws and gardens. Higher rates often discourage water users from overwatering or wasting water. For more information, call 253-856-5201.

Approximately 61,000 tons of plastic bags find their way to King County landfills every year, according to the City of Kent’s “Scene” May 5 email newsletter.

To reduce the number of wasted bags, the city urges residents and shoppers to recycle those bags by saving them and returning them to retailers around town serving as recycling centers. This program is a part of the King County “Bag Your Bags and Bring ‘em Back” program.

For more information, including a short informational video, visit King County’s “Bag Your Bags…” page online.

In Kent, those stores include:

Earthworks Park will “Celebrate Earth Day” on April 17, 2010 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.

Celebrate Earth Day by spending the morning at this landmark park. It’s a fun, environmental education event for volunteers of all ages and abilities.  Come clean up this landmark park named for the Earth we are celebrating. There will be pruning, planting and invasive plant removal.

April 5, 2010 update–Earth Day Registrations are closed out. All volunteer slots have been filled. For those wanting to volunteer, there are two additional opportunities coming up:

• Arbor Day, April 24 @ Fenwick Park – Download and complete this registration form.
• Off-leash Park Work Party, May 1 at Morrill Meadows Park – Contact Brian Levenhagen.

City of Kent residents, the week of April 5 – 9 is Spring Clean-Up Week.

Put out extra garbage, trash and yard waste on your regular trash pick-up day during the week of April 5 – 9. The additional refuse will be picked up without an extra charge. Only residents in the Kent city limits who pay for trash service are eligible.

Note:  no construction or demolition debris; no rocks, concrete, bricks or asphalt; no furniture or appliances.

- All garbage/trash must be in bags, boxes or cans.

- Each bag, box or can must way less than 60 pounds.

- Limit of 10 units of garbage.

- Yard clippings must be separate from garbage. Includes leaves, grass, brush, flowers, tree wood waste and branches.

- All yard waste will be processed into compost.

- Limit 15 units of yard waste.

For more info. on Recycling in Kent, visit the city’s website.

KENT, Wash. – March 17, 2010 – The City of Kent urges residents to put all of that sand to good use with spring fever in the air. With March 30 marking the official end of the 2009-2010 flood season, people are beginning to look for ways to get rid of their sandbags for the summer. While the sandbags won’t last until the next flood season, there are ways residents can save the sand for fall or use it for gardening and home improvement projects.

“The best thing people can do is place a plastic covering in a corner of their yard or garage and empty the sand there,” says Greg Reed, Utilities Superintendent with the Public Works Department. “If they cover the sand pile with plastic, they’ll have their own personal sandbag filling station for the new sandbags we’ll pass out come fall.”

How to use the leftover sand:

• Aerate lawns and spread sand to help improve drainage
• Fill in low spots in the lawn, cover with grass seed for a green and level lawn
• Mix with garden or potting soil to promote good drainage for plants and flowers
• Use as the base for brick or stone walkway projects

For residents unable to keep the sand onsite through the summer, the City will collect the sand and sandbags each Saturday in April from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the following locations in Kent:

• Home Depot, 26120 104^th Ave. SE
• Grandview Park, 3600 S. 228^th St.

Assistance is available for those who need it by calling the Service Clubs Volunteer Hotline at 206-755-4814 or by email at kentserviceclubs@yahoo.com. Kent Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Club of Kent, Kent Meridian Kiwanis Club, Kiwanis Club of Kent, Kent Lions, Soroptimist International of Kent and Quota International of Kent Valley have all come together to serve as volunteer coordinators to help those who are physically unable to move sandbags.

Businesses are not allowed to dump sand at these sites, but they can find additional resources and potential disposal sites at www.kingcounty.gov/floodplans.   Residents of other cities or unincorporated King County should contact their local emergency management office for sandbag disposal options in their area.

Whichever method residents choose, it is important that the sand is properly disposed of. It is illegal to dump sand or litter in wetlands, rivers, creeks and drains. Doing so can impact drinking water and damage fish and wildlife habitat. For more information, contact the City of Kent Public Works Department at 253-856-5500.

The City of Kent is the fourth largest city in King County, Washington with a population of 88,380. As a culturally rich destination, Kent’s dynamic quality of life features captivating neighborhoods, award-winning parks and nationally accredited police and fire departments. In recent years, Kent has experienced impressive economic growth, and is nationally known as a prime location for manufacturing.  Visit www.choosekent.com.

