1200 King County  
Courthouse  
King County  
516 Third Avenue  
Seattle, WA 98104  
Meeting Minutes  
Regional Policy Committee  
Councilmembers: Pete von Reichbauer, Chair;  
Rod Dembowski, Girmay Zahilay  
Alternate: Sarah Perry  
Sound Cities Association: Nancy Backus, Auburn, Vice Chair;  
Jay Arnold, Kirkland;  
Angela Birney, Redmond; Armondo Pavone, Renton  
Alternates: Dana Ralph, Kent; Debra Srebnik, Kenmore  
City of Seattle: Cathy Moore, Alexis Mercedes Rinck  
Alternates: Sara Nelson, Mark Solomon  
Lead Staff: Miranda Leskinen (206-263-5783)  
Committee Clerk: Angelica Calderon (206-477-0874)  
9:00 AM  
Thursday, April 3, 2025  
Hybrid Meeting  
DRAFT MINUTES - SPECIAL MEETING  
Hybrid Meetings: Attend the King County Council committee meetings in  
person in Council Chambers (Room 1001), 516 3rd Avenue in Seattle, or  
through remote access. Details on how to attend and/or to provide  
comment remotely are listed below.  
Pursuant to K.C.C. 1.24.035 A. and F., this meeting is also noticed as a  
meeting of the Metropolitan King County Council, whose agenda is limited  
to the committee business. In this meeting only the rules and procedures  
applicable to committees apply and not those applicable to full council  
meetings.  
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT: The Regional Policy Committee  
values community input and looks forward to hearing from you on agenda  
items.  
The Committee will accept public comment on items on today’s agenda in  
writing. You may do so by submitting your written comments to  
kcccomitt@kingcounty.gov. If your comments are submitted before 8:00  
a.m. on the day of the meeting, your comments will be distributed to the  
committee members and appropriate staff prior to the meeting.  
Regional Policy Committee  
Meeting Minutes  
April 3, 2025  
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO THE MEETING REMOTELY: There are three  
ways to watch or listen to the meeting:  
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web address into your web browser.  
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To help us manage the meeting, please use the Livestream or King  
County TV options listed above, if possible, to watch or listen to the  
meeting.  
1.  
2.  
Call to Order  
Chair von Reichbauer called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m  
Roll Call  
Also in attendance was Councilmember Quinn.  
11 -  
Present:  
Arnold, Backus, Birney, Dembowski, Pavone, von Reichbauer, Mercedes  
Rinck, Zahilay, Solomon, Ralph and Srebnik  
1 - Moore  
Excused:  
3.  
Approval of Minutes  
Mayor Backus moved approval of the March 12, 2025 meeting minutes. There being no  
objections, the minutes were approved.  
Briefing  
4.  
Briefing No. 2025-B0048  
Update on Cedar Hills  
This matter was Not Held  
Discussion and Possible Action  
5.  
Proposed Ordinance No. 2025-0070  
AN ORDINANCE providing for the submission to the qualified electors of King County at a special  
election to be held in King County on August 5, 2025, of a proposition authorizing a property tax levy in  
excess of the levy limitation contained in chapter 84.55 RCW for a period of six consecutive years, at a  
Regional Policy Committee  
Meeting Minutes  
April 3, 2025  
total rate of not more than $0.2351 per one thousand dollars of assessed valuation in the first year and  
limiting annual levy increases by the King County inflation plus population index published by the King  
County office of economic and financial analysis, or the chapter 84.55 RCW limitation, whichever is  
greater in years two through six for the purpose of maintaining and operating King County's open space  
system; improving parks, recreation, access, and mobility in King County by acquiring lands and  
continuing to develop and support parks, recreation facilities, and regional trails; improving parks and  
trails in and acquiring lands by metropolitan parks districts, towns and cities in King County; funding  
environmental education, maintenance and conservation programs at the Woodland Park Zoo; funding  
environmental education, maintenance and conservation programs at the Seattle Aquarium; funding  
development, maintenance, and programming for Seattle's Waterfront park; funding environmental and  
climate stewardship and education at Pacific Science Center; funding a capital project at Memorial  
Stadium; and funding capital improvements at public pools, for all King County residents.  
