Committee of the Whole

The Council's Committee of the Whole (COW) includes all nine councilmembers. It considers issues of interest to the entire council, including appointments to the state legislature and department directors and key subordinate units in the executive branch; the annual legislative program; legislation before the federal, state and local governments that affect King County; the King County Strategic Plan; oversight of Harborview Medical Center; arts and culture and associated levies, if any; the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account; gun safety; the immigrant and refugee commission; issues related to the census; the charter review commission; homelessness, including the King County Regional Homelessness Authority; COVID-19 pandemic response, excluding supplemental appropriations; Racial equality and gender equity and other program and policy matters.  The committee of the whole shall conduct town hall meetings on issues of significance.

Hybrid Meetings: Attend King County Council meetings in person in Council Chambers (Room 1001), 516 3rd Avenue in Seattle, or through remote access.  Details on how to attend and/or provide comment remotely are listed below. 

HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT: The Committee of the Whole values community input and looks forward to hearing from you on agenda items.

There are three ways to provide public testimony:

1.  In person: You may attend the meeting in person in Council Chambers.
   
   
2.  By email: You may comment in writing on current agenda items by submitting you email comments using the link below.  Comments submitted by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting will be distributed to committee members and appropriate staff prior to the meeting.  
   
   Click here to submit written public comment.  Please include the topic and, if known, the related committee in the subject line of your email.
   
   If you would like to comment on an item not on the current agenda, you can email the Councilmembers here.
   
   
3. Remote attendance at the meeting by phone or computer: You may provide oral comment on current agenda items during the meeting’s public comment period by connecting to the meeting via phone or computer using the ZOOM application and the webinar ID below.

You are not required to sign up in advance. Comments are limited to current agenda items.

You have the right to language access services at no cost to you. To request these services, please contact Equity and Social Justice Director Dae Shogren at 206-263-8124 or email dae.shogren@kingcounty.gov by 8:00 a.m. the day prior to the meeting.

CONNECTING TO THE WEBINAR: 

WEBINAR ID: 853 1323 8538

If you do not have access to the ZOOM application, you can connect to the meeting by calling 1-253-215-8782 and using the meeting ID above. Connecting in this manner, however, may impact your ability to be unmuted to speak.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN TO THE MEETING REMOTELY: There are several ways to watch or listen to the meeting:

1. Stream online via this link:
   https://livestream.com/accounts/15175343/events/4485487, or input the link web address into your web browser
   
   
2. Watch King County TV Channel 22 (Comcast Channel 22 and 322(HD), Wave Broadband Channel 22)
   
   
3. Listen to the meeting by telephone – See “Connecting to the Meeting” above

To help us manage the meeting, if you do not wish to be called upon for public comment please use the Livestream or King County TV options listed above, if possible, to watch or listen to the meeting.

Meeting Times: 9:30 AM on the third Wednesday of each month

Committee Membership

Chair: Jeanne Kohl-Welles,
Vice Chair: Claudia Balducci
Members:  Rod Dembowski, Reagan Dunn, Joe McDermott, Sarah Perry, Pete von Reichbauer, Dave Upthegrove, Girmay Zahilay

Committee Staff:
Lead Staff: Andy Micklow
Committee Clerk: Gabbi Williams

Meeting Materials for the Committee of the Whole

Listed below are the meeting materials for the Committee of the Whole. The meeting materials available before each meeting are combined into one PDF document and posted below under Meeting Agendas and Materials. On occasion, not all materials will be available before the meeting. Additional materials for the meeting are posted as they become available.

(If links are not displaying below, you may access agenda materials at https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/council/agendas/cow/)