The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, October 6. The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s Safe Start plan to reopen Washington. 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 October 6 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 Ziply Cable Channel 31.

Here are a few highlights from the upcoming meeting:

COVID-19 Update

The City Manager will provide an update on the City’s response to COVID-19.

Shop Local Kirkland Initiative

The City Council will receive an update on the Shop Local Kirkland Initiative (SLK), a multifaceted effort meant to champion the Kirkland business community and help it adapt to the changed economic landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. SLK has two primary program pillars which overlap in both development and function. The first is the SLK website (www.ShopLocalKirkland.com), a local, digital “Main Street” which serves as a gateway to lead consumers to the various ecommerce platforms of Kirkland businesses. The second pillar is a vigorous consumer engagement campaign to drive traffic through the platform, which is intended to boost the reach and revenues of Kirkland businesses.  

Code Amendments to Streamline Public Projects

The City Council will review and discuss proposed amendments to the Kirkland Zoning Code (KZC) and Municipal Code (KMC) that would help streamline the review and approval process for public projects. This code amendment project was added to the City’s Planning Work Program in 2019 in recognition of the City’s recent adoption of its largest Capital Improvement Program (CIP) in history, and the need to streamline permitting of these public projects to ensure wise use of taxpayer dollars and prompt delivery to the community, while ensuring that environmental/neighborhood factors are considered. After receiving the briefing, Council will discuss the amendments and provide direction to staff, who will return to a future Council meeting with an ordinance to amend the KZC and KMC.

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. Community members are welcome to attend the meeting via Zoom. Instructions to participate via Zoom are provided on the City Council webpage prior to the meeting.

Comments may be provided through voicemail (425) 587-3090 or email councilmeetingcomment@kirklandwa.gov  or live via the Zoom link provided on the agenda. Voicemail and email comments (including audio/video clips) submitted by 3 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be provided to Council before the meeting. Comments received on these accounts after 3 p.m. will be provided to the Council the following day.  Copies of all comments will be placed in the meeting packet file. 

Council will accept live spoken commentary under 'Items from the Audience' or ‘Public Hearings’ at regular meetings via Zoom audio/video on a computer or telephone connection.  The connection links are provided on each individual meeting agenda. Comments will be subject to the Council protocols mentioned above. Please call (425) 587-3190 and leave a message before 5 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting with any questions; City Clerk's Office staff will endeavor to return your call. 

For more information about the Kirkland City Council, please visit the Council webpage.

The City of Kirkland is recommending that the community adhere to the following guidance from Public Health - Seattle & King County during this year's Halloween celebrations:

Holidays are going to be different this year, no question about it. But we all need to have some festivity, especially in the midst of the all we’ve had to deal with this year. Halloween has some good celebration options since many activities can be outside and mask wearing is part of the holiday, but there are still some risks with COVID circulating. Public Health has tips to prevent illness, help our community stay on track for reopening, and still retain some of the spooky and sweet flavor of Halloween.

First, the basics: when planning your Halloween activities, follow the fundamentals of COVID prevention. Limit close contact with other people, limit touching points, and practice good hand hygiene.

Trick-or-treating

During the pandemic, trick-or-treating presents some new challenges. Door-to-door trick-or-treating will likely bring people into close contact, especially if people gather and cluster on doorsteps and walkways. It’s also difficult to ensure that everyone is wearing the right face coverings or masks. Trunk-or-treating (when people go from car to car instead of door to door) may also be difficult to do while keeping adequate social distance. While we have continued spread of COVID-19 in our community, Public Health is encouraging other options.

If you are thinking about trick-or-treating, here are some things to consider:

• If you want to give out treats, understand the level of risk you’re willing to take. Packaged food is not considered a common source of coronavirus exposure, but it’s not without risk. If you put out a bowl of candy, a larger number of people will touch the bowl and candy. If you hand out candy out individually, fewer people touch the candy, but they come into closer contact with one another, especially if children line up outside the door. It’s close contact with others that creates the greater risk of COVID spread..
• Reduce risk in how you hand out treats. Options to reduce (but not eliminate) risk include:
  • Use tape to mark waiting spots 6 feet apart on the way up to your door.
  • Use fun ways to give the candy while staying 6 feet apart, like slide the candy down a wrapping paper tube into their trick-or-treat bags. Or individually wrap goodie bags and line them up for families to grab and go while staying social distanced (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard).
  • When you answer the door for trick-or-treaters, wear a mask.

• Wear masks that snugly covers the nose and mouth as part of the Halloween costume. Kids can decorate cloth face coverings with fabric markers or embellishments to go with their costumes! Avoid plastic masks with holes—commercial costume masks won’t provide the same level of protection unless they are made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that fit with no gaps around the face. Make sure kids wear their masks while trick-or-treating.
• Make sure children (and adults) stay at least six feet apart from others. If you can’t keep physical distance, it’s best to avoid activities like trick-or-treating or going to a crowded pumpkin patch.
• Wash your hands thoroughly when you get home. Carry hand sanitizer so that kids can wash their hands while trick-or-treating.
• Set aside any candy that comes from outside your household for 24 hours before allowing children to handle it. Reality check: we know that it’s too much to ask of kids to wait to eat their candy. You might purchase a small amount of candy in advance so that you can have candy on hand that your kids can eat immediately on Halloween.

Safer Halloween options

We recommend Halloween activities that make it easier to maintain physical distance, wear face coverings, and keep people from sharing items. If you do have any social gathering, keep it small and on a shorter time frame (the fewer people and shorter the time, the safer it is).

