Photo highlights – 2020

2020

Dunn Delivers Funding for Emergency Rental Assistance

December 2020  |  I recently visited the Renton Housing Authority to deliver a County check in support of RHA’s emergency rental assistance program. These funds will cover the rent payments of folks who are financially unable to pay rent themselves due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an incredibly important program that helps those who are struggling the most right now, and I’m glad to support it!

Councilmember Reagan Dunn champions outreach plan to increase access to COVID-19 vaccine

2020  |  During King County’s recent emergency COVID budget negotiations, I worked to dedicate $100,000 of federal CARES Act funding to perform community outreach about the COVID-19 vaccine. This outreach will educate the public about vaccines and how to access them, with a focus on underserved populations. Those populations include seniors, limited-English-proficient residents, unemployed residents, people experiencing homelessness, and rural residents, as well as historically disadvantaged communities such as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous and other Communities of Color, which have all been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.

Supporting Bellevue Students during COVID-19

October 2020  |  I was glad to help provide a CSO Grant to the Bellevue Schools Foundation! The needs of students have greatly increased during COVID-19, and this funding will help them get the best possible education during these challenging times! Thank you to Bellevue City Councilmember Conrad Lee for joining me to present the check, and to the Bellevue School Foundation for everything they do to care for and support kids in our community.

Fighting Food Insecurity with Maple Valley Food Ban

September 2020  |  The Maple Valley Food Bank's services are more in demand than ever as more people struggle to make ends meet during the pandemic. I’m glad to be able to help support their work!

Video Series: How you can stay home, stay healthy, and give back to your community

2020  |  I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of Project CARE (COVID-19 ACTION and RESPONSE ENLISTMENT) volunteer and donation program. As our region navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been asking what they can do to support their community. That desire to step up and help is what inspired me to create a one-stop shop for connecting those who want to help with opportunities. To help our community stay united as we battle COVID-19, I’ve created a few videos to share ideas on how you can support others during this challenging time. Click the links below to watch!

Stay Home, Stay Healthy: How to make your own seed starters

Stay home, Stay healthy: Building raised bed gardens

Project CARE: Blood Donations Help Your Community

Project CARE: Support Your Local Food Bank

Project CARE: How to help your local hospital

Project CARE: Serving First Responders

Project CARE: Resources for Eastside Businesses

Project CARE: Enumclaw Senior Center’s Meal Delivery Program

Project CARE: How to sew face masks at home

Project CARE: Little Free Pantries

Project CARE: At-Home Haircuts

Project CARE: How to Recreate Responsibly

Project CARE: Helping those in need of food and housing assistance

Dunn’s Plan for Property Tax Relief Approved by the King County Council

2020  |  The King County Council approved my legislation that offers a payment plan to folks who can’t pay their property taxes because of the economic impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. Given the hardship caused by the pandemic, I believe King County should help taxpayers who are doing everything they can to make ends meet but are still struggling to make property tax payments.

My plan would allow folks who couldn’t make their June 1 property tax payment to make smaller property tax payments over a six-month period. This legislation is currently being discussed by the King County Council.

Seeking Applications for the COVID-19 Community Response Fund

2020  |  Grants of up to $25,000 are available to organizations that work with communities at the highest risk of immediate and long-term negative health, social and economic impacts during the COVID-19 crisis. Applications are due June 23, 2020. For more information on how to apply, please contact me at reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov

Dunn Announces $10k in Funding for Enumclaw Senior Center

2020  |  I’m glad to be able to help provide $10,000 in funding to support the Enumclaw Senior Center’s meal delivery service! By delivering full, no-cost meals to seniors’ doorsteps, the Senior Center alleviates financial strain on low-income seniors while also relieving them of the need to visit grocery stores and risk COVID-19 infection. I advocated for this funding to be included in the emergency supplemental budget that was approved by the King County Council in May. To learn more about the Enumclaw Senior Center's work, watch my Project CARE video where I tour their facility!

Dunn Introduces Legislation to Create a Task Force of Business, Government, and Industry Leaders to Plan for Economic Recovery

2020  |  When our region emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, I want to already have a game plan in motion for how to rebuild our local economy. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation that would create the CuRE (Coronavirus Recovery Economic) Task Force. This would bringing business and industry leaders to the table to work with state and local governments on how to best support economic recovery across the region. Our local businesses know best what help they will need — so we should welcome them to the table. This legislation will be heard by the King County Council’s Committee of the Whole on April 21.

Dunn’s Project CARE Program Unanimously Approved by the King County Council

2020  |  I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of Project CARE (COVID-19 ACTION and RESPONSE ENLISTMENT) volunteer and donation program. As our region navigates the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been asking what they can do to support their community. That desire to step up and help is what inspired me to create a one-stop shop for connecting those who want to help with opportunities. When it’s launched, Project CARE will serve as a comprehensive resource for people who are looking for ways to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dunn awards Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service to Rob Nist

Rob Nist’s wife Sylvia accepts Rob’s award from Councilmember Dunn on his behalf

2020  |  I was pleased to award District 9 resident Rob Nist with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

In 2007, after realizing that local youth sports teams were struggling to find fields to play on, Rob rallied community support around the expansion and improvement of Ravensdale Park, which was falling into disrepair. Today, Ravensdale Park is a key resource for youth sports teams and families across Southeast King County. Thank you for your service to your community, Rob!

Seattle Times Op-Ed:
No to ‘Head Tax 2.0’: Let regional housing authority do its work

2020  |  House Bill 2907 creates a pathway for King County to implement a countywide tax on employee wages, and unlike the vast majority of tax increases, this tax would not go on the ballot for the voters to decide. If the bill passes the Legislature, the tax would become law by simple majority vote of the nine King County council members. Continue reading at The Seattle Times.

Dunn Works for More Snow Routes During Major Snowstorms

2020  |  In the most recent King County budget, I included a proviso requesting King County to increase the total miles of snowplow routes in unincorporated areas. Last February’s snowstorms pushed County resources to the limit and reminded us all of how important it is to be prepared for extreme weather.

I am glad that the King County Road Services Division has now identified 70 miles of additional unincorporated snowplow routes. Of these 70 miles, 19.2 miles fall within the vicinity of Fairwood and the Renton Highlands and 10.7 miles are within the Covington/Black Diamond/Maple Valley area. Going forward, I will continue to prioritize funding for more snow routes to keep our county moving during winter storms.