Politics & Government

Public Meeting to Discuss Upper Bear Creek Council Being on the County's Chopping Block

A King County official has organized a Seattle meeting for the public to discuss the elimination of the Upper Bear Creek Council and the other unincorporated area councils.

Anyone interested in talking to county officials about saving the and the other five community councils from budget cuts can meet with Lauren Smith from King County Executive Dow Constantine’s office at the Skyway VFW center, 7421 South 126 th Street, Seattle, on April 11 from 7-9 p.m. The Skyway VFW is hosting the event and will be serving a taco dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. Tacos are $1 and a taco salad may be purchased for $1.50. For more information contact Lauren Smith at 206-263-9606.

The county has six Unincorporated Area Councils, or UACs, in a county that covers 2,134 square miles and has most government offices in Seattle. UBCC represents the 22,000 people living in unincorporated Woodinville, just about double the population of the .

With an annual budget of only $10,000 a good portion of which is spent on insurance, and one county staff member to support the councils (among other duties), UBCC tries to meet the needs of any resident that asks for help by putting them in touch with the appropriate county department. And in partnership with 4Culture, the council funds the annual Music in the Park summer concerts at Cottage Lake Park, according to Nancy Stafford, president of UBCC.

Find out what's happening in Woodinvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Currently the King County Council is considering elimination or consolidation of all the UAC. Presidents from the six councils met with King County Executive Dow Constantine in February to discuss the future of the volunteer organizations. One discussion was to consolidate the six councils into one smaller council that is no longer in the local communities. Stafford said that defeats the purpose of the councils, to be a local resource for the rural communities. Currently, the UAC’s are funded only until June 30.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Woodinville