Olympia considers letting counties and cities raise sales tax to pay for police and courts
March 1, 2010
NEW — 12:00 p.m. March 1, 2010
The State Legislature is considering a bill to let counties and cities raise the sales tax to pay for public safety until 2015, without putting the measure on a ballot. Currently, voters have to approve any increase in the sales tax.
King County Executive Dow Constantine backs Snoqualmie Valley’s tourism potential
February 17, 2010
NEW — 11:20 p.m. Feb. 17, 2010
Maintaining money for human services, encouraging tourism, mitigating flooding risks and supporting transportation development were some of the issues local leaders discussed with King County Executive Dow Constantine during his Feb. 17 tour of Snoqualmie Valley.
King County seeks public input on proposed rules for wood placement in rivers
January 4, 2010
NEW — 9:45 Jan. 4, 2010
King County has scheduled public meetings to get public comments on wood placement in rivers, which is done to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, and stabilize stream banks. It can also affect recreational safety. Read more
King County Council donates used vans to Encompass and other nonprofits
December 30, 2009
NEW — 1:28 p.m. Dec. 30, 2009
King County Council members donated 27 retired Metro Vanpool vehicles to provide transportation assistance to local governments, community programs, senior citizens and young adults, including North Bend’s Encompass, a preschool, summer camp, family service center and resource for children with developmental disorders. Read more
Living with flooding, part 1: a valley endures
December 16, 2009
Devin Ramosbookter paddles a makeshift raft across his yard near downtown Snoqualmie during the January 2009 flood. (File photo)
Part 1 of 3
In freezing-cold rain, Julie Randazzo and other Snoqualmie residents frantically filled sandbags. Her back and shoulders ached after hours of lifting shovelfuls of wet, heavy sand into the bags. The sun had set, but the Snoqualmie River was still rising. Read more
King County bans fireplace and woodstove use due to air pollution concerns
December 11, 2009
NEW — 6 a.m. Dec. 11, 2009
Forget lighting a crackling fire to combat brutal cold. A burn ban went into effect today for all wood-burning fireplaces and devices.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency officials enacted the first burn ban of the winter heating season. The ban includes King, Kitsap and Pierce counties, and was enacted because cold weather conditions and increased fireplace use created unhealthy pollution levels for young children, seniors and people with heart and lung problems, officials said.
During the Stage 2 burn ban, no burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, woodstoves, fireplace inserts or pellet stoves unless the sources provide the only available heat source.
Because the weather conditions are expected to linger for several days, the burn ban was expanded to reduce wood smoke emissions in the central Puget Sound region. Even if a fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is the only adequate source of heat, no visible smoke is allowed.
Outdoor fires — even bonfires, campfires and fire pits — are prohibited. Ban violators face a $1,000 penalty.
The agency asked residents to rely on other sources of heat, such as a furnace or electric baseboard heater, for a few days until air quality improves. Officials said weather conditions would likely prevent the removal of the Stage 2 ban before Saturday.
State Department of Health officials recommend for people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and worsen lung and heart problems.
Uncertain future for animal control in King County
December 11, 2009
Stan Cavers plays with Koda, 5, a male Siberian husky, at Beaver Lake Park. Cavers said Koda’s annual pet license to King County costs $30. (Photo by J.B. Wogan)
UPDATED — 12:05 p.m. Dec. 11, 2009
This version has been modified from the print version, which cited an old figure for how much the Seattle Humane Society would charge municipalities for housing animals.
Susan Schlosstein watched Cocoa, her long, chocolate, mixed-breed dog bound through the off-leash area at Beaver Lake Park Dec. 2. Cocoa is officially licensed because Schlosstein paid a $30 fee to King County. However, she is in a distinct minority of pet owners. Read more
Regional development agreement leaves Snoqualmie Valley out of loop
September 23, 2009
Pact allows more development in Bellevue, could limit growth around Snoqualmie
A Bellevue development may end up preserving lands in the Snoqualmie Valley, but local city officials are feeling left out of the loop. Read more
County to build span bridge across Clough Creek
August 20, 2009
Residents who live off of 415th Avenue Southeast near North Bend heard from the King County Road Division on Aug. 11 and 13 about building a short span bridge over Clough Creek to replace a box culvert.
The King County Road Division says the existing box culvert caused road closures for 15 days in the 2008-2009 winter, due to flooding, and has cost more than $150,000 to maintain. The county is looking at getting a mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace the box culvert with a bridge.
The site of the proposed project is located near Interstate 90 and the Uplands and Wilderness Rim neighborhoods. The culvert is located at the southernmost portion of 415th Way Southeast, where the road turns north-south and becomes 415th Avenue Southeast.
County to purchase flood-prone trailer park
May 21, 2009
King County’s Flood Control District has moved up its plans to buy-out a trailer park in Snoqualmie that is a frequent flood victim.
Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson said he is excited about the possibility of the land acquisition and the work being done by the flood control district. The city of Snoqualmie is the most frequently flooded community in King County.
“For the first time in decades, we now have the resources to more effectively deal with flood mitigation efforts,” Larson wrote in an e-mail to the SnoValley Star about the project.
King County’s Flood Control District has plans to buy this trailer park in Snoqualmie.
