[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6087260,"mediaKeyId","2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a","parentId",2891280,"title","Kent names Officer Jacob Berry employee of the month; proclaims Arbor Day and Vaisakhi/Khalsa Day","audioSeconds",843,"startMs",169000,"endMs",1012000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a&start=169&end=1012","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a/thumbnail_169000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6087260/Kent/King-County/Washington/Kent-names-Officer-Jacob-Berry-employee-of-the-month-proclaims-Arbor-Day-and-VaisakhiKhalsa-Day","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087260-630fc8320f19fa333774ef8046645a11/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=atDO4kKzAP9ywqs7ulEm0ZpOwtEjJj8VEzNVfaoN34v8-T7FRqNFI-Y88E~Vh7nPIeyZeQyayj~-7lsNxQTgmOe6k1hl2qIp0Lz79oxEUNkx9AGZzJhHdh57iuCz3Du2sAjBn7AOvLSJvY45~Vg966uyzE0Fu7PGJlf-B1z5Qvptj8tpQvX8~gLSFGi2n8K-sekL~iRfWAAmoFil9M~a1XtX3b109z3I~ZSxJoNTYz0QaVrjhPjqZ4nYAvAI3~MHeMeKZNCmxW17Amr1hnf0aur0pesPNlJ6~EAEGBV7aKDEeUkjLc~A8-bCEn8VVGPRVbrE72PVcn2WMzr423AyeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kent City, WA","date","2025-04-07T21:03:19.827Z","article","The Kent City Council recognized local achievements and community observances at its April 1, 2025 meeting, naming Officer Jacob Berry as the city’s April employee of the month and issuing proclamations for Arbor Day and Vaisakhi/Khalsa Day.

Officer Jacob Berry, Kent Police Department, was honored for his work since joining the department on April 2, 2018. The mayor’s presentation said Berry has worked with the Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) on challenging nuisance-property cases, maintained detailed case reports, helped organize community events and led a CrossFit fundraiser called “Badges and Barbells.” The mayor said Berry is “the epitome of hard work, a great coworker, and friendly.” A speaker identified as the police chief (name not specified in the meeting record) praised Berry’s judgment and community engagement, saying he would want Berry to “show up for my family on their worst day.” Berry’s family joined the presentation at the dais.

The council also proclaimed April 5, 2025 as Arbor Day in Kent. Staff and volunteers invited residents to a tree-planting event at Three Friends Fishing Hole on the coming Saturday, where volunteers would plant a western hemlock, a Douglas fir and several other trees, remove invasive blackberry and spread mulch.

In a separate proclamation Mayor Dana Ralph declared April 13 Vaisakhi and Khalsa Day in Kent, recognizing the Sikh community’s harvest festival and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. City representatives read a statement from Council President Corr and Sikh community members thanked the council; community organizers said Vaisakhi celebrations would take place on May 17 at the ShoWare Center and invited residents to attend.

Why this matters: The employee recognition highlights police work on nuisance-property enforcement and community outreach; the Arbor Day and Vaisakhi proclamations signal municipal support for environmental stewardship and cultural celebration, and both include public volunteer opportunities in the near term.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Kent City Council Meeting - April 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the April 1, 2025 council meeting, Kent recognized Officer Jacob Berry as April employee of the month and issued proclamations for Arbor Day (April 5) and Vaisakhi/Khalsa Day (April 13); staff and community representatives announced tree-planting and cultural events.","taxTitle","Kent, King County, Washington","taxId",2557,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6087266,"Council approves 2025 asphalt grinding award to Statewide Paving Lot Services; motion passage recorded 6-0",147,5677000,5824000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a&start=5677&end=5824","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a/thumbnail_5677000.jpg","/articles/6087266/Kent/King-County/Washington/Council-approves-2025-asphalt-grinding-award-to-Statewide-Paving-Lot-Services-motion-passage-recorded-6-0","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087266-809295aeb749d4e34be63966f03766ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=DVIrtE9C3gF6CPYBsDOP26tkiRiStItSDSMK-4Fr3dCcksL7oE208oV3ztoZDRiiJWKViJkYh1MJM19ChEKGryL8KuwKesd3z8DxfUiyCnL3xvEllgdIr1TG65GRlpx7-OoTouck0tA4oz9RHwW3C5kDPyt9l8hpbKyrmFqKv4hRdbk1CjLHY33p0Wc8rNqViMjMGpRBsmJN5ObNJG-uwPTtOT~UPZgmugjGUECViNhJR~54BPsAFa~LycvgdfZN-UVQq~jfiypusxF69X-DU3VnWU0b9OGIGiKSSk4ouSMn0YkSavoLU6~qYz7D76bavVGH36f9PPNs640Ob5g9GA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Kent City Council approved the 2025 asphalt grinding contract at its April 1, 2025 meeting, awarding the work to Statewide Paving Lot Services after a public-works staff recommendation.

Chad Beer, the city's public-works director, told the council the department received two bids and recommended the low bidder. \"The low bid was from Statewide Paving Lot Services at $96,950 which is underneath under the engineers estimate hundred $61,000 and we recommend award,\" Beer said in the staff presentation.

Council moved to approve the award; the motion as recorded in the meeting transcript included the text to authorize the mayor to sign documents and referenced an award to \"Statewide Parking Lot Service Incorporated in the amount of $9,896,950\" as read into the record. The council then voted and the clerk announced, \"Aye. Opposed? Motion carries 6 0.\" The motion was carried unanimously among members present.