The City of Kent is sponsoring an Arbor Day event on Saturday April 24, 2010 at West Fenwick Park.  “Celebrate Arbor Day ’10″ runs from 9am to noon, rain or shine.  Kent has been named a Tree City USA since 2003 and wants to celebrate this by keeping it green.

Join in the festivities by:

• Removing invasive plants.
• Planting native trees along the cleared area.
• Laying weed barrier and mulch.

The City of Kent is looking for volunteers to join in the already large list including scout troops, corporate groups and students earning community service hours.  For more information visit the City of Kent website or contact Victoria Andrews, Special Programs Manager at vandrews@ci.kent.wa.us.  Celebrate Arbor Day with Kent!

It’s that time again.  What time is that?  Uhg…yes…spring cleaning time.  However, it doesn’t need to be all bad.  There is somewhere you can take those hard to get ride of items.  The City of Kent is sponsoring the “Special Recycling Event” on March 20, 2010 from 9:00am to 3:00pm.  Bring your approved items (check out their website for more info) all to one location.  Make that spring cleaning fast, easy and less stressful.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010, Kent, Washington–Today Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke gave her annual State of the City Address at the February Kent Chamber membership luncheon. With a packed room at the ShoWare Center, Mayor Cooke revisited 2009.

“This past year was challenging, not just for this city, but for all governments, large and small,” Mayor Cooke said. “Kent, like all cities, worked under a tightening budget.”

She is, however, optimistic about three things:  1) that 2009 is over; 2) the economy appears to be recovering; and 3) flood season is ending. She recounted a number of the city‘s 2009 highs and lows, including:

1)  The popularity of ShoWare Center which brought 350,000 guests through its doors in 2009, including 60,000 guests who saw Disney on Ice at the new sports arena

2)  The implementation of the new CodeRED system which allows the city to make 60,000 emergency contacts per hour via phone, email and text message

3)  The four labor unions taking voluntary pay cuts to avoid staff reductions and to help the city save more than $1 million in 2009 spending

4)  2.8%, or $2.2 million, drop in revenue

5)  8.1%, or $1.5 million, drop in sales tax revenue

6)  Elimination of 56 positions within the city, about half of which resulted in layoffs. Other vacant positions were not filled.

7)  Expansion of Kent Station with the GRCC expansion

8)  1,677 Kent Parks volunteers

9)  4,000 volunteer hours spent removing graffiti

10)  Annexing Panther Lake to occur July 1, 2010, making Kent the sixth largest city in the state

In addition to these items, Mayor Cooke reviewed the 2010 budget, stating that public safety remains the city’s #1 priority. The 2010 budget is 5.6% less than the 2009 budget and it includes $1 million to be set aside for emergencies like potential flooding.

“Things are looking a lot better economically,” she added.

A topic of major concern was, of course, the flood risk of the Howard Hanson Dam. Once predicted at a 1 in 4 chance of flooding, the flood risk has dropped to 1 in 33. While this is a positive step, Mayor Cooke said, a permanent fix is not available for three to five years.

“Any kind of delay is simply unacceptable,” she added. “Until that dam is fixed, it is going to haunt us.”

To help control potential flooding, the city raised levies by three feet, successfully completing the task before the beginning of flood season last fall. In addition, Mayor Cooke thanked the community, business leaders and service groups for helping to spread the word about potential flood risks as well as helping one another fill sand bags and helping seniors and the disabled prepare for a flood.

Mayor Cooke singled out a number of city staff and community and business leaders for their support of the Kent community. She thanked them for their tireless service and for making Kent the great place that it is. One person instrumental in the city’s survival of a difficult year was Chief Administrative Officer John Hodgsen.

“John Hodgsen is an outstanding leader and worker in the city,” Mayor Cooke said.

The overall mood of the meeting was positive and Mayor Cooke left the audience with some new things to watch for:  a redesigned website, taking the inbox newsletter to an email format, and the second annual International Festival, set for June 26, and the Kent Refugee and Immigrant Forum.

“It’s 2010 and I’m smiling,” Mayor Cooke said.

The event was presented by the Kent Chamber of Commerce, sponsored by Allied Waste and co-sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership. The program was taped to be shown on Kent TV21 at a later date.

Want to help keep Kent clean and well maintained? Then join the city parks department and other volunteers for upcoming volunteer projects. The City of Kent seeks volunteers including corporate work groups, students, scouts, faith-based groups, clubs and individuals to volunteer in Kent parks this spring. Here are just a few of the opportunities available to make a different in the Kent community. Pre-registration is required and must be done at least three days prior to the event. Some events are filled up early, so register well in advance. For registration/volunteer forms, visit KentWAParks.com or call 253-856-5110.

