Tonight (Wednesday, November 4) at 7:30 p.m., the City Council holds the first of two public hearings to receive comments from community members on the 2021 - 2022 Preliminary Budget.

A preceding study session begins at 5:30 p.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend study sessions, which take place via Zoom and provide the opportunity to explore featured topics at a greater depth. Tonight's study session focuses on 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.

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. To see tonight's agenda, visit our City Council webpage at: Kirkland City Council Agendas.

The second public hearing takes place Tuesday, November 17. Feedback on the budget can be provided via public comment during either of the two public hearings, in writing through the Our Kirkland portal or by emailing: budgetfeedback@kirklandwa.gov.

In the video below, Councilmember Amy Falcone talks more about the 2021 - 2022 Proposed Budget's Community Safety Initiative, designed to help Kirkland become a safer and more equitable City. The core of the Community Safety Initiative is the implementation of Resolution R-5434 and related equity needs. These efforts are meant to address systemic racism and help ensure that Kirkland is safe, inclusive and welcoming to all. 

Houghton Transfer Station, located in the Bridle Trails neighborhood of Kirkland, is outdated and no longer able to meet the community’s needs for waste disposal and recycling. King County is planning to build a replacement station somewhere in Kirkland, Redmond, or Woodinville. Like the new Factoria Transfer Station in Bellevue, the modern replacement station will offer improved recycling opportunities and public amenities.

Replacing the Houghton station with a larger, easy-to-use facility with more recycling options will make services more convenient and accessible and keep recyclable materials out of the landfill. After siting, design and construction, the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station is scheduled to start operating in 2027. Take King County’s short survey to help them decide where to locate a new recycling and garbage transfer station in the northeast part of King County. For more information about Northeast Recycling & Transfer Station project, please visit the King County webpage. 

The survey will be open until November 20. 

Traveling this holiday season is fine if you are willing to be cautious, follow the rules, and are flexible and can easily make changes to your plans. If you do travel, be sure to mask up and practice social distancing and good hygiene. Don’t forget to pack an abundant supply of disinfectant travel wipes with a minimum of 70 percent alcohol!

Here are a few more tips for safe holiday travel:

• Small, local gatherings are the safest.
• Check infection rates before you go. National information is available here.
• Consider a pre-trip 14-day quarantine, especially if you are visiting vulnerable populations.
• Practice daily self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms.
• Consider COVID-19 testing for hosts and/or guests, but note that testing provides status for a point in time and it’s still important to use caution.
• Research current pandemic restrictions of your destination.

If you find yourself anxious about travelling or are in a vulnerable population, you may want to reconsider travel plans. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. More information about holiday gatherings and travel is available on the CDC website.

Contact tracing is a time-tested way to limit the spread of contagious diseases. Along with testing, contact tracing is a crucial method for slowing the spread of COVID-19. It's a basic tool of medical detective-work, aimed at keeping your family, friends and community members safe if you may have exposed them to the virus. 

If you receive a call from a contact tracer, the caller will show up as "Public Health," "WA Health," 206-263-8480, or 206-263-0267. What should you do? Answer the call. Your participation is essential to helping stop the spread of COVID-19. Learn more on the Public Health - Seattle & King County webpage. 

Always remember: If you have symptoms, contact tracers will ask you questions about when they first developed, where and when you were exposed, and who you may have exposed to the virus. They will also ask for your date of birth, and confirm your address, race and ethnicity. Contact tracers will never ask about your immigration status, Social Security number or financial information. For more information on how to discern between a legitimate contact tracer and a scammer, visit the Federal Trade Commission webpage. 

This week's rainy weather is driving those red and golden fall leaves from their branches quicker than ever. Help prevent localized flooding by checking your neighborhood storm drains and making sure they're clear of leaves.

To help support these efforts, the collection of extra yard waste is FREE for single family residences in Kirkland all throughout the month of November. Fill your gray yard waste 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 about what you can do to help prevent localized flooding, please visit our stormwater drainage and flooding webpage or check out our fall utility billing insert.

According to the latest weather forecasts, today and tomorrow are bringing us steady rainfall. Are you prepared for possible urban flooding? 

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.