VIDEO:Upper Bear Creek Community Council on the County's Chopping Block

For Woodinville residents living in unincorporated King County getting the attention of county government can be daunting. Enter the , an all volunteer five-body board of local residents that act as liaison between the county and the people. The UBCC may not be around much longer; county budget cuts include eliminating the council.

“King County, not the nearest city is our government,” said long-time board president Nancy Stafford. “The county uses our UBCC to transmit government actions to the population it will affect...sometimes giving us a voice in the process.”

So what does an Unincorporated Area Council do? Recently the UBCC called a meeting at the behest of residents to discuss a proposed natural along the Tolt Pipeline trail. About 30 people living along the Tolt showed up for the meeting, one that would not have been held without the help of the UBCC, according to resident Lori Cauldon. Cauldon had been researching the proposed pipeline for more than a year, trying to get information from the utilities company as well as the county. The UBCC arranged for representatives from Puget Sound Energy and the King County Department of Development and Environmental Services to present information about the project at the meeting.

“That’s our job,” said Stafford. “It can be hard knowing who in the county to call or how to get hold of them. That’s where we come in; we can facilitate meetings for people.”

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.

 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.

In a statement sent to Woodinville Patch, King County Council member Kathy Lambert wrote:

 “The UAC’s have served as a conduit to pass information between unincorporated residents and the county government. It is important for elected officials to hear directly from local residents. Unfortunately, the economic recession has placed many valuable programs on the chopping block. Executive Constantine has been working with the UACs to find more affordable ways to maintain this level of local involvement and I look forward to seeing the proposal. In addition, I am always available to meet with citizens to assist them with their King County needs.”

The UAC’s were created to keep residents in rural areas from having to drive all the way in to Seattle to meet with county officials. The UBCC was established by the county in 1999.