Virtual town halls coming up for unincorporated King County

Events throughout September and October via Zoom will cater to different areas of the region.

Unincorporated King County residents still have an opportunity to make their voices heard with annual town halls, but this year the county’s Local Services is offering them virtually.

Participants will hear directly from their local government leaders, including King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn. Representatives from Local Services and other departments that serve the unincorporated areas will discuss how they are delivering services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

King County has eight remaining town halls for different unincorporated areas, including one tonight, Sept. 16, for Cedar River area. The events will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Users can join via Zoom. They can also join via phone by calling 253-215-8782 and providing the meeting ID number: 9074762461.

“We hear every day how the lives of unincorporated King County residents have changed because of this pandemic,” Local Services Director John Taylor stated in a press release. “And while we had to adapt our jobs in the age of COVID-19, our dedication to inform and hear directly from our communities remains strong. This year will be logistically different, but the spirit of these events is the same.”

Last year, hundreds of residents turned out to hear directly from King County leaders and officials, explore government services, and more at these events in their communities, according to the county.

Here are the upcoming town hall events:

Sept. 16: Greater Maple Valley/Cedar River

Sept. 21: Fairwood

Sept. 23: SE King County (Enumclaw Plateau)

As with just about everything in 2020, Local Services had to think creatively about how to deliver these popular, usually in-person events while COVID-19 limits public gatherings.

Oct. 1: Bear Creek/Sammamish

Oct. 6: Skyway

Oct. 15: North Highline (White Center)

Oct. 22: Vashon-Maury Island

Oct. 26: Snoqualmie Valley/NE King County

King County recommends residents should keep an eye on Local Services’ website and Facebook and Instagram pages, and/or sign up for email and Nextdoor alerts, to get updates about these events.