Kirkland Mayor Amy Walen announced during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 11, that in order to fully commit herself to her newly elected role as State Representative for the 48^th District, she would be resigning from her position on the Kirkland City Council effective January 31, 2019.

Mayor Walen’s resignation comes after nine years of service on the Kirkland City Council, including five years where she served as Mayor. The Mayor expressed gratitude to her colleagues on the Council, City staff, and the Kirkland community.

“It has been a great honor to be able to serve our community on the Kirkland City Council these past nine years,” said Mayor Amy Walen. “Resigning my City Council position was an incredibly difficult decision. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many talented and dedicated individuals on the City Council, on City staff, and on our many boards and commissions. I’d like to especially recognize City Manager Kurt Triplett and the incredible team he’s assembled. Our City is so lucky to have such a dedicated team of public servants.”

Mayor Walen will continue serving the Kirkland community as State Representative for the 48^th Legislative District which includes Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond.

“Though I’m resigning my position on the City Council, I look forward to continuing to serve my neighbors in the State House of Representatives. I encourage all of you to stay connected and engaged as I begin this new journey in public service.”

The City Council will select a new mayor and discuss choosing a process for filling the vacancy on the Council during their Regular Meeting on January 2, 2019.

During their meeting on Tuesday, December 11, the City Council unanimously adopted a $793 million 2019-20 budget for the City of Kirkland.  The 2019-20 City of Kirkland budget focuses on achieving the community’s goals around being safe, sustainable, and connected. In addition to fully funding City operations and Council priorities, the development of the 2019-20 budget also responded to extensive participation from community members. Community engagement varied from our biennial telephone survey, to an interactive budget game where residents had to prioritize how their tax dollars were invested, to a series called “City Spotlight” that highlighted different City programs and services. I want to personally thank every one that took the time to provide input into this budget process. 

Some of the main focus areas of the budget were investments in police services and community safety, supported by the passage of Proposition 1 this last November. The City Council would like to once again express their sincere thanks to Kirkland voters for supporting Proposition 1. In the words of Mayor Amy Walen and Public Safety Committee Chair Penny Sweet, “Your support of Proposition 1 has allowed the City to direct important resources in this biennial budget toward addressing property crimes, increasing school safety, and funding services for mental health, homelessness and gun safety.”

The 2019-20 budget also calls for significant investments in sustainability and connectivity. The adopted budget provides funding for the City’s first ever Sustainability Master Plan, uses development fees to convert inspection vehicles in the Planning and Building Department to electric vehicles, and provides funding for maintenance and removal of invasive species in areas that are difficult to access by volunteers. Additionally, the budget includes more than $15 million in investments in trails, bikeways, greenways, and the Totem Lake Connector Bridge.

I encourage you to learn more about our 2019-20 adopted budget which is available on the City website at: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/budget. Thank you again for being an informed and engaged resident, and for supporting the City's efforts to continue to be an amazing community to live, work and play.

Best,

Kurt Triplett

City Manager 

The City of Kirkland has appointed Adam Weinstein, AICP, as its new Director of the Planning and Building Department.

Weinstein will replace former director, Eric Shields, who passed away in November after a courageous multi-year battle with cancer. Adam Weinstein joined the City of Kirkland Planning Department as Deputy Director in December, 2017.

“During his time with the City of Kirkland, Adam Weinstein has demonstrated an extensive depth of knowledge in the field of planning and proven himself as a leader in his department and throughout the organization,” said City Manager Kurt Triplett. “I believe the skills that Adam brings to the position will help us continue to achieve our vision of being a vibrant, attractive, green and welcoming place to live, work and play.”

Prior to coming to the City of Kirkland, Weinstein worked as Deputy Director of Community Development/Planning Manager for the City of Pleasanton, California. He also spent more than ten years managing multi-year, multi-phase planning and environmental review projects for LSA Associates, Inc., based in Seattle and Berkeley, California. Weinstein holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the University of California and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin.

“It is a great honor to have the opportunity to serve the Kirkland community, the City Council, and the staff and leadership at the City of Kirkland,” said Adam Weinstein. “I look forward to building on the incredible legacy of former Director Eric Shields.”