Tune in for the third ever “virtual” Kirkland City Council meeting, which takes place 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, April 7). The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order.

The agenda for the April 7 meeting is available on the City website at: Kirkland City Council agendas. The meeting can be viewed in real time via the live stream on the City website at: http://www.kirklandwa.gov/depart/council/Meetings/WatchCouncilMeetings.htm, and is televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Frontier Cable Channel 31.

Public Participation

As always, the Kirkland City Council welcomes public involvement at its meetings and would like to encourage community members to take advantage of its available options for remote participation, including the public comment voicemail line, at 425-587-3090, or the public comment email account at: councilmeetingcomment@kirklandwa.gov.

Comments received through voicemail and email by 3 p.m. today (Tuesday, April 7), will be read into the record during the Council Meeting, with the following caveats:

• When and if a particular agenda item receives a large number of comments, the City will read into the record three (3) comments representing each side of the presented issue. The comments will be selected based on the date and time received, giving priority to the earliest received comments.
• City leadership will read submitted emails verbatim up to a three (3) minute limit, exactly as if the commenter was providing their testimony in person. (Comments from the public received during “Items from the Audience” in a typical meeting are limited to three minutes in length.)  
• The deadline for comment submittal for inclusion in the meeting (provided the comment is not related to a heavily commented agenda item as outlined above) is 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. NOTE: comments received after the deadline will be provided to the Councilmembers for their review at the City’s earliest convenience.

Gov. Jay Inslee and Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal announced on Monday, April 6, the extension of school closures for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. The order keeps both public and private schools closed in accordance with the governor's original order on March 13.

The governor's proclamation prohibits in-person instruction through June 19, with exceptions for students with disabilities and English language learners for whom distance learning would present challenges. Facilities remain accessible for limited use, including providing child care and packing take-home meals for students' families to pick up. All activities must follow Department of Health social distancing guidelines.

"This closure is guided by science and is our greatest opportunity to keep our kids, educators and communities safe," Inslee said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "If there is any opportunity to bring students back for a few days, including graduation ceremonies for our seniors, we will continue to explore that option. That opportunity will be guided by our collective behavior and the success we can achieve with the choices we make today."

Inslee said students' grades will not suffer as a result of the closure and encouraged them to take advantage of remaining learning opportunities. The governor also asked teachers and administrators to work together on the best path forward for the remainder of the school year.

“There is no question about it: Our educators and school staff are absolutely dedicated to continuing to provide supports for students and their learning,” Reykdal said. “We have already seen districts step up to provide meals for students in need and child care for the children of essential workers. Over the past three weeks, they have prepared for and begun providing continuous learning for students – and this will only get better and more sophisticated over time. We will continue serving our students and we will persevere through this.”

Read the proclamation here.

The 2020 Census is happening now! You can respond online, by phone, or by mail. The 2020 Census helps determine how much federal funding comes to our community for things like improved roadways, health clinics, schools, fire departments and much more.

The 2020 Census counts every person living in the United States and five U.S. territories. The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.

El Censo del 2020 cuenta a todas las personas en los Estados Unidos y cinco territorios de los EE. UU. El censo proporciona información esencial para los legisladores, propietarios de empresas, maestros y muchos otros. Los resultados determinan su representación en el Congreso, así como la distribución de fondos federales para los estados y las comunidades. Basados en los datos del censo, cada año, miles de millones de dólares se destinan a escuelas, clínicas de salud, transporte público, carreteras y otros recursos.

2020 年人口普查统计在美国生活的每位成年人、婴儿和儿童。 此统计由政府机构美国人口普查局每十年进行一次。人口普查提供的关键数据可影响您生活中许多不同层面。立法者、企业主、教师和众多其他人，每天都使用此数据在您的社区中提供服务、产品和援助。

В рамках Переписи населения 2020 года подсчитывают каждого взрослого, младенца и ребенка, проживающих в США. Каждые десять лет эту перепись проводит государственный орган, Бюро переписи населения США. Перепись населения предоставляет важные данные, которые могут повлиять на различные аспекты вашей жизни. Законодатели, предприниматели, учителя и многие другие пользуются этими данными каждый день, чтобы предлагать услуги, продукты и оказывать поддержку вашему местному сообществу.

For more information about the 2020 Census, visit the website at: https://2020census.gov/. The Census is available in 59 non-English languages. For more information, visit: https://2020census.gov/en/languages.html.