Council Passes Resolution 5434 Affirming that Black Lives Matter and Approving the Framework for Kirkland to Become a Safe, Inclusive and Welcoming Community, Kirkland Small Business Relief Fund Accepting Applications Now in Second Round of Funding, Kirkland Undercover: Thruline Coffee Co., License Your Pet & Get a Free Mask, Traffic Alerts and More!

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this week in kirkland

August 5, 2020

city of kirkland washington

Council Recap

City Council

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed and engaged in what is happening in your City. During the Tuesday, August 4 City Council meeting, the Council took a number of important actions. Here is summary of the highlights:

The City Council approved Resolution 5434: Affirming that Black Lives Matter and Approving the Framework for Kirkland to Become a Safe, Inclusive and Welcoming Community Through Actions to Improve the Safety and Respect of Black People in Kirkland and End Structural Racism by Partnering with Those Most Affected.  

During their meeting on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, the Kirkland City Council approved Resolution 5434: Affirming that Black Lives Matter and Approving the Framework for Kirkland to Become a Safe, Inclusive and Welcoming Community Through Actions to Improve the Safety and Respect of Black People in Kirkland and End Structural Racism by Partnering with Those Most Affected.  

R-5434 was drafted based on four key guiding principles:

  • Build on previous City work to become safe, inclusive and welcoming.
  • Listen, learn and partner with the Black community and People of Color on actions and outcomes.
  • Create broad community engagement to identify actions to increase the safety of Black residents and visitors and reduce structural racism.
  • Create policy and program outcomes that are specific, measurable, timely and funded.

“The City Council has long been committed to doing the hard work to achieve our vision of being a safe, inclusive and welcoming community,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “R-5434 continues that commitment and helps us to ensure that Black voices are partners in our efforts to dismantle systemic Anti-Blackness.”

The City Council also approved early action funding requests to facilitate immediate implementation of community outreach elements, transparency elements, and national best practice research elements in the resolution. The Council will approve a fiscal note for these items during their meeting on September 1. These early actions total $380,000 and will fund staff, consultants and technical support to begin the extensive community outreach needed to implement the items in the resolution.

“The City Council recognizes that funding is required to make real change,” said Councilmember Kelli Curtis. “Creating a community where Black people feel safe is going to take both an investment of dollars and a collective investment of time from all members of our community. The Council has made a down payment on these efforts, and we strongly encourage everyone to get involved in this conversation as we move forward.”

More information about R-5434 is available on the City website. Any community members wishing to be involved in this process can contact David Wolbrecht, Neighborhood Services Outreach Coordinator at dwolbrecht@kirklandwa.gov.

O-4720: Rooftop Amenities

The City Council adopted code amendments to increase flexibility for multi-family and commercial structures to provide rooftop amenity space in areas of the City already zoned for more dense development and taller structures. Existing regulations will be maintained on properties that adjoin low density residential zones. 

For those properties where the new, more flexible regulations for rooftop amenities and appurtenances will apply (not adjoining low-density residential zones):

-A new Zoning Code section for rooftop amenities will provide more flexibility in height allowances to provide rooftop decks and common areas.

-Amendments to the rooftop appurtenances (e.g. elevator equipment, stair penthouses, etc.) code will slightly increase the allowed height of appurtenances needed to reach rooftop amenity spaces, with a more predictable review process.

-The amendments also include minor changes to clarify existing regulations.

The City Council approved an enhanced signage plan along Kirkland Way for alerting over-height vehicles before reaching the Kirkland Way Bridge.

The City Council approved Option S-1: Enhanced Signage Only

This signage package is designed to raise driver awareness of the upcoming Bridge and its low clearance.

Option S-1 consists of installing 14 low-clearance warning signs, seven in each direction. The new signs proposed in this option would be larger than the current warning signs. They would provide warning for the upcoming low clearance bridge in graphics and text, and provide directions that over-height vehicles must turn onto one of the side streets. Also, to increase driver’s attention to the warning signs, the plan calls for signs facing the direction of traffic on both the right and left sides of the road.

