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Happy Friday!



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Mayor's Update



August 23, 2024




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Cruisin Kent Car Show

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car show

Happy Friday, Kent!

I hope that you'll come check out the 6th annual Cruisin' Kent Car Show on Sunday!

We are excited to partner with Kent Station for this fun and free event! Don't forget to pick up your 50/50 ticket where the profits will be donated to the Green River College VET fund. 

As usual, there are some great things happening in Kent this weekend and some great opportunities in the month ahead, take a look below.

Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

Dana Ralph, Kent Mayor

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good eggs

On Tuesday, I attended King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer's monthly “Good Eggs” breakfast.

We heard from WSDOT Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar. He provided updates on the current and future transportation needs of our region.

Pictured: KC Councilmember Reichbauer, Mayor of Federal Way Jim Ferrell, Interim Deputy Mayor of Auburn Yolanda Trout-Manuel, Mayor of Algona Troy Linnell and Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar.



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Kent Downtown Partnership knows how to throw a party for sure! Cajun Fest 2024 was a huge success last weekend.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by and joined in on the fun.

cajun fest

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Drinks in the Driveway GG

We had back-to-back successful Drinks in the Driveway this week! There were some great questions from engaged residents who care so much for their neighborhood! 



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Thanks to Chad Bieren from Public Works, Chief Padilla, and Deputy Chief Matt Stansfield for answering the neighborhood questions and concerns. 

Thanks to Kurt Spence at Garrison Glenn and Heather Collins at Hillshire Terrace for hosting! 

drinksdriveway

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fillthebus

I love the way our community takes care of our kids. Rotary, Kiwanis, Communities in Schools Kent and many volunteers came to Kent Station yesterday to collect school supplies for our students for the Fill the Bus drive.
Thank you to all those that donated supplies!



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Earlier this week I joined Rep. Tina Orwall, Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, and Renton Mayor Armando Pavone on a visit to a Crisis Center in Federal Way.

crisis visit

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Coffee and Conversation

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coffee and convo

I would like to invite you to join us at the Kent Senior Center for another Coffee and Conversations. Bring your questions, concerns or compliments!

?? Tuesday, September 9                            
?? 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.                                         
 ?? Kent Senior Center 600 E. Smith St 

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flag raising thunderbirds

Join us when we raise the Thunderbirds flag at Kent City Hall with Head Coach Matt O'Dette, Cool Bird, a few of their players!

There's a lot of excitement heading into their home opener September 28 at accesso ShoWare Center!

?? Wednesday, September 25 
?? 3:30 p.m.
?? Kent City Hall 




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Kent City Council 

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The Kent City Council held multiple public meetings this week. Check out the recap on this week's meetings below. 

council

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cow/workshop

*You can also see the full meeting agendas, minutes and livestream recordings here. [ http://kentwa.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

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Kent 101 

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Kent 101

The Fall session of Kent 101 is just a few weeks away!

I've always believed in the importance of being informed, and this program empowers residents with the knowledge of how our local government operates.

It's a free eight-week civics course open to all residents and is designed to educate, inform and build experience.

If you’ve ever wondered who does what around Kent, how construction projects get done or how our Parks department works, this is a great opportunity for you!

Classes begin September 19, 2024! *You can sign up here!  [ https://www.kentwa.gov/guides/kent-101?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

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Kent Parks Pop-Up

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.bhkl

Stop by Town Square Plaza tomorrow, Saturday, August 24 to learn more about the upcoming Uplands Playfields & Spray Park project!

Kent Parks Planning & Development staff will be onsite from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the project consultant to talk with you, our residents, about this exciting renovation.

Come play, enjoy a free ice cream treat from Ice Cream Express from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., and provide your feedback to our team.

We need your input to help guide the design of the park. Don't forget your swimsuit, the Town Square Plaza fountain will be on from 12-4pm! Learn more online at EngageKentParks.com

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Kent Comprehensive Plan

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compplan

Wanted to provide an update on our Comprehensive Plan process.

We heard from thousands of people during Round 2 of our community engagement, who shared ideas about growth in the city and priorities for the next twenty years.

The project team is busy incorporating your feedback into a draft plan, which will be released in mid-October.

Meanwhile, we are in the process of studying and updating our development regulations for *Community-Based Behavioral Health Facilities* [ https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fengage.kentwa.gov%2Fbehavioralhealth%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/010101917760a00d-765b3656-672c-441a-8de0-c2e358fca0b5-000000/bfbMSY1JuDMw_adqn8s-AhxIa85L0IoD6iywAV_K91s=367 ].

Behavioral health facilities provide a wide variety of services to address mental health and substance use disorders.

