The Kirkland City Council has selected Councilmember Penny Sweet to serve as mayor for the remainder of 2019.

The Council’s selection came after Mayor Amy Walen announced she’d be resigning from the City Council effective January 31, 2019, to dedicate her time to serving in her newly elected role in the Washington State House of Representatives. Mayor Sweet began her first term on the City Council in January 2010. She served as Deputy Mayor from 2010-2011, and 2014-2015. Mayor Sweet has lived in Kirkland since 1985. In addition to serving on the City Council’s Planning and the Economic Development Committee and chairing the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Sweet also is on the Board of Directors for the Cascade Water Alliance, the Kirkland Downtown Association, and Hopelink. Mayor Sweet serves on the SCA Regional Water Quality Committee (RWQC), the Solid Waste Advisory Council, and as the Chair of Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee (MSWMAC).

“I would like to thank my fellow councilmembers for selecting me to serve the Kirkland community as mayor,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “I also want to thank Representative Amy Walen for her leadership during her almost ten years of dedicated service on the Kirkland City Council.”

The City of Kirkland operates under the “council-manager" form of government, which means that the mayor’s responsibilities are primarily to preside at council meetings, and act as the head of the city for ceremonial purposes and for purposes of military law. The mayor votes as a councilmember and does not have veto power. More information on Mayor Penny Sweet can be found on the City’s website.

During their meeting on January 2, the City Council decided to invite applications to fill the Council vacancy created by the retirement of Councilmember Amy Walen. Councilmember Walen announced her retirement, effective January 31, 2019, in order to devote her time to serving her constituents in the Washington State House of Representatives. The City Council will be opening the application process soon. The individual that is selected will serve on the Council through the certification of the November 2019 election. Any individual appointed may also file to retain the seat in that election. 

Details on how to apply for the vacant position will be available on the website later this month. In the interim, potential candidates are encouraged to visit the City website and read about the role and responsibilities of serving on the City Council. Potential candidates can also reach out to individual Councilmembers to ask questions about their experience serving on the City Council. Specific questions regarding the application process or the requirements of serving on the Council can also be directed to Kathi Anderson, City Clerk at kanderson@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3197. 

The City of Kirkland invites its residents to boldly pursue sustainable practices through established techniques that not only benefit the environment, but also personal well-being!

StyroFest: Dispose of polyethylene packaging foam, bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags and more at the first StyroFest event of 2019! StyroFest takes place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, January 5, and is free for residents. Bring unwanted items to the Kirkland Public Works Maintenance Center, located at 915 8th Street. Identification indicating residency is required. See the event flyer for more details.

The 30-day minimalism game: The research has been done and the verdict is in! Decluttering is great for your health, helping to reduce anxiety, improve sleep and boost productivity. The minimalism game is an effective tool for those who wish to give decluttering a try, offering a potent strategy that builds gradually over time. Do you struggle with getting rid of things? The minimalism game starts gently – on day one, you get rid of one item. Day two, you get rid of two items. Day three, you get rid of three items, and it progresses from there. By the end of the 30-day period, you’ll have gotten rid of 465 items that have been cluttering up your life!

Take a stand against junk mail: Reducing the amount of paper waste delivered by your mail carrier is not as simple as hitting the delete button on unwanted emails, but with a little perseverance, you can substantially lower the level of clutter that accumulates each day. Do you find yourself throwing away coupons and catalogs after every trip to the mailbox? Here are some websites that can help:

Opt out of Valpak Coupons: https://www.valpak.com/coupons/show/mailinglistsuppression.

Unsubscribe from catalogs: https://www.catalogchoice.org/.

Get the mail you want (and not the mail you don’t): https://dmachoice.thedma.org/index.php.

Take advantage of paperless billing: Many of the bills and bank statements we receive every month are available electronically. Typically, it is as easy as visiting a website and signing up for paperless billing. Going paperless can have a significant impact on the fight against junk mail!

For more suggestions on how to banish junk mail, visit the Kirkland Conserves webpage.