Kirkland Chamber Accepting Applications for Round Two of the Kirkland Small Business Relief Fund Through Sunday, August 9

The City of Kirkland, Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and Banner Bank are pleased to announce another round of Small Business Relief Funding! Applications are available now. Any small business or small nonprofit may apply as long as they meet the criteria. Once all applications are received and the process has closed, a lottery will be held. There will be 200 successful applicants whose business will receive $1,000. For more information on the fund, including criteria and application process visit the Chamber website

Relief Fund Grant image

Kirkland Undercover: Join Us As We Talk Masks With Craig Kerrick and Sydney Hunt From Thruline Coffee Co.

Kirkland Undercover

Thruline Coffee Co. employees Craig Kerrick and Sydney Hunt have adapted smoothly to the ongoing state mandate requiring face coverings in public spaces, both wearing them on and off shift without complaint. Yes, it may be mandatory, but it’s also the right thing to do to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, they agreed.

Sydney has worked at Thruline for nine months, while Craig, Thruline’s Retail Manager, has worked for the custom Kirkland coffeeshop and roastery for 10 years.

“I don't want to get anything, and I would feel horrible if somebody got it because of me,” Craig said. “It's no sacrifice at all.”

Located in downtown Kirkland on Park Lane, Thruline Coffee Co. is known for its welcoming vibe, delicious, freshly roasted coffee, and its authentic, comfortable atmosphere. From the cascade of customer portraits adorning the café’s walls, to the tantalizingly rich aromas of Thruline’s signature blends, the Kirkland-based coffeeshop is a true gem. Formerly known as Café Rococo, Thruline was founded in 2008 by coffee lovers Adam Olson and Kent Beidel, who settled their café and roasthouse in Kirkland’s downtown business district in 2010. 

Like so many Kirkland businesses, Thruline has suffered greatly from the harsh impacts of COVID-19. Although they’ve been able to remain open throughout the pandemic, the café had to reduce its hours and implement layoffs to stay afloat. Luckily, they have a fiercely loyal customer base that has helped sustain them during these challenging times.   

Like most service-oriented businesses in Kirkland, the Governor’s mandatory facemask order has not come without challenges. Largely, their customers have gone out of their way to be supportive, but there are those who take a rigid, oppositional stance on mask wearing, despite the current statewide directive prohibiting individuals from entering a place of business without a face covering.

Even more complex, is when staff are asked to intervene by a mask-wearing customer offended by someone who has temporarily removed their mask. This is one of the intricacies of the Governor’s order; businesses are disallowed from conducting in-person business with a customer in a public setting not wearing a face covering, but individuals may remove their face coverings while eating or drinking.

This ambiguity can be challenging to navigate, and it puts service industry professionals in a really tough position, said Sydney. Facemask enforcement is not something she ever anticipated she’d need to add to her responsibilities as a customer service professional. Luckily, mask conflict is not something that happens too often.

“Most of my customers have been wonderful about the masks,” Craig said. “They're good people.”      

“We have great customers,” Sydney agreed. “They're amazing.”

Sydney is grateful she’s been employed throughout the pandemic and would rather wear a mask in public and have more businesses open, then be stuck with another “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order with everything closed.

“For me, personally, I'd rather work and wear a mask than be home and go crazy,” she said.

Thruline Coffee Co. is located at 136 Park Lane in downtown Kirkland.

Thruline

License Your Pet and Get a Free Mask at the Juanita Friday Market on August 14

Animal Services Logo

Kirkland Animal Control Officer Jennifer Matison will be available at the Juanita Friday Market on Friday, August 14 to answer all your questions about pet licensing!

By law, all dogs and cats twelve weeks old and older owned by Kirkland residents must be licensed and vaccinated against rabies. Licenses expire after one year and must be renewed on or before the date of expiration.