These facilities play a crucial role in supporting the mental and emotional well-being of individuals and families, helping to create a healthier, more resilient community.

A lack of behavioral health facilities has put significant strain on the region's hospitals, jails, and emergency responders to provide mental health services.

We have been working diligently with service providers, community groups, and residents to determine how to integrate additional treatment options into our community.

Based on what we have heard so far, we are focusing on code updates to allow new types of residential care facilities and to revise requirements for one use that is already allowed in Kent City Code.

Your input is incredibly valuable to us, and we want to ensure that these updates reflect the needs and priorities of our residents.

To gather your feedback, we’ve created a short survey that we encourage you to complete. Learn about *Behavioral Health Facilities [ https://engage.kentwa.gov/behavioralhealth?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]* and* take the survey [ https://engage.kentwa.gov/behavioralhealth/surveys/behavioral-health-facilities-code-update-survey?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*!

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Badges & Barbells

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badges

Join Kent Police for the first ever Badges and Barbells!

It starts at 6 p.m. with a 20–30-minute workout with officers followed by networking with our officers and staff.  *Space for the workout portion is limited to 20 people.* The networking portion is open to all.

*Registration to participate in the workout is required.  [ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/barbells-and-badges-tickets-982111821897?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwY2xjawE0qeVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVR3TWJn96cKAFxpkMz8yTIfoBML9REkczNRga6e9AxSGEVJa5KamX4Pww_aem_XjpZrEn3kQi_F2qh6RUCrA&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

Waiver to participate in the workout is required and will be emailed when registration is complete.

If you have any questions, contact jberry@kentwa.gov or swood@kentwa.gov. 

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Farmers Market

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june 15

It's farmers market season! 

Living Well Kent and the Kent Lions Club have partnered to bring their Farmers Market downtown! This is a community driven market, increasing access to fresh, healthy, and culturally relevant produce to our community. 

?? Every Saturday until September 14
⏰ 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.​
?? 2nd Ave between Smith and Gowe

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Meeker Construction

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kent elementary

Meet Me on Meeker improvements will be starting up soon! 

The work will be extended to the south side of Meeker Street from 64th Ave S to the east property line of Kent Elementary School.

Temporary lane/road closures and detours are expected during construction, which is scheduled to begin early next month.

The intersection will be improved with bulbs out to shorten the crossing distance and add a cement concrete crosswalk.

Traffic lanes on Meeker St. will be reduced from two to one and a multimodal promenade will be constructed including a new midblock raised crosswalk.

This will include rapid flashing beacons, traffic islands, two-way shared use paths, streetscape amenities, wider sidewalks, street trees and vegetated buffers, pedestrian signals, pedestrian lighting, and street lighting.

*We have put information about the project up on KentWA.gov. [ https://www.kentwa.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/1846/568?npage=2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

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cert

*The next session of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training starts September 26.  [ https://pugetsoundfire.org/emergency-management/community-emergency-response-team-cert/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

When widespread disasters strike, city workers can be overwhelmed. This course is designed to give people the skills and confidence to safely help themselves and others when help is delayed.

The eight-week program meets 2 different times on Thursday. 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. 

This training provides instruction on disaster preparedness, disaster first aid, triage, fire safety, search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization.



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Employee of the Month

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EOM

Congratulations to Victoria Robben, our August Employee of the Month!

She’s been working at the city since 2014 and currently serves as the Senior Assistant City Attorney.

Victoria grew up moving around the United States before eventually settling in Washington with her husband. She received her AA in Journalism from Highline College, a B.A. in Law and Justice from CWU and her J.D. from Seattle U in 2011.

Prior to working for the City of Kent, Victoria worked for the Attorney General’s Office for about 8 years as a Legal Assistant and 2 years as an Assistant Attorney General.

Victoria says she likes working for a local government and seeing the impact of their work on a daily basis.

She enjoys working with and assisting other departments on tasks, whether they’re quick and simple or more complicated and take many months or years.

Victoria was nominated because she routinely is there to assist various departments in the city to find creative strategies to address problems.

She is adept at networking with different groups and stake holders to solve complex issues.

Most notably, Victoria has been lead in the city's lawsuit against a nuisance property. Due to Victoria's diligence and hard work on this case, it has forced the owners to make safety a priority.

As such, we have seen a drastic decline in crime at the property due to Victoria's passion and dedication to serving Kent’s residents.

Victoria is not only an excellent attorney, but she is also a thoughtful and caring co-worker.

She routinely goes out of her way and expends extra time and effort to make co-workers feel welcome, to support them professionally, and to help recognize their milestones.