March 19:  Spring Community Pride Day and Graffiti Paint-out

April 23:  Earth Day at Park Orchard Park

April 30:  Arbor Day at West Fenwick Park

June 4:  National Trails Day at Park Orchard Park

July 5:  After-the-Fourth clean-up at several area parks

Join Kent Parks, Recreation and Community Services on Monday, January 18 for the 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.  This year the project is Clean-up at West Hill Skate Park.  The community service project will begin at 2pm and continue until 4pm.  Please make sure to dress warm and wear sturdy shoes and gloves.  Trash bags and pick up sticks will be provided.   Please pre-register by January 14.  For more information or to register visit kentwaparks.com.

In a recent ad, Waste Management reminds us that certain holiday items can go into our Food and Yard Waste bin for composting. Those items include:

• Garland
• Wreaths
• Christmas trees
• Unwanted candy
• Baked goods (cookies, fruitcake, etc.)
• Turkey carcasses

For more info., visit Waste Management online or call 1-800-592-9995 (M – F, 7 am to 5 pm).

Worldwide millions of women and girls endure sexual slavery. Although this topic is gaining awareness, people still often assume it exists far from home.

The truth is that sexual slavery happens almost everywhere, including South King County! To highlight this pandemic, Soroptimist International of Kent (SIK) joins Soroptimist International of the Americas to raise awareness about sexual slavery. Join us for this upcoming event:

Human Trafficking Awareness Luncheon
Monday, December 14, 2009 @ 11:45 a.m.
Golden Steer, 23826 104th Ave. SE, Kent, WA
Speakers:  Velma Veloria and Emma Catague
Cost:  $18 for lunch

Limited seating. RSVP today. Call Christine Pearson (253-813-2676), Adrienne Rockwell (253-631-3372) or Carla Loux (253-630-4501).

In addition, SIK will conduct a Human Trafficking awareness campaign in January 2010 in downtown Kent and along Pacific Highway South. If you’d like to help with this initiative, please let us know. Thank you!

It’s here!  Severe weather in Washington during this time of the year often increases the possibility of hazards such as flooding. Planning in advance and implementing a flood fight plan will help protect your employees, assets and property and reduce your risk.

Attend this free workshop and learn the latest details about flood safety and the efforts underway to reduce the risk to people, property, businesses and tribal lands during this storm season.  Learn how designing and planning a flood fight plan can reduce the severity of damage from flooding.

Date:  Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Time:  1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Location:  King County Office of Emergency Management, 3511 NE 2nd St., Renton, WA

Questions?  Contact Wendy Freitag, WA Emergency Management Division, w.freitag@emd.wa.gov, 253.512.7308

Sponsored by:

Washington State Emergency Management Division
King County Office of Emergency Management
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers

In a story in the Kent Reporter dated November 5 by reporter Steve Hunter, the community learned that the flood risk for the Howard Hanson Dam has dropped dramatically from early predictions. According to the article, a recent fix to the dam dropped the Green River Valley’s chance of flooding from a 1 in 3 chance to 1 in 32. Compared to the 1 in 140 chance offered by an undamaged dam, this risk is dramatically reduced, but a high risk of flooding still exists.

Read the full story here.

Thanks to the Kent Downtown Partnership for sharing this story.

From the City of Kent

November 4, 2009 – Kent service clubs are taking the lead to match volunteers with those who need help preparing for potential flooding. Residents can now call or email for help with filling and placing sandbags at their homes.

Kent Sunrise Rotary, Rotary Club of Kent, Kent Meridian Kiwanis Club, Kiwanis Club of Kent, Kent Lions, Soroptimist International of Kent and Quota International of Kent Valley have all come together to serve as volunteer coordinators.

According to Kent’s Housing and Human Services Manager Katherin Johnson, there has been a outpouring of support from local residents and church groups wanting to know how they can help.

“The free sandbags have been a huge benefit for residents, but some people need help getting them” said Johnson. “Some just aren’t physically able to shovel sand or move sandbags. The local service clubs matching these people up with volunteers will be an outstanding help for everyone.”

Residents needing help with sandbags, or people willing to volunteer, can leave a message on the service club hotline at 206-755-4814 or by email at kentserviceclubs@yahoo.com.  Interested parties can also follow the service clubs on Twitter at twitter.com/SandbagsKentWA.

