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: Debora Juarez, Alexis Mercedes Rinck  
Alternates: Sara Nelson, Mark Solomon  
Lead Staff: Miranda Leskinen (206-263-5783)  
Committee Clerk: Angelica Calderon (206-477-0874)  
3:00 PM  
Wednesday, September 10, 2025  
REVISED AGENDA  
Hybrid 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 2:00  
p.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  
September 10, 2025  
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO THE MEETING REMOTELY: There are three  
ways to watch or listen to the meeting:  
1) Stream online via this link www.kingcounty.gov/kctv or input the 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.  
Dial: 1 253 215 8782  
Webinar ID: 827 1647 4590  
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 3:03 p.m  
Roll Call  
11 -  
Present:  
Arnold, Backus, Birney, Dembowski, Pavone, von Reichbauer, Mercedes  
Rinck, Zahilay, Ralph, Srebnik and Solomon  
1 - Juarez  
Excused:  
3.  
Approval of Minutes  
Mayor Backus moved approval of the August 20, 2025 Special meeting minutes. There  
being no objections, the minutes were approved.  
Briefing  
4.  
Briefing No. 2025-B0133  
Best Starts for Kids (BSK) 2024 Annual Report  
Miranda Leskinen, Council staff, briefed the Committee and answered questions from  
members.  
This matter was Presented  
5.  
Briefing No. 2025-B0134  
Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) 2024 Annual Report  
Sam Porter, Council staff, briefed the Committee and answered questions from the  
members. Susan McLaughlin, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Division  
(BHRD), DCHS, and Robin Pfohman, MIDD Coordinator, BHRD, DCHS briefed the  
Regional Policy Committee  
Meeting Minutes  
September 10, 2025  
Committee via PowerPoint presentation and answered questions from the members.  
This matter was Presented  
6.  
Briefing No. 2025-B0137  
A briefing on MIDD Renewal Legislation for Proposal by the Regional Policy Committee Directly to the  
King County Council  
Sam Porter, Council staff, briefed the Committee and answered questions from the  
members regarding items 6 and 7. Kelly Rider, Director, Department of Community and  
Human Services answered questions from the members. Kendall Moore, Council  
Assistant Chief Legal Counsel, also answered questions from the members.  
The Committee approved to propose directly to the Council a MIDD tax levy ordinance  
with a collection period of only 2 years moved by Mayor Birney. This proposal was  
approved by the following vote:  
Votes: Yes: 8 - von Reichbauer, Zahilay, Arnold, Backus, Birney, Pavone,  
No: 4 - Dembowski; Rinck and Solomon voting as alternate for Juarez  
who was excused.  
Excused: Juarez  
This matter was Presented  
Regional Policy Committee  
Meeting Minutes  
September 10, 2025  
Discussion and Possible Action  
7.  
Proposed Ordinance No. 2025-0212  
AN ORDINANCE relating to the levy collection of the sales and use tax of one-tenth of one percent for  
the delivery of behavioral health services and therapeutic courts authorized by RCW 82.14.460;  
continuing the sales and use tax; adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 4A.500, establishing an  
effective date, and establishing an expiration date.  
Dembowski  
Sponsors:  
Item 7 was examined and commented on as part of the discussion of Item 6.  
Item 7 was examined and commented on as part of the discussion of Item 6.  
Other Business  
There was no other business to come before the Committee.  
Adjournment  
The meeting was adjourned at 3:53 p.m.