Why this matters: The contract funds preparatory grinding work that allows city crews to follow with inlay repairs and small-paver resurfacing on multiple city streets. Beer said this year's low bid was well below the engineer's estimate.

The council did not identify the specific streets in the meeting presentation; staff recommended the award based on the low bid and availability of funds in the public-works project budget.","The Kent City Council voted to award the 2025 asphalt grinding contract to Statewide Paving Lot Services after a public-works recommendation; the low bid cited in the staff report was $96,950 and the council recorded a 6-0 vote in favor.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6087272,"Residents, business owners clash over proposed 'stay out of drug areas' ordinance at Kent council meeting",3307,2148000,5455000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a&start=2148&end=5455","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2891280-a89f0a7c60baf8321d315526bdee5b2a/thumbnail_2148000.jpg","/articles/6087272/Kent/King-County/Washington/Residents-business-owners-clash-over-proposed-stay-out-of-drug-areas-ordinance-at-Kent-council-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6087272-3424b83ca7272d11af1ee37a72529400/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164079&Signature=Fru7S2cN8FXeJvHpEjQF-22kpWPWQrmddZvPAZVh8CzVxqNshLjoy5MPhpVnYbpmkKIOec9-L1j4JwzMXqJ4-2~hLCaVMBnjOxgk2Csu3g2jSisNu-8p11LV-8N6OUxM501mOE5033w4Xos4RV1~al2Elbj-5bpYKuiwqtWcAxSJzQLL4ugFslMMIAU42YeU4JDFBhL9lB~VZFQEyO6s-C8T5KYm2BbwgNgeDZtYmF8NwonMCUOzhPeQa0tHFqTmNk6EcOfuZNS9I3stTzY4VgLdH7sSP6I-SmaHhEzNAuFodgg5QSdqT6C42Q5AlIMYBlLKFIXv1y7449Ny1nu8NQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents, business owners and service providers spoke during the public-comment period at the Kent City Council meeting on April 1, 2025, delivering sharply divided testimony over a proposed Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) ordinance that would create geographically defined exclusion zones for public drug use.

Supporters including property and business owners said visible drug use and related disorder on First Avenue and Meeker Street are driving customers away and harming downtown commerce. Pat Crockett, a property owner who said she travels to Kent regularly, urged the council to “please do have a vote yes on the stay out of drug area, please.” Business owners who testified described repeated break-ins, stolen merchandise and regular encounters with people using drugs outside their doors.

Opponents — including legal professionals, service providers and people with lived experience of homelessness — said SODA zones would criminalize people in crisis, push them away from treatment and shelter, and make overdoses more likely. Monica Mendoza Cawthon, a Kent homeowner and attorney, said zones “are not an effective tool to reduce overdoses” and urged the council to invest in treatment, mobile outreach and housing instead. Sarah Andrews, a peer-support program director who works with people experiencing mental-health and substance-use challenges, said similar zones in other cities have driven people away from services and increased costs associated with incarceration.

Several witnesses described the same Downtown locations from different perspectives. Moon Chan, who said he owns property on First Avenue, said visible drug use and overdoses led investors to abandon a potential purchase. Alyssa Moore, a longtime Meeker Street shop owner, described finding people “unresponsive, typically covered in feces or vomit” and said staff and teenage employees are repeatedly left to clear hazardous drug paraphernalia.

Advocates for alternatives urged the council to expand evidence-based treatment and outreach. Amanda Kerstetter, a service provider, said the city has one methadone clinic with limited hours and asked the council to increase access to medications for opioid use disorder, co-responder outreach and affordable housing. Shalaysha Hudson, who said she previously experienced homelessness, described faith-based outreach that helped her into treatment and asked the council to prioritize programs that build trust over criminal enforcement.

Council member Fincher responded during general discussion to correct what he called misperceptions about the proposed ordinance, saying it “does not bar people from the services area” and that the order “doesn't kick in until they've already gone through the judicial system,” adding that a judge can allow individuals to continue to access meals and services. Fincher also said Kent’s proposed zones are smaller and more narrowly drawn than some other cities’ approaches.

No formal council vote on the SODA ordinance was recorded at the meeting. Mayor Dana Ralph and council members acknowledged the breadth of public testimony and indicated further deliberations and adjustments to ordinance language are expected before any final action.

Why this matters: Downtown business owners and customers described immediate, day-to-day safety and sanitation problems they say are deterring commerce; advocates and service providers warned that exclusion zones will separate people from treatment and housing resources that could reduce overdose deaths. The council faces competing demands for public safety tools, judicial options and expanded health and housing investments.

The city clerk announced four written comments were filed and delivered to council before the meeting. Many speakers asked the council to pair any enforcement tools with funding and expansion of treatment, outreach and housing services.","Dozens of residents, business owners and service providers testified for and against a proposed Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) ordinance during public comment at the Kent City Council meeting on April 1, 2025; no council vote was taken that evening and councilmembers signaled continuing discussion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kent names Officer Jacob Berry employee of the month; proclaims Arbor Day and Vaisakhi/Khalsa Day

Council approves 2025 asphalt grinding award to Statewide Paving Lot Services; motion passage recorded 6-0

Residents, business owners clash over proposed 'stay out of drug areas' ordinance at Kent council meeting