The Kent Valley is facing a higher risk of flooding this winter due to water seeping more rapidly through an earthen bank next to the Howard Hanson Dam after record high water last winter. Until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can make repairs, it must limit the amount of flood water it stores behind the dam.

October 30, 2009 –City crews have completed placement of over 17,000 giant sandbags on the Green River levee in an effort to prevent flooding in the Kent Valley. Spanning 12 miles on the east side of the Green River, the giant sandbags have raised the height of the levee by three feet to provide additional freeboard, or capacity, to protect the levee from overtopping.

Read the full press release here.

October 27, 2009

The alerts concerning potential flooding in the Valley will initially come from the Army Corp of Engineers. They assure us that we will have approximately 48-96 hours early warning of potential flooding.

Then a 24-48 hour notice before they perform a release at the Dam, which may or may not cause actual flooding. With the 24-48 hour notice, this should be provide amble time for cancellation of school classes and relocation of residents from the Valley.

There should be no “mass exodus” at once as everyone will have considerable time to make the appropriate arrangements. Additionally, evacuation routes have already been determined and signage and monitoring have been arranged.

Remember, any flooding will be caused by a release from the Dam, hence the Army Corp of Engineers can monitor and predict with almost certainty when and if they will perform a release and thus provide us with sufficient notice.

From Robert Constant, Traffic Sergeant
Patrol Division, Kent Police Department

In other King County business yesterday, the King County Council adopted an agreement to relocate county inmates should flooding of the Green River require evacuation of the Maleng Regional Justice Center in downtown Kent. Inmates would be moved temporarily to detention facilities in Pierce and Kitsap Counties.

Here is the text of the county’s press release, issued October 26, 2009 by Larry Gossett:

Council Adopts Agreements to Relocate County Inmates in Case of Emergency

Pierce, Kitsap Counties to house inmates if flooding forces evacuation of the Maleng Regional Justice Center.

The possibility that water released from behind the storm-damaged, federal Howard Hanson Dam could flood the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent has the Metropolitan King County Council acting to protect the inmates housed in the facility. The Council gave its approval today to two separate interlocal agreements with Pierce and Kitsap Counties to house inmates from the Regional Justice Center in their detention facilities.

“We have a responsibility to protect the people serving their time in the MRJC, as well as those who work there and the public,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, the sponsor of the ordinance. “These agreements ensure that if we do have to relocate inmates, they will be placed in secure facilities outside of the flood zone.”

The detention facility at the MRJC can house up to 1,300 felony and misdemeanor inmates. In the event of flooding, up to 200 of those inmates would be transferred to the King County Correctional Facility (KCCF) in Seattle. The adopted agreements augment the capacity of the KCCF by allowing for the transfer of 168 to Pierce County detention centers and 114 inmates to Kitsap County.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working on interim repairs to the Howard Hanson Dam since last January’s record rain, when sinkholes and rapid seepage of water were discovered in an earthen abutment next to the structure. The Army Corps is working to control that seepage through construction of a “grout curtain,” which consists of a concrete-like substance being injected into the earthen material to slow the flow of water.

Due to the weakened nature of the dam, the Army Corps is limiting the storage capacity of the reservoir until the repair can be tested next spring. If the Green River overtops its banks and floods the valley, the County has projected that the MRJC could be under up to 4 feet of water, forcing the evacuation of County staff and the inmates housed in the facility.

The City of Kent needs volunteers to help at Turnkey Park (23312 100th Ave. SE) this Saturday. From 9 am to noon, work crews will clear a wooded area, pull weeds, plant trees and shurbs and refurbish gravel trails.

To volunteer, contact Victoria Andrews at 253-856-5113.

Contact: Al Sanders 206-296-1685/Frank Abe 206-296-0355

October 19, 2009

Council authorizes emergency funding for relocation of County services and protection of County facilities in flood-threatened Green River Valley

Vital county services to continue operating despite any flooding from federal Howard Hanson Dam.

The Metropolitan King County Council today authorized the emergency funds needed to relocate County services and protect critical County facilities in the Green River Valley, in advance of the threat of flooding from the storm-damaged, federal Howard Hanson Dam.

“It is imperative that the County take the necessary actions to protect our employees and the facilities in which they work in the Green River Valley,” said Councilmember Larry Gossett, chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee that reviewed the legislation. “Today’s actions help us prepare to take the steps we need to ensure continued operation of vital county services.”

“Our job is to protect citizen access to their government and the services that only we can provide,” Said Councilmember Jane Hague.

