TagKing County Council(55)

This is a campaign mailer for King Lysen, a Democratic candidate for King County Council Position 7, running on a platform of government accountability and citizen advocacy. Lysen was notably active in fighting Sea-Tac Airport noise pollution, leading anti-noise efforts and sponsoring a state bill to expand the Port Commission from five to nine members. Endorsed as a 'rising star' by the Argus newspaper and rated 'good' by the Municipal League, Lysen campaigned on vigorously questioning government spending and operations in King County.

Washington's Supreme Court unanimously upheld King County's approval of Boeing's plan to build corporate headquarters on a 30-acre site near Seattle-Tacoma Airport, rejecting challenges from a local citizens' group. The court ruled the approval was a legislative action rather than a quasi-judicial rezone, meaning the appearance-of-fairness doctrine did not apply, even though two County Council members had accepted campaign contributions from Boeing employees. The ruling also addressed a separate Snohomish County case, allowing environmental-impact statements for two large residential developments to be submitted piecemeal.

This document presents King County's 2021 Districting Plan, adopted December 8, 2021, showing the boundaries of the county's nine council districts as mapped by the King County GIS Center. The map covers the greater Seattle metropolitan area, including surrounding cities and unincorporated areas, with district lines redrawn following the 2020 census. The plan establishes the geographic representation boundaries used for King County Council elections going forward.

King County's 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) is a five-year blueprint outlining the county's priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts, with a strong emphasis on racial equity and frontline communities. The plan builds on accomplishments since the 2015 SCAP, including an 11 percent reduction in per-person emissions, expanded transit ridership, and increased green building certifications. It is updated every five years and guides collaboration across county departments, cities, community partners, and residents.

In a March 2020 letter to the FAA Administrator, King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove urges the FAA to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covering both short- and long-term projects for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's expansion, rather than splitting the review into separate studies. Upthegrove argues that a piecemeal approach risks undermining the integrity of the environmental analysis, particularly given the airport's significant noise and air pollution impacts on surrounding communities. He calls for the comprehensive EIS to include mitigation strategies addressing all projects outlined in the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP).