Kent City Council approves public art funding, renews Flock Cameras & more at Tuesday’s meeting

The Kent City Council and Committee of the Whole convened on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, to address a range of city business, from insurance updates and infrastructure projects to public art funding and community safety initiatives.

Discussions included rising insurance premiums, the Green River Trail missing link project, and the allocation of funds for public art installations and maintenance.

The council also renewed the Flock camera system for two years, approved the sale of surplus property, and heard a presentation on the city’s Target Zero Action Plan aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

The meeting highlighted the contributions of Adopt-A-Street volunteers, and announced the opening of the Severe Weather Shelter.

Finally, a long-standing lawsuit with Phoenix Court Apartments was settled, with improvements in safety and code compliance at the complex.

Insurance Updates

The council heard a presentation on a few of the city’s insurance policies that were recently renewed. Across the board, insurance premiums and deductibles have been increasing dramatically for all cities, with several carriers decreasing their coverage areas as risks and costs increase. Despite this, the cyber liability policy decreased by 4.8% this year. Another liability policy increased by 16%; however that same policy had increased by 56% the prior year. Deductibles nearly doubled for that policy.

Green River Trail: Completing The Missing Link 

Council unanimously approved the design phase on a stretch of trail which will link two segments of the Green River Trail. The project is near the trail’s intersection with the Interurban Trail. The intensive undertaking includes building an underpass, and will be fully funded by a King County Parks levy.

Public Art Funding Approved

Council also unanimously approved the 2-year and 5-year plans for the Public Art Fund. This fund amounts to about $280,000 per year, or $2/per capita. The 2 year plan includes arts projects at several parks including Garrison Creek Park, East Hill North Community Park, Springwood Park, Upland Playfield & Spray Park, and digital artwork at Kent Kherson Park. They have also budgeted $38,000 for the maintenance of existing public art.

Flock Cameras Renewed

Two years after installing Flock cameras, which track license plates to help track down wanted vehicles, Council voted to renew the contract for another two years. According to the presentation, the system has been instrumental in solving many crimes. In addition, the cameras have helped track down missing persons with “silver alerts” out for their vehicles.

Surplus Property Sale To County

The city has determined it has no need for a section of property along the SE 272nd/277th corridor, which will be sold to King County. The price is $110,000, and the land will be part of an environmental restoration project.

Council Workshop: Target Zero Action Plan

Council heard a presentation on the city’s Target Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate vehicular deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Through examining the causes of serious accidents, they found that in most cases they are preventable. The causes include:

• Driver Impairment: 59%
• Walkers & Bicyclists: 36%
• Lane Departure: 35%
• Speeding: 30%
• Intersections: 25%

With this information, the safety commission is working on improving the safety of roads and crossing areas. Things like raised crosswalks, curb walls, and enhanced crossings are tools that can be used to improve pedestrian safety. There is a brief survey at the link above, where residents can weigh in on Target Zero, and let planners know what issues need attention.

Adopt-A-Street Program Volunteers

Seats in the meeting room were filled with participants from the city’s Adopt-A-Street Program, who volunteer to help keep Kent clean. Beyond just picking up litter, these people help to protect wildlife and increase community pride. In 2024 there were 1,105 volunteers who picked up 1,177 bags of trash. The number of volunteers and amount of trash removed has increased each year since the program began. 

The city provides vests, grabbers, bags, and gloves, and collects the filled bags for removal. Businesses, schools, clubs and other groups can all Adopt-A-Street; find info on participation here.

Severe Weather Shelter Open

Councilmember Brenda Fincher shared that all this week the Kent Severe Weather Shelter will be open for folks to get inside out of the cold. The shelter is at Holy Spirit Church.

Lawsuit Settled With Phoenix Court Apartments

After a long history of issues at the Phoenix Court Apartments, they have finally reached an agreement with the city to come into compliance with codes and safety measures.

The management has started to evict tenants that were causing harm to other tenants.

In addition, they invested in security measures including cameras, fencing, improved lighting, and hiring onsite security.

Since these steps have been taken, according to the presentation, crime at the apartments has dramatically improved, as has the quality of life for residents.