County briefs

Council gets report on elections

The committee formed to restore voter confidence in the election system recently told the Metro King County Council that many of the challenges facing the elections office have been corrected, but there is still room for improvement.

“We asked for this panel to be the voice of accountability for the voting public after three very serious mishaps disrupted the ability for people to vote,” said Council member Jane Hague, the prime sponsor of the ordinance that created the King County Citizens’ Elections Oversight Committee.

Among the panel’s final recommendations:

• Elections should be recognized as a core function of County government and must be adequately funded.

• Election managers should have experience in working elections and management experience.

• All ballot processing should occur in a single facility.

• The Elections Section should create and implement a formal training plan.

• There should be a security plan.

• Full background checks should be done on all county employees and vendor representatives responsible for elections.

The 13-member panel included representatives from the Municipal League, League of Women Voters, the Washington Secretary of State, the King County Republican and Democratic Parties and a King County school district. There were also three citizen representatives.

“It’s virtually impossible to be at 100 percent with the elections process” said A.J. Culver, Chair of the King County Citizens’ Election Oversight Committee. “But it’s important to public perception of the system how you handle the inevitable mistakes.”

Asian pacific heritage month

King County Executive Ron Sims recently proclaimed May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

“I encourage all residents to join me in honoring our community members of Asian Pacific Islander ancestry by participating in the many festivities planned in celebration of the beautiful and rich heritage of Asian Pacific Americans,” Sims said.

In the proclamation, Sims said, “the fabric and foundation of King County is enriched by the diversity of cultures and traditions represented by the residents of this great region.”

Property owners on transportation

The area’s largest commercial property owners met Tuesday, May 11, with King County Executive Ron Sims to discuss what the business community can do to relieve traffic congestion and improve regional transportation.

Sims praised the roundtable’s host, Equity Office, for working with King County Metro Transit to craft a transportation incentive package now offered to tenants in the 54 buildings Equity Office owns and manages in Seattle, Bellevue and Renton. Sims then challenged other property owners to find ways to offer commute alternatives to their tenants.

To kick-off the roundtable discussion, Equity Office unveiled its new Transportation Incentive Package (TIP), which offers tenants a discount on Metro FlexPasses.

The FlexPass is good on all Metro Transit and Sound Transit service, and includes VanPool, carpool, and Flexcar options. The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) and Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA) will promote the program through building-wide transportation fairs at each of Equity Office’s buildings.

“This initiative is a excellent example of city organizations working together for one cause,” said Pat Callahan, senior vice president, Seattle region for Equity Office.

Metro hopes Equity Office’s transportation incentive package for its customers can be a model for other property owners in the region.

Additional participants in today’s roundtable were representatives from Bentall Capital US, Inc., Unico Properties, Inc., Benaroya Capital Co., LLC, Hines G. S. Properties, Inc., and Schnitzer Northwest, LLC – all among the largest commercial property owners and managers in the region.