King County Council member Pete von Reichbauer urges public officials in the cities of Algona, Auburn, Federal Way, Pacific and Milton to take decisive action to prevent the location of a safe injection facility in their communities.

Von Reichbauer represents the five cities on the council.

His message to city officials calls on cities to be proactive in this time of uncertainty. In his letter to city leaders, von Reichbauer recommends that cities include language preventing the location of any safe injection sites in neighboring potential annexation areas, because cities are not served well when a prohibited activity shows up across the street from the city limits.

Major Nancy Backus has publicly stated that she and the City do not welcome a safe injection facility in Auburn. The City Council approved a resolution on July 17 that firmly opposes any safe injection facility to be located in Auburn.

Although the King County Council passed legislation limiting the location of a safe injection facility only to cities that consent, it doesn’t include areas of unincorporated King County adjacent to cities. By encouraging broad legislative action, von Reichbauer hopes to keep “safe injection facilities” out of cities that don’t wish to have them as well as their neighboring potential annexation areas.