Dembowski and Zahilay  
Sponsors:  
Sherrie Hsu, and Jake Tracy, Council staff, briefed the committee and answered  
questions from the members.  
John Taylor, Director, Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) and  
Warren Jimenez, Division Director, Parks and Recreation Division, (DNRP) also  
addressed the committee and answered questions from the members.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 0.5. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 0.7B. The Amendment was adopted.  
Councilmember Dembowski moved Amendment 1. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 1.5. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 2. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved T1B. The Amendment was adopted.  
Due to the design of the legislative tracking software used to produce the proceedings,  
the vote on this item is misreported. The correct vote is:  
Votes: Yes: 11 von Reichbauer, Dembowski, Zahilay, Rinck, Solomom voting as  
alternate for Moore who was excused, Arnold, Backus, and Ralph voting  
as alternate for Birney who was excused.  
No: 0  
Excused: Birney, Pavone, Moore  
A motion was made by Mayor Backus that this Ordinance be Recommended Do  
Pass Substitute. The motion carried by the following vote:  
9 -  
Yes:  
Arnold, Backus, Dembowski, von Reichbauer, Mercedes Rinck, Zahilay and  
Solomon  
3 - Birney, Moore and Pavone  
Excused:  
6.  
Proposed Motion No. 2025-0077  
A MOTION related to a property tax levy for 2026 through 2031 for the purpose of: maintaining and  
operating King County's open space system; improving parks, recreation, access, and mobility in King  
County by acquiring lands and continuing to develop and support parks, recreation facilities, and regional  
trails; improving parks and trails in and acquiring lands by metropolitan parks districts, towns, and cities  
in King County; funding environmental education, maintenance, and conservation programs at the  
Woodland Park Zoo; funding environmental education, maintenance and conservation programs at the  
Seattle Aquarium; funding environmental and climate stewardship and education at Pacific Science  
Center; funding development, maintenance, and programming for Seattle's Waterfront park; funding a  
capital project at Memorial Stadium; and funding for capital improvements at public pools, for all King  
Regional Policy Committee  
Meeting Minutes  
April 3, 2025  
County residents.  
Dembowski  
Sponsors:  
Sherrie Hsu, and Jake Tracy, Council staff, briefed the committee and answered  
questions from the members. Kendall Moore, Associate Chief Legal Counsel,  
addressed the committee and answered questions from the members.  
John Taylor, Director, Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) and  
Warren Jimenez, Division Director, Parks and Recreation Division, (DNRP) also  
addressed the committee and answered questions from the members.  
The meeting was recessed by the Chair at 9:30 a.m. and the meeting was reconvened  
by the Chair at 10:30 a.m.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 0.5. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 1. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 2. The Amendment was adopted.  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 2.5. The Amendment was withdrawn  
Mayor Backus moved Amendment 2.5B. The Amendment was adopted as amended.  
Councilmember Zahilay moved Amendment 3. The Amendment was adopted.  
The meeting was recessed by the Chair at 11:10 a.m. and the meeting was  
reconvened by the Chair at 11:20 a.m.  
Due to the design of the legislative tracking software used to produce the proceedings,  
the vote on this item is misreported. The correct vote is:  
Votes: Yes: 12 von Reichbauer, Dembowski, Zahilay, Rinck, Solomom voting as  
alternate for Moore who was excused, Arnold, Backus, Pavone and Ralph  
voting  
as alternate for Birney who was excused.  
No: 0  
Excused: Birney, and Moore  
A motion was made by Mayor Backus that this Motion be Recommended Do  
Pass Substitute. The motion carried by the following vote:  
12 -  
Yes:  
Arnold, Backus, Dembowski, Pavone, von Reichbauer, Mercedes Rinck,  
Zahilay, Solomon, Ralph and Srebnik  
2 - Birney and Moore  
Excused:  
Adjournment  
The meeting was adjourned at 11:56 a.m.