Kent City Council advances zoning reform, warns of public defense budget strain & more at special Monday meeting

The Kent City Council convened a special meeting and Committee of the Whole on Monday, June 30, 2025, addressing critical updates to regional infrastructure, public defense standards, and local zoning.

Key discussions included a progress report on the multi-billion dollar State Route 509 Completion Project and Puget Sound Gateway Program, highlighting the opening of a new stretch of highway.

The Council also heard a significant report on the potential effects of newly mandated state public defense standards, which are expected to drastically impact case loads and city finances, and ultimately result in reduced public safety.

Finally, the council unanimously approved essential zoning changes to align with state housing bills and the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

Gateway Program Update

The Council heard an update on the State Route 509 Completion Project and Puget Sound Gateway Program. This $2.83 billion dollar project includes completing essential connections between the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma in order to more reliably move goods. This is an extensive project that still has much work to be done. See links for the full scope of the projects.

The first mile of the new stretch of 509 is now open, and is currently free to use. Drivers are encouraged to try it out now. Tolling will begin later this year, at a rate of $1.20 or $2.40 per trip, depending on the time of day. This rate will increase by around 2.15% annually starting in 2031. There will be a low-income discount available at the end of 2026. Trucks pay a higher rate, depending on the number of axles. Free Good To Go transponders are available for a limited time. Having a Good To Go pass will give the lowest rate. The pre-existing stretch of 509 will remain free to drive. Similar tolls will be applied to State Route 167 east of I-5, and the stretch of 167 west of I-5 will be a flat $1.00 toll.

New Public Defense Standards

Chief Administrative Officer Pat Fitzpatrick shared that the state has mandated new standards for public defense. These changes will drastically reduce the number of cases that a public defender can handle each year. These changes will apply across the state, for both felony and misdemeanor cases. Fitzpatrick explained that public defense is funded from the city’s general fund, with very limited resources. He said he is very worried about the implications of these changes to the city and surrounding communities. He added that the changes will inequitably impact lower income communities that have fewer public defense dollars.

Fitzpatrick said Mayor Dana Ralph issued a letter to the state Supreme Court requesting a three-year delay so that a proper study can be performed on how this change will impact the criminal justice system in Washington State. Other cities have followed Kent’s lead, requesting that this essential study be performed before enacting the new rule. They await a resolution.

Zoning Changes Pass

The council unanimously approved zoning changes that comply with the state’s new housing bills and the city’s Comprehensive Plan. It was said that these changes need to be made now to meet the state’s deadline, but that the code can be updated later as needed.