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ENTERTAINMENT | Eco Film Series starts dialogue about environmental conscientiousness. [12] SPORTS | Lindbergh hosts the Berserker meet [15]
FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 2016
Number of homeless counted in Renton doubles Joos out labraham@rentonreporter.com
This year’s One Night Count recorded double the amount of unsheltered individuals in Renton, a jump from 79 to 160 individuals. The count, conducted by Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness and All Home last week, resulted in a preliminary estimation of 4,505 unsheltered
individuals throughout Kind County – a 19 percent increase from 2015. Of the 160 counted in Renton, 75 individuals were found in cars/trucks, 18 individuals in or around structures, 16 individuals in alleys and 14 individuals in roadways. “We look for folks sleeping in public places not meant to be regular sleeping accommodation for human beings,” said Cara Custer, clinical service manager at
Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation and one of the lead organizers for the Renton count. “This may include park benches, under bushes, in doorways, under bridges, etc. We count each person we encounter and if it appears someone is living in a structure or vehicle (fogged or covered window, etc.) we assume two people per vehicle, tent or structure.” According to Custer, it is hard to deter[ more HOMELESS page 4 ]
The familiar green Waste Management trucks may soon be gone as the city is recommending a change in solid-waste services. LEAH ABRAHAM, Renton Reporter
City staff recommends change in garbage service BY BRIAN BECKLEY bbeckley@rentonreporter.com
After 26 years with Waste Management, the administration is recommending a change to the city’s solid-waste contract that could see a new set of trucks picking up trash, recyclables and compost in the city for the next decade. Based on a series of metrics including cost and “qualitative scores” for issues like customer service and the ability to transition to a contractor billing model, the administration is recommending a change to Republic Services, despite the lowest bid coming from the current provider. “Price isn’t the only thing the city is interested in,” Solid Waste
Coordinator Linda Knight told the City Council during a presentation at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting. According to Knight and Public Works Director Gregg Zimmerman, the city decided to send out a Request For Proposals (RFP) for this year’s solid waste contract in an attempt to get a better price, add services and make a change from a city-billed system to when in which the contractor handles bills and payments. As part of the process, the city did a “pre-release,” according to Knight, including a draft RFP that was designed to allow providers to prepare, followed by the official RFP. After reviewing those, the city altered some of the requirements and asked for “Best and [ more GARDEN page 10 ]
BY DEAN A. RADFORD
daradford@rentonreporter.com
In a 3-2 vote by fellow commissioners, Dr. Paul Joos was replaced Monday night by Dr. Tamara Sleeter as president of the Public Hospital District No. 1 commission. It didn’t become publicly clear until later in the meeting why three commissioners wanted Dr. Paul Joos to hold new elections – Joos was elected the 2016 president just a month earlier. [ more HOSPITAL page 5 ]
Two dead from carbon monoxide poisoning BY DEAN A. RADFORD daradford@rentonreporter.com
Two men and a dog died Monday afternoon when they were overcome by carbon monoxide from a car left running in a closed garage to charge its battery, according to the Renton Police Department. The bodies of two men, the 66-year-old resident of the house and a 28-year-old visitor, were discovered at about 3 p.m. by relatives visiting the house in the 500 block of Seneca Avenue Northwest. Investigators determined the resident was running his car in the garage with the garage door down in order to charge the battery, according to Renton Police Commander David Leibman. [ more CO page 5 ]
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