Pet licenses provide identification if a family pet is lost and allow a quick reunification once the animal is found. If your pet is found and has a license, Officer Matison will attempt to reunite you with your pet immediately, so you don’t have to go to the animal shelter to pick it up. The fees collected from pet licenses go directly into Kirkland’s Animal Services Program to provide service, education and enforcement.

Mask Giveaway

Take the Online Community Survey by Friday, August 7

The City has extended the deadline to participate in its online biennial Community Survey, which seeks to gauge community attitudes about the quality of life in Kirkland, satisfaction with City government services, and priorities for the future.

All Kirkland community members, whether they live, work, learn, or visit Kirkland, are encouraged to take the online survey, accessible by visiting: Kirkland Community Survey.  

For over a decade, the City has conducted a version of this survey every two years as part of its budget process. The results from both the online survey and the phone survey will be presented to the City Council in the coming months. The results will inform the Council about the community’s sentiments on various issues in Kirkland in preparation for the Council’s adoption of their 2021-2022 biennial budget later this fall.

The online survey will close at noon on Friday, August 7. Results of past surveys can be found on the City’s website.

Online survey

FREE Water Conservation Tools!

Cascade Rain Gauge

Did you know you can order free water conservation tools from Cascade Water Alliance? Tools like shower heads, faucet aerators, and rain gauges help conserve water inside and outside your home. For the month of August, Cascade is waiving the shipping fee, so the orders are completely free of charge. Take advantage of this special limited time offer! Find out how to order your water conservation tools.

Traffic Alerts for the Week of August 5 Through August 12

Finn Hill

Drivers commuting along Finn Hill’s 84th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 132nd Street will encounter minor traffic delays next week while Kirkland’s contractor prepares the two streets for the new layer of pavement its crews will be applying throughout the next two weeks.

Lakeside Industries is paving 84th Avenue Northeast, between 124th and 132nd avenues northeast and Juanita Drive, from Juanita Drive to 80th Avenue Northeast.

Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/streetpreservation

108th Avenue Northeast

Kirkland’s contractor has delayed until Aug. 10 the three-block closure it had planned for last week on 108th Avenue Northeast between Northeast 52nd and 55th streets.

Marshbank Construction will close the arterial from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting Monday. In the afternoon, the contractor will close the center turn-lane from 4 p.m. to 7 a.m. Marshbank will provide access for local traffic between Northeast 55th and 60th streets. 

The detour will route commuters along Northeast 68th Street, Lakeview Drive and Northeast 38th Place.

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.

Marshbank expects to complete the upgrades by spring of 2021. 

Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/108thavewatersewer

100th Avenue Northeast Closure

A short section of 100th Avenue Northeast, just south of its intersection with Simonds Road, remains closed until Aug. 13.

The all-day, all-night closure allows Kirkland’s contractor to replace the three-decade-old Cedar Creek culvert with a new 10-foot-wide, by eight-foot-tall concrete box culvert.

The new culvert will open nearly a mile of upstream habitat to trout, Coho and other salmon. It will also provide enough space for the 100th Avenue Northeast Roadway Improvement Project.

This future project will add two more automotive lanes, sidewalks and sidewalk-level bicycle lanes on both sides of the street between Northeast 139th and 145th streets.

The City is strongly encouraging commuters to use the official detour route—Northeast 145th Street, Juanita-Woodinville Road—while 100th Avenue Northeast is closed. To ensure drivers don’t speed through Juanita’s neighborhoods, the Kirkland Police Department is patrolling the neighborhood roads that connect 100th Avenue Northeast to Juanita-Woodinville Road.

Kirkland is promoting the detour route on the electronic reader boards, in the project flyer and on a pair of community signs its staff installed at the project’s limits. Additionally, Kirkland’s staff members will monitor the area during the closure, and if patrol emphasis is warranted, they will coordinate with the police department.

Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/100thavedesign

100th

Totem Lake

Drivers will continue to have access to one northbound and one southbound lane on Totem Lake Boulevard between Northeast 124th Street and 120th Avenue Northeast until September, when Kirkland’s contractor expects to complete the Totem Lake Gateway project.

Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakegateway or www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlake

Upcoming Events

Wednesday market image

Kirkland Wednesday Market presented by the Kirkland Downtown Association

3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday through September 23

Marina Park

Face masks are required to enter the market.

The Kirkland Downtown Association Wednesday Market takes place 3 to 7 p.m. in Marina Park. Please see the new market rules. If possible, please order from market vendors in advance. More information about the Wednesday Market is available at http://kirklandmarket.org/


Juanita Friday

Juanita Friday Market

3 to 7 p.m., every Friday through September 25

Juanita Beach Park

Face masks are required to enter the market.

Please allow for extra time as Public Health Seattle & King County is limiting the number of customers allowed in the market at any given time. Thank you for your patience! There are big changes this year so before you go, be sure to pre-order your purchases, check-out the drive-thru plans, and see how we'll be handling health & safety issues. And while we'd love to see everyone, if you're in a high-risk group please stay home and send a friend to do your shopping. 


Evenings on Park Lane

Evenings on Park Lane

6 p.m. to 7 a.m. every evening through September 7

Park Lane

In an effort to support downtown businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, the City closes the west end of Park Lane between Lake Street and Main Street to vehicles from 6 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., seven days a week. This pedestrian friendly environment aims to increase patronage at businesses in the heart of our downtown shopping district. Enjoy unique clothing boutiques, delicious restaurants, decadent desserts, art galleries and fine furniture stores at your leisure! 


KPC at Home

Kirkland Performance Center Presents: A live virtual concert with Lucien LaMotte

8 p.m., Thursday, August 6

Online, virtual event

Join KPC on Thursday, August 6, as KPC at Home presents a livestreamed performance from talented musician Lucien LaMotte.

Lucien is a guitarist, composer, and singer songwriter living in Kirkland. He plays guitar and pedal steel for the Joy Mills Band, Silverhands, and performs as a solo artist. His latest recording, Trust Fall, is a collection of soul searcher story songs that feature him as a multi-instrumentalist.

This live performance can be seen on FacebookYouTube, or Twitch.


Shredding image

Safer Free Confidential Shredding

Kirkland Public Works Maintenance Center

915 8th Street

9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday August 8

Accepted: clean paper (staples OK, no binder clips). Limit four file-size boxes or paper grocery bags per car.

Event safety procedures: please wear a mask and stay in your vehicle until it is your turn to unload.

Open to Kirkland residents and businesses. All shredding will be completed on site the day of the event by our vendor Confidential Data Disposal, a NAID AAA certified vendor who has provided shredding at Kirkland's events for many years. To minimize the time people are on site, we are asking people to leave the event as soon as they drop off their materials; please attend a future event if you would like to watch your materials shredded personally. Questions? Email recycle@kirklandwa.gov.


Kingsgate Library free summer meals

Kingsgate Library presents Free Summer Meals

Kingsgate Library at 12315 N.E. 143rd Street

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in August (August 10, 12, 17, 19, 24 and 26)

This "grab and go" free summer lunch program is available to kids and teens age 18 and under. *Masks must be worn to participate. For more information, visit the Kingsgate Library website

This program is made possible through partnerships and sponsorships. Supporting organizations include: United Way of King County, FareStart, the YMCA and the King County Library System. 


KAC event

Kirkland Arts Center presents Speak Up

Artists Call

Deadline: August 16, 2020

Speak Up is a digital exhibition that welcomes any form of artwork that addresses equality and equity in our current political climate. In creating a digital space for artists to show their work that connects to equality and equity, Kirkland Arts Center as an organization and a community hopes to learn, listen, and support artists that have been silenced by an oppressive system. We hope to spark important dialogues within this vast, intersectional topic and foster a sense of empathy within the arts and beyond. Visit the KAC Facebook page for more information!

Details:
All mediums and artists welcome!
Submit up to 3 pieces.
Your Instagram account must be public - and be certain you’ve tagged us, so we don’t miss your submission!

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