The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, May 5. The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. The regular business meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 5:30 p.m. study session.

The agenda for the May 5 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting 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.

Here are a few highlights from the agenda:

COVID-19 Update

Per an ongoing Council directive, the Council will receive an update from City Manager Kurt Triplett on the City’s continued response to COVID-19. The update will include the most current information from the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and updates on City operations. For more information on the City’s response to COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 information webpage.

Communications Master Use Permit – Cingular Wireless PCS

It is anticipated that Council will take action regarding a proposed Communications Master Use Permit with New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, for an initial term of 10 years to facilitate its deployment of small cell wireless technology in the City.

Tree Code Enforcement Updates

Council will be asked to take action on proposed Kirkland Municipal Code (KMC) amendments relevant to Tree Code Enforcement standards. These amendments are related to draft amendments to KMC Chapter 95, entitled Tree Management and Required Landscaping.

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.

For the first time, community members will have the option to provide comment via Zoom. More details will be provided prior to the meeting.

Comments will also continue to be received through voicemail (425-587-3090) and email (councilmeetingcomment@kirklandwa.gov) by 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, 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, May 5. NOTE: comments received after the deadline will be provided to the Councilmembers for their review at the City’s earliest convenience.

The City Council recently received the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) 2019 Progress Report, an annual update in infographic form meant to demonstrate the City’s commitment to transportation improvements that prioritize safety, alternative modes, school walk routes and more.

The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is the City’s vision for transportation through the year of 2035, viewed through a lens of safety, connectivity and sustainability. The plan works holistically to preserve quality of life for those who live, work and play in Kirkland, identifying key policies and outlining clear goals. Annual TMP Progress Reports serve as vital pathways forward, working symbiotically with the TMP to guide City recommendations and decisions on future transportation infrastructure improvement projects. Additionally, the reports earmark notable trends for further analysis and discussion, ensuring that those items are clearly identified and flagged for further study and/or mitigation.

The 2019 report shows a slight uptick in serious injuries and fatalities on Kirkland roadways, which serves as an alert to staff. As a result, staff are proactively monitoring these numbers to determine if the increase is an anomaly or whether it represents a significant trend in the wrong direction.

The report reflects the City’s priorities and clearly shows its progress, making the Transportation Master Plan a lot more than just words on a page, but a dynamic roadmap for current transportation improvements as well as the City’s transportation needs moving forward. The Council’s prioritization of pedestrian safety improvements in the vicinity of our schools is clearly reflected, with 98 percent of the City’s school walk routes network having sidewalk on at least one side of the road (collectors and arterials).

For more information on the City’s Transportation Master Plan visit the City website.

The Seattle Times recently featured a story on our Small Business Relief Fund. To learn more about the program, and our other efforts to support small businesses and nonprofits, check out the April 25 article on the Seattle Times website. 

For more information about the Small Business Relief Fund, including information on the first round of funding, visit the City newsroom. For more information about resources for Kirkland businesses, visit our Kirkland Business Resource center. For more information on the City's response to COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 Information webpage. 

The City of Kirkland is dedicated to building and sustaining a thriving community, and part of that effort focuses on tackling the impacts of congestion and improving air quality. Wherever you are, you can reduce your impact, connect to our planet, and be a part of a collective effort to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Month.

Transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions in the United States. No matter where you live, travel by car or airplane contributes heavily to our shared carbon footprint. While we are all staying home these days to stop the spread of COVID-19, it has become even more clear how much we all value fresh air, clear skies and time spent outside.

We are all in this together. People often ask, “What difference can I make as one person?” Well, we have seen how social distancing – which involves one person after another making a choice for both individual and collective good – has made a very real difference in turning a negative tide. Our new normal is about understanding that personal responsibility and community caring can effect global change. Travel smarter. There are a lot of things we can do to help the earth, even after we all go back to our regular routines. Choosing alternatives to driving alone, including carpooling, vanpool, taking transit, biking and walking, are among the most important ways we can help slow climate change.

As we are wrapping up Earth Month, we can connect, and make a difference, no matter where we are. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many of us are working from home, it is even more important for people of all ages and abilities to continue to be as active as possible. Kirkland Green Trip is your gateway to non-drive-alone transportation options: Go green. Get Green. Participate in Kirkland Green Trip’s first ever Scavenger Hunt Bingo! This activity is designed to keep Kirkland families active and thinking about alternative transportation during Earth Month and beyond. The scavenger hunt is social distancing-friendly and runs from April 22 (Earth Day!) through May 29.

For more information, visit the Kirkland Green Trip webpage. 

Central Way Street Preservation

One of Central Way’s lanes will be closed intermittently May 1 and May 2 while Kirkland’s consulting engineers assess its pavement.

Using a Falling Weight Deflectometer, HWA GeoSciences will be testing the existing pavement’s structure at various locations along Central Way to prepare for 2021, when contracted crews will repave Central Way, from Market Street to Sixth Street.

For more information, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/streetpreservation

Neighborhood Safety Program

A Kirkland contractor is closing a short section of a pedestrian walkway at 87th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 134th Street.

NPM Construction is also shifting traffic at the intersection.

The contractor is building a bus landing, short section of sidewalk and an access ramp at the corner.

The pedestrian safety project is one of seven projects from the 2019 Neighborhood Safety Program that NPM Construction will be building throughout Kirkland until August.  

For more information, visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/nsp

Totem Lake Boulevard

Kirkland’s Totem Lake Gateway contractor will be closing a short section of sidewalk May 4 near 120th Avenue Northeast’s intersection with Northeast 128th Street.

Marshbank Construction is rebuilding the sidewalk and repaving the street, from the crosswalk at Northeast 128th Street to the south, 250 feet.

The contractor will begin grinding that section of 120th Avenue Northeast on May 11. When it does, it will close two of the street’s lanes.

Meanwhile, Marshbank is continuing to close all but one of the arterial's five lanes. 

Commuters have access to one of the Boulevard's southbound lanes until May 8 or until Gov. Jay Inslee ends the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” proclamation. Marshbank Construction, the contractor, has established a detour for northbound Totem Lake Boulevard traffic.

The extra lane is allowing Marshbank’s crews to work more efficiently while they rebuild the street and install a new retaining wall that will help support the road. Marshbank's crews are also closing two lanes along 120th Avenue Northeast and Totem Lake Way while they rebuild the sidewalk and roadway. The sidewalk on the southeast side of the road, in front of Café Veloce, remains closed as well.

For more information, visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector or www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlake

108th Avenue Northeast

Drivers should continue to expect minor traffic impacts this month on 108th Avenue Northeast while a Kirkland contractor upgrades an aging water and sewer main along the north-to-south arterial.

Marshbank Construction is replacing the two systems—both more than five decades old—to increase their capacities to serve Kirkland’s growing population and to reduce the systems’ needs for maintenance.

That need is most urgent in the sewer line, which runs from Northeast 68th Street to Northeast 53rd Street. Settling soil has created a sag in the sewer line, allowing sewage to accumulate there and requiring maintenance crews to periodically flush the line.

The contractor is also replacing the water main between Northeast 68th and 60th streets.

Marshbank expects to complete the upgrades by Spring of 2021. 

For more information, visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/108thavewatersewer