Her efforts help make the office enjoyable and welcoming, even when workloads are high.

She helped establish a Sunshine committee and together she works to recognize co-workers’ birthdays, work anniversaries, and other life events.

This is all in addition to being a trusted legal advisor to multiple city departments and driving the complicated litigation already mentioned.

Victoria loves spending time with her husband and two active kids, often shuttling them from one activity to the next.

When she has some time to herself, she likes to hang out in her craft room and get creative or spend time on their boat during the summer months.

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The 2024 Fall Recreation Guides are out now!

Registration for Fall programs are now open. From preschool classes and FREE after school programming, to clubs and outdoor adventures for adults age 50+ and everything in between, our Parks team offers something for everyone in the family!

Browse a digital guide and register online at *MyKentParks.com/Register [ http://mykentparks.com/register?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

parks guide

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Hop Picking Festival

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hop picking festival

The Master Gardeners of King County will have a Kent Hop Picking Festival on Saturday, September 7 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Neely-Soames Homestead Demonstration Garden at 5311 South 237th Place.

Come on down to view and pick hops, explore the Neely Hop Trail, learn how to grow hops at home and discover the history of hops and beer in Kent.

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master gardner

Do you need some help with your garden? Get free gardening advice from the Master Gardners. 

The WSU Extension Master Gardener volunteers are local and university-trained. They are providing free research-based information to home gardeners in King County. 

?? Saturdays
⌚ 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
?? Kent McLendon's Hardware



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As a reminder, the playground area at Lake Meridian Park is now closed for maintenance while contractors replace all of the playground surfacing.

The life span of a high-use playground surface is only 10 years, and the surfacing at Lake Meridian Park is 13 years old, which means that it is past its useful life and it’s time for replacement!

lake meridian

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2024-25 Spotlight Series 

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spotlight series

We are excited for announce another incredible season of our Spotlight Series!

The Spotlight Series brings the best entertainment to local stages here in Kent. Tickets are now on sale for all shows. Read more about the performers, see ticket prices, and purchase tickets online KentWA.gov/SpotlightSeries [ http://kentwa.gov/SpotlightSeries?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]

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volleyball
 

The Kent Parks Fall Youth Volleyball program is open to all kids in Grades 3-12.

Practices begin in October, with games starting in November! Sign your child up to learn the game, make new friends, develop and grow as a player, and have fun! *Registration deadline is September 3. [ https://www.kentwa.gov/departments/kent-parks/sports-athletics/youth-sports?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*




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Grab some blankets, pack up the family, and come down for our Summer movies series under the stars. Sprawl out on the lawn at Kherson Park and enjoy a FREE showing of new blockbuster hits! All movies will begin at dusk.

*2024 Summer Movie Series*

*Friday, September 6*: IF

Summer movies

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link extension

Want a free tree? *The Sound Transit Federal Way Link Extension project and contractor Kiewit is providing free trees this fall! [ https://bit.ly/treegiveaway2024?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*

Community members and organizations in Kent, Federal Way, SeaTac and Des Moines are eligible to receive trees.



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We're hiring! Check out our featured jobs and find great opportunities on our hiring page at *jobs.kentwa.gov [ https://jobs.kentwa.gov/jobs?page_number=2&page_size=10&sort_by=headline&sort_order=ASC&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*


jobs of the month

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clear the shelter

The RASKC animal shelter is over capacity! They need your help to find furever homes for dogs of all sizes. Help them clear the shelter! *You can learn more at their website. [ https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/executive-services/animals-pets-pests/regional-animal-services?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*



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*Here's the resident question of the week!*

""Hello Mayor Dana, my husband and I commute and wanted to know if there is any way we can know about construction closures that could affect us.""

There absolutely is! You can go to DriveKent.com to view current traffic advisories and sign-up to receive email alerts for scheduled or emergency closures and detours.

resident question

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kentnow

Don't forget to check out this week's KentNOW podcast! 
This week, Josh, Kyle and Tracy talk to Jason Fiorito, President of Pacific Raceways to discuss the NHRA and the cool new projects they are working on. 

Cynthia Boyd, Events and Community Manager at Kent Station joins the team to talk about the upcoming Cruisin Kent Car Show this weekend.

Listen to new and previous episodes on:
?? Apple Podcasts *apple.co/3J2UMkd [ https://t.co/kiMUAwAMdU?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*
?? Spotify *spoti.fi/3GNCeli [ https://t.co/MccBJhOIlp?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*
?? Amazon Music *amzn.to/3jjaOvU [ https://amzn.to/3jjaOvU?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery ]*



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Translations A/文

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translations

 

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