1200 King County  
Courthouse  
516 Third Avenue  
Seattle, WA 98104  
King County  
Meeting Minutes  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Councilmembers: Sarah Perry, Chair;  
Jorge Barón, Vice Chair of Policy Development and Review;  
Reagan Dunn, Vice Chair of Regional Coordination;  
Claudia Balducci, Rod Dembowski, Steffanie Fain,  
Rhonda Lewis, Teresa Mosqueda, Pete von Reichbauer  
1:30 PM  
Tuesday, January 6, 2026  
DRAFT MINUTES  
Hybrid Meeting  
Hybrid Meetings: Attend King County Council meetings in person in  
Council Chambers (Room 1001), 516 3rd Avenue in Seattle, or through  
remote access. Details on how to attend and/or provide comment remotely  
are listed below.  
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC TESTIMONY: The Council values community  
input and looks forward to hearing from you. Testimony must be limited to  
items listed on the agenda for council action, unless it's the fourth  
Tuesday of the month, when the Council will hear general comment on  
matters relating to county government. You are not required to sign up in  
advance.  
There are three ways to provide public testimony:  
1. In person: You may attend the meeting in person in Council Chambers.  
2. By email: You may testify by submitting a COMMENT email. If your  
testimony is submitted before 10:00 a.m. on the day of the Council  
meeting, your email testimony will be distributed to the Councilmembers  
and appropriate staff prior to the meeting. Please submit your testimony  
by emailing clerk@kingcounty.gov.  
3. Remote attendance on the Zoom Webinar: You may provide oral public  
testimony at the meeting by connecting to the meeting via phone or  
the Webinar ID below.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
CONNECTING TO THE WEBINAR  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
Webinar ID: 873 0459 1515  
If you do not have access to the ZOOM application, you can connect to the  
meeting by calling 1 253 215 8782 and using the Webinar ID. Connecting in  
this manner, however, may impact your ability to be unmuted to speak.  
You have the right to language access services at no cost to you. To  
request these services, please contact our Equity and Social Justice  
Coordinator, Tera Chea at (206) 477 9259 or Tera.Chea2@kingcounty.gov,  
three (3) days prior to the meeting.  
If you do not wish to be called upon for public comment during the  
meeting, please help us manage the callers and use one of the options  
below (Live Streaming or King County TV Channel 22).  
HOW TO LISTEN TO THE MEETING: There are several ways to listen to the  
meeting if you don't wish to provide public testimony:  
link web address into your web browser.  
2. Watch King County TV on Comcast Channel 22 and 322(HD), and  
Astound Broadband Channels 22 and 711 (HD).  
3. Listen to the meeting by telephone – See “Connecting to the Webinar”  
above.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
1.  
2.  
Call to Order  
The meeting was called to order at 1:34 p.m.  
Roll Call  
9 - Balducci, Barón, Dembowski, Dunn, Fain, Lewis, Mosqueda, Perry and  
von Reichbauer  
Present:  
3.  
4.  
Flag Salute and Pledge of Allegiance  
Councilmember Fain led the flag salute and Pledge of Allegiance.  
Approval of Minutes of December 9, 2025, Council Meeting and  
December 29, 2025, Special Council Meeting  
Councilmember Barón moved to approve the minutes of the December 9, 2025,  
Council meeting and the December 29, 2025, Special Council meeting as presented.  
Seeing no objection, the Chair so ordered.  
5.  
6.  
Additions to the Council Agenda  
There were no additions.  
Special Item  
Recognition of Ken Jennings for his work on Jeopardy! and advocacy for  
cancer research.  
Councilmember von Reichbauer made remarks and presented a recognition to Ken  
Jennings. Ken Jennings made remarks and thanked the Council.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
Hearing and Second Reading of Ordinances from Standing  
Committees and Regional Committees, and of Ordinances  
related to Collective Bargaining  
There will be one public hearing on Items 6-9  
The following people spoke:  
Joe Kunzler  
Dan Ames  
Randy Kessler  
First Reading of and Action on Emergency Ordinances  
Without Referral to Committee  
7.  
AN ORDINANCE relating to council rules and order of business; amending Ordinance 11683, Section  
4, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.035, Ordinance 11683, Section 5, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.045,  
Ordinance 11683, Section 9, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.085, Ordinance 11683, Section 16, as  
amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.155, and Ordinance 11683, Section 26, as amended, and K.C.C. 1.24.255;  
and declaring an emergency.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
The enacted number is 20029.  
Councilmember Baron made a motion to suspend the rules to hold a public hearing  
less than seven days after first reading pursuant to K.C.C. 1.24.095 and a motion to  
suspend the rules to take action without referral to committee to K.C.C. 1.24.085.  
Erin Auzins, Council Staff, briefed the Council and answered questions.  
A Public Hearing was held and closed. A motion was made by Councilmember  
Barón that this Ordinance be Passed. The motion carried by the following vote:  
9 - Balducci, Barón, Dembowski, Dunn, Fain, Lewis, Mosqueda, Perry, and  
von Reichbauer  
Yes:  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
Employment and Administration Committee  
8.  
A MOTION reappointing Kymber Waltmunson to the position of King County auditor.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
The enacted number is 16936.  
A Public Hearing was held and closed. A motion was made by Councilmember  
Barón that this Motion be Passed. The motion carried by the following vote:  
9 - Balducci, Barón, Dembowski, Dunn, Fain, Lewis, Mosqueda, Perry, and  
von Reichbauer  
Yes:  
9.  
A MOTION reappointing Tamer Abouzeid as the director of the office of law enforcement oversight.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
The Chair announced that Proposed Motion 2025-0352 would be deferred to the  
January 13, 2026, Council agenda, with an Executive Session being held today,  
January 6, 2026.  
