The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Wednesday, November 4. 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 November 4 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:

Service Awards

City of Kirkland employees reaching benchmark service years of twenty and above will be recognized before the Council. Over twenty employees will receive recognition, including two employees who have served for over thirty years.

Code Amendments to Streamline Public Projects

The Council will consider adoption of ordinances amending various sections of the Kirkland Zoning Code (KZC) and Kirkland Municipal Code (KMC). The amendments relate to streamlining public projects which are the development and construction activities associated with the City’s Capital Improvements Program.

2021-2022 Budget: Study Session and Public Hearing

The 2021-2022 Preliminary Budget, “Investing in a More Equitable, Safe and Resilient Kirkland,” was presented to the Kirkland City Council on October 27, 2020 and is available on the City’s website. The preliminary budget will be further reviewed during the study session on November 4, and the community is invited to provide input on the budget at the public hearing during the regular business meeting that starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information about the budget and to view the 2021-2022 Preliminary Budget, please visit www.kirklandwa.gov/budget.

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. Speakers are asked to limit their remarks to three minutes apiece, and no more than three speakers may address the Council on any one subject. However, if both proponents and opponents wish to speak, then up to three proponents and up to three opponents of the matter may address the Council. Zoom audience members will be alerted to ‘raise their hand’ virtually if they wish to address the Council at the appropriate time in the meeting. Written comments can be submitted to CityCouncil@kirklandwa.gov.

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.

Opportunities to provide input at upcoming public hearings

The City of Kirkland invites residents and businesses to share priorities for the 2021-2022 City Budget.  Kirkland prides itself on providing residents an exceptional quality of life with great schools, safe streets, a clean environment and beautiful parks. These choices, whether related to public safety, maintaining parks, keeping pedestrians safe, or protecting the natural environment, are made through the budget.

The 2021-2022 Preliminary Budget, “Investing in a More Equitable, Safe and Resilient Kirkland,” was presented to the Kirkland City Council on October 27, 2020 and is available on the City’s website. The budget proposal was profoundly shaped by the dramatic and historic events that continue to unfold in 2020. The City is still grappling with the social, financial and health impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak that erupted in Kirkland on February 29, 2020 and spread throughout the nation. Also created amid the racial justice movement reignited by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, the budget proposal responds to the commitment made by the City Council on August 4, 2020 through Resolution R-5434 to affirm that Black lives matter, to improve the safety and respect of Black people, and to help end structural racism.

Here are some ways to have your say on how the City spends community resources:

• Participate in an upcoming public hearing. The next scheduled public hearings on the budget are on November 4 and November 17. Opportunities to provide comments at city council meetings are available via Zoom on a computer or telephone connection. The Zoom connection links are provided on each meeting agenda.
• Provide feedback through the Our Kirkland
• Email budgetfeedback@kirklandwa.gov with your feedback about the budget.
• Sign up for This Week in Kirkland for a continual flow of information about what happens during City Council meetings.
• Follow the City’s Facebook page or Twitter account for updates on the City's budget process.

For more information about the budget and to view the 2021-2022 Preliminary Budget, please visit www.kirklandwa.gov/budget.

There is nothing quite as lovely as Kirkland in the fall, but those gorgeous fall leaves can have negative impacts on the City’s stormwater drainage system.

Fallen leaves can pile up on storm drains on our streets, blocking rainwater from draining, which can lead to localized flooding. City crews work hard to keep our storm drains clear of leaves, but with over 12,000 drains in Kirkland, the City needs residents and businesses to help.

The great news is that during the month of November, the collection of extra yard waste is FREE for single family residences in Kirkland. Residents who would like to avoid a charge for yard waste extras in October are encouraged to save excess leaves that won’t fit in their carts until November. Fill your gray cart first, then put out extra leaves in paper bags, reusable yard waste bags or durable containers labeled “yard waste.” There is a 65-pound limit. Plastic bags are not accepted. 

For more information what you can do to help prevent localized flooding, please visit our stormwater drainage and flooding webpage.

Kirkland Public Works staff have positioned two free sandbag filling stations for community members who have concerns about localized flooding or have experienced it in the past. If you've experienced flooding in your neighborhood, you're encouraged to have a supply of sandbags on hand as a preparedness measure. 

Each self-service station offers sand and bags that are free to Kirkland residents and businesses. Shovels are not provided, so be sure to bring your own. City provided bags have attached tie-strings. The stations are located at the Public Works Maintenance Center (915 8th Street) on the west side of the parking lot, and at the North Kirkland Community Center (12421 103rd Ave. N.E.) in the southernmost part of the parking lot.

These two stations are accessible 24 hours a day.

For more information on the best way to fill sandbags plus tips on proper sandbag placement, use this helpful resource from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: https://bit.ly/2HsX9PZ. For more information on ways to help prevent localized flooding, visit our Surface Water Management webpage. 

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.

October's chilly fall temperatures remind us that there's no time like the present to prepare for winter driving conditions. If you've been putting off your winter vehicle maintenance, getting it done now will give you peace of mind as we approach our winter season.

In addition to annual maintenance, here are some great tips for making sure your vehicle is ready to safely get you where you need to be during our frosty winter months:

• Test vehicle’s battery; its power drops as the temperature drops.
• Make sure the cooling system is in good working order.
• Check the freeze protection level of your antifreeze liquid and make sure it’s effective for the coldest temperature expected in your area.
• Add wiper fluid rated for -30 degrees.
• Keep your gas tank at least 50% full to avoid gas line freeze.
• Have winter tires with a deeper, more flexible tread put on your vehicle.
• If using all-weather tires, check the tread on them and replace if less than 2/32 of an inch.
• Check the tire pressure; it drops as the temperature drops.
• Check your wiper blades and replace if needed.

Also, remember to keep your vehicle emergency kit fully stocked. 

When in doubt, don’t go out. While you can prepare for driving in ice and snow, you can’t entirely safeguard yourself. Watch the weather forecasts, and if local authorities urge you to not drive, stay home if you can. For more information about preparing for winter driving, visit the National Safety Council webpage.