“In the event of a major flood, it is crucial that King County be able to guarantee basic services, such as wastewater treatment, to its citizens,” said Council Chair Dow Constantine. “These measures will also allow King County to maintain its key justice system functions during an emergency.”

The $34.6 million appropriation funds work already underway to, among other things:

·       negotiate for jail space to relocate inmates from the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC),
·       negotiate for leases to relocate Superior Court, District Court, the Prosecuting Attorney, the Public Defender, and Judicial Administration from the MRJC,

·       hire a contractor to build a wall of concrete blocks and earthen berms around the MRJC, and provide flood protection around other critical, valuable County facilities,

·       negotiate for leased space for Aukeen District Court and affected public health facilities,
·       lease a temporary animal shelter for five months,
·       lease generators capable of producing 16 megawatts of electricity to continue pumping treated sewage out of the South Treatment Plant in the event of a power failure,

·       erect a water barrier around the South Treatment Plant, and
·       move the Elections Office out of the Earlington Building to the King County Airport Operations Center.

“It would be irresponsible if King County was not prepared,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “The County has already acted to protect the November election, but if other critical services are not protected, flooding in the Green River Valley could leave our employees at the Regional Justice Center unable to provide basic services to citizens, and raw sewage headed to our wastewater treatment facility could back up and pollute Lake Washington. This funding provides reassurance that County services, services that are critical to protecting people, property, and democracy, will continue in the event of a flood.”

“This emergency funding to protect our wastewater facility could save millions in property damage” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn. “Preserving county services and protecting the wastewater facilities from damage are key elements of responsible planning and response to the flood threat.”

“To ensure the health and safety of King County residents, we must make these investments to prepare for potential flooding,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made it clear that it may take the federal government 5 years to permanently fix the dam. Today’s decisive action is an important step in addressing a multi-year problem.”

“If flood waters strike there will be limited time to react to keep our facilities out of harm’s way,” said Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. “This decision assures that the County’s vital services such as wastewater treatment will continue their primary responsibility of serving the homes and business in the Green River Valley.”

The ordinance provides funds to lease a temporary King County animal shelter for five months, but prohibits the use of the funds for purchase of an animal services facility. The County Executive has already announced that animals will be relocated from the animal shelter in Kent and the facility closed by November 1 in anticipation of the flood threat, and proposed the transition of both animal control and sheltering services to a new entity by June 30, 2010.

“As an advocate for being prepared, I appreciate this thoughtful plan for moving the animals in our Kent shelter out of harm’s way due to the threat of severe flooding this winter,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert. “Because the warning period for flooding could be very short, we need to have a flexible and cost-effective plan for transferring our court operations as well as the animal shelter to temporary locations. I am confident that this framework will provide for the continuity of operations that still delivers compassionate care for the animals in our custody and responsive customer service in our court system.”

Of the emergency funds authorized today, $27.2 million will come from the sale of bond anticipation notes and $7.4 million from the County’s Wastewater Treatment construction fund. The legislation requires the Executive to report back to the Council every two weeks on how the money is being spent. Money that is not used during this flood season will be returned to the General Fund and the wastewater fund to be held in reserve in the event of another Green River flood threat next year.

The Council doubled the amount of funds placed into a flood contingency fund from $4.5 million to nearly $10 million by reducing other areas of the Executive’s budget request.

The Council on August 31 gave the County Executive proactive authority to declare a state of emergency in advance of actual flooding, which he did on Sept. 10.

“Relocating vital services out of the Howard Hanson Dam flood zone will ensure that the business of the county will continue uninterrupted in the event of a flood,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips. “This is an interim precaution we must take while urging the federal government to speed up permanent repairs to the dam.”

Agencies that are moved out of their facilities will remain at their interim locations until testing on the interim “grout curtain” being injected into the earthen abutment next to the Howard Hanson Dam is complete and it is determined that it is safe to return. The legislation calls on the Executive to report back to the Council with a 3- to 5-year relocation plan for County facilities, the period of time the Army Corps has said it will take to design, fund and construct a permanent fix for the dam.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system at
http://kingcounty.legistar.com and type in “2009-0559 and 2009-0560”

Follow the Council’s deliberations through Twitter by visiting the

King County Council Web site at:
www.kingcounty.gov/council

Watch all Council proceedings held in chambers LIVE on King County TV
on Comcast and Broadstripe Cable on channel 22, or online at:
www.kingcounty.gov/KCTV