The Chair moved the meeting into Executive Session to evaluate the qualifications of  
an applicant for public employment, review the performance of a public employee,  
and discuss with legal counsel legal risks of a proposed action when public  
knowledge regarding the discussion is likely to result in an adverse legal or financial  
consequence to the county pursuant to RCW 42.30.110(g). at 2:10 p.m., for 20  
minutes, until approximately 2:30 p.m. The Councilmembers left the dais and moved  
to the blue room to conduct the executive session.  
The Chair extended Executive Session at 2:30 p.m for 20 minutes, until  
approximately 2:50 p.m.  
The Chair extended Executive Session at 2:50 p.m. for 10 minutes, until  
approximately 3:00 p.m.  
The Chair extended Executive Session at 3:00 p.m. for 10 minutes, until  
approximately 3:10 p.m.  
The executive session ended and the Councilmembers moved from the blue room to  
dais. The Chair reconvened the meeting at 3:10 p.m.  
A Public Hearing was held and closed. This matter was Deferred.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
First Reading and Referral of Ordinances  
10.  
Proposed Ordinance No. 2025-0357  
AN ORDINANCE related to establishing appropriate timelines necessary to complete midpoint updates  
to the King County Comprehensive Plan; and amending Ordinance 13147, Section 22, as amended,  
and K.C.C. 20.18.030.  
Sponsors:  
Dunn  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Local Services and  
Land Use Committee.  
11.  
AN ORDINANCE relating to the King County regional E-911 advisory governance board; amending  
Ordinance 18695, Section 2, and repealing Ordinance 18139, Section 4, and Ordinance 18695,  
Section 3.  
Sponsors:  
Dunn  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Local Services and  
Land Use Committee.  
12.  
13.  
14.  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Mark Newcomb for property located at 41710 SE 66th Street, Snoqualmie, WA 98065,  
designated department of natural resources and parks, water and land resources division file no.  
E25CT001.  
Sponsors:  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
Perry  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Joseph and Dana Gagner for property located at 25504 SE 394th Street, Enumclaw, WA  
98022, designated department of natural resources and parks, water and land resources division file  
no. E25CT002.  
Sponsors:  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
Perry  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Jeremy Calvert for property located north and abutting 14035 107th Way SW, Vashon,  
WA 98070, designated department of natural resources and parks, water and land resources division  
file no. E25CT003.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
15.  
16.  
17.  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Troy and Kristen Barrows for property located at 22332 SE 474th Street and 22531 SE  
474th Street, Enumclaw, WA 98022, designated department of natural resources and parks, water and  
land resources division file no. E25CT004.  
Sponsors:  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
Perry  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Melissa Mohr and Eric Seidenberger for property located at 11705 SW 156th Street,  
Vashon, WA 98070, designated department of natural resources and parks, water and land resources  
division file no. E25CT006.  
Sponsors:  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
Perry  
AN ORDINANCE approving an application for current use assessment for public benefit rating system,  
submitted by Darrin and Sherry Qualls for property located 26244 SE 383th Street, Enumclaw, WA  
98022, designated department of natural resources and parks, water and land resources division file  
no. E25CT008.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Hearing Examiner.  
First Reading and Referral of Motions  
18.  
A MOTION adopting the 2025 King County Youth Action Plan.  
Sponsors:  
Mosqueda  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Health, Housing, and  
Human Services Committee.  
19.  
A MOTION confirming the executive's appointment of Richa Malik, who resides in council district nine,  
to the Harborview Medical Center board of trustees, as the council district seven representative.  
Sponsors:  
von Reichbauer  
This matter had its first reading and was referred to the Committee of the  
Whole.  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
Reintroductions of Ordinances  
20.  
21.  
22.  
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the vacation of a portion of 200th Ave SE, V-2752; Petitioners: Young  
Kwon and Robyn Isaak-Kwon and Mutsumi Porter.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
Upthegrove and Perry  
AN ORDINANCE denying the vacation of a portion of 45th Ave S, V-2759; Petitioners: Terry L.  
Swanson and Dean B. Swanson.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
Zahilay and Perry  
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the execution of a franchise agreement with the Snoqualmie Valley  
School District, for use of certain King County road rights-of-way in unincorporated King County for the  
construction, operation, and maintenance of wireline telecommunications transmission facilities.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
AN ORDINANCE approving the City of Redmond Water System Plan dated May 2025.  
Perry  
23.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
Perry  
24.  
AN ORDINANCE authorizing the vacation of a portion of 52nd Avenue South/Indiana Ave, V-2735;  
Petitioner: Whispering Woods Estates, LLC.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
This matter was Reintroduced  
Metropolitan King County Council  
Meeting Minutes  
January 6, 2026  
Reintroductions of Motions  
25.  
A MOTION confirming the executive's appointment of Dae Degrate, who resides in council district  
nine, to the King County behavioral health advisory board.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
A MOTION confirming the executive's appointment of Someireh Amirfaiz, who resides in council  
Dunn  
26.  
district nine, to the King County mental illness and drug dependency advisory committee, as a provider  
of culturally specific mental health services in King County.  
Sponsors:  
This matter was Reintroduced  
Dunn  
27.  
A MOTION confirming the appointment of ____________ to the citizens' elections oversight committee  
as a representative of the Vietnamese-speaking community.  
Sponsors:  
Perry  
This matter was Reintroduced  
28.  
Reports on Special and Outside Committees  
No reports were given.  
Other Business  
There was no other business.  
Adjournment  
The meeting was adjourned at 3:12 p.m.