Ideas for activities with lower risks of COVID-19 include:

• Organize a neighborhood costume parade with social distancing.
• Decorate yards or your neighborhood.
• Do a Halloween scavenger hunt by giving your kids lists of Halloween-themed things (like different types of decorations) to look for while they walk outdoors, keeping a distance from people outside your household.
• Hold a virtual costume party online.
• Exchange candy with families you know. Do a drop-off delivery at their doorstep for a Halloween surprise for the kids.
• Trick-or-treat inside your home by hiding candy for your kids to find. If your kids like Halloween jump scares, hide yourself, too.
• Have a spooky movie night or Halloween craft party with the family.

All ages Halloween tips

Halloween is not just a holiday for kids, so we have some key recommendations for the teen werewolves and adult ghosts and witches:

• Avoid house parties and bars, where the risk is high for the spread of COVID.
• Keep any gatherings small, outdoors when possible or if it must be indoors, in well-ventilated spaces (open windows and doors).
• Avoid indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming (people spray tiny droplets when they scream).
• Incorporate a mask that covers your nose and mouth snugly into your costume. Wear the mask whenever you might be in close contact with anyone outside your household.

Thank you for doing whatever you can to reduce the risk of COVID for neighbors, children, and everyone in the community. Have a happy Halloween season!

For more information, see the CDC’s Halloween celebration page.

Kirkland residents, it’s Salmon SEEson! Adult salmon are currently swimming upstream to reach their spawning grounds, after spending a few years out in the ocean. Look for returning salmon at self-guided sites along the Sammamish River in Redmond in September and October. Visit safely with members of your household, making sure to recreate responsibly.

A map of sites (including virtual viewing opportunities!) and more information can be found at: http://bit.ly/salmonseeson

King County Metro Transit will resume fare collection this Thursday, October 1.

Metro is encouraging riders to use a contactless payment option—such as an ORCA card—to speed up the boarding process, and further protect both themselves and the operator. For more information, please visit the King County Metro website. 

Do you have six minutes to spare? As a recreational boater, your feedback matters.

We are helping the Washington Department of Ecology distribute a survey to recreational boaters in Washington. The survey asks for your opinion on messaging and graphics created for boaters about sewage management rules. This is a follow up to a survey sent earlier this summer.

Your answers are confidential, and no personally identifying questions are asked.

Click on this link to start the survey: https://confidential-survey.com/datafile/2B.htm

If you have questions about this survey, please contact Justine Asohmbom, Ecology. justine.asohmbom@ecy.wa.gov 

The Kirkland Building Services Department is excited to announce a swifter, more streamlined building permit payment process that allows customers to pay permit fees directly from their checking accounts.

Kirkland is one of the first jurisdictions offering the e-check payment option through the MyBuildingPermit.com (MBP) portal. Historically, the only way a customer could pay permit fees through the portal was by credit card, which was prohibitive to users without credit cards and resulted in interest charges for the user and credit card fees for the City. The new e-check option is meant to heighten convenience, reduce transaction fees and increase ease of use for our customers, and is applicable to all permit types. The option to pay with a credit card remains available as well.

Kirkland and Bellevue are the first out of 15 MBP jurisdictions that have implemented the e-check payment option.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this convenient payment option to our permit customers,” said Building Official Kurt Aldworth. “Whether you’re a homeowner installing a new deck, or a contractor putting up a new commercial structure, this electronic payment option will make things easier and faster. We’re grateful to our staff and partners on the MBP program committee for working diligently to implement this new payment option and ensure its successful rollout to our customers.”

MyBuildingPermit.com (MBP) is a regional solution that provides resources and helps residents, builders and developers navigate the permitting process. MBP is one product provided by the eCityGov Alliance a nonprofit agency, serving the jurisdictions of Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kenmore, King County, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Mill Creek, Newcastle, Sammamish, SeaTac, Snohomish County and Snoqualmie.

For more information about MBP, please visit the MBP website.  

Have a great idea for a product or business? Not sure where to start? Consider Startup425 Foundations, a program that brings together innovators, business advisors, and entrepreneurs for a broad overview of the startup process, including ways to adapt to the new economy created by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The free online webinars below will be held on weekday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Small Business Planning with the Lean Canvas (10/6):Learn how business planning can help you manage the risk of starting a new business. We will show you how to use the lean canvas to put all the pieces together in a compelling way to turn your idea into a new product or service, and then into a business. Presented by SCORE Mentor Dean Van Dyke.

Is Your Virtual Networking Not Working? Relationship Strategies to Get Known, Get Connected & Get Paid! (10/13):Learn important networking strategies and techniques to grow your business. Presented by nationally known expert Toni Harris Taylor.

Running a Business Remotely (10/20): Learn how to run a business involving remote work teams, suppliers, partners, and customers. Presented by global leadership expert September Secrist.

Understanding the Options for Financing Your Small Business (10/27):Explore the financing options for starting a new small business. We will help you determine the option that makes the most sense for supplying the capital your business needs. Presented by SBA outreach specialist Janie Sacco. 

Understanding How Marketing Can Help You Launch Your Small Business (11/2):An overview of the key marketing activities you need to work on when launching a new business will be covered. They include defining your target market, designing, pricing, and packaging your product or service, and ways to promote your business at launch. Presenter TBD.

Risk Management and Cybersecurity (11/10): Learn about the common types of business insurance, how they work and when they might apply to your business. Learn how to guard against cybersecurity threats by safeguarding business and employee devices and data. Presented by local experts Felisa Bunner and Jim Bachaud.

Register by visiting this link: www.startup425.org/programs/foundations/