The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, November 17. 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 17 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:

2021-2022 Budget and 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Program

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. Kirkland’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds the City's capital needs related to transportation, parks, technology, water, sewer and surface water over a six-year period. The 2021-2026 CIP was originally presented to the City Council on June 16, 2020.

The preliminary 2021-2022 budget and 2021-2026 CIP will be further reviewed during the 5:30 p.m. study session on November 17, and the community is invited to provide input on these items, as well as the 2021 preliminary property tax levy, 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.

Also to be discussed at the November 17 Council Meeting:

• The City of Kirkland’s allocation for the North East King County Regional Public Safety Communications Agency (NORCOM) budget
• Cooperative agreements with WSDOT for the design-build Construction and Project Coordination of the I-405/NE 132nd St interchange project
• The final update of the Sustainability Master Plan

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.

The City Council wants to hear from you!

What are your priorities for the 2021 – 2022 City budget? In the video below, Councilmember Toby Nixon provides some basic information about the budget including why it's important to provide your feedback.

“The budget is more than just numbers,” said Councilmember Nixon. “It puts our community priorities into action.”

In honor of Veterans Day, we showcased a few of the veterans who work at the City or are related to someone who works at the City.

If you would like to view these stories in their entirety, please visit the City Facebook page. 

Firefighter Corey Hall

Firefighter Corey Hall enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2012 and served in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), which is the designated aviation unit for Special Operations. As a Blackhawk mechanic and crew chief, this Maroon Beret served on deployments all over the world, completing missions in the Middle East, Africa, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Corey was hired the Kirkland Fire Department in 2018. He’s a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) instructor and is currently in the driver program learning to drive Kirkland’s fire apparatus. He is also a certified wildland firefighter and a valued member of the City’s wildland firefighting team, serving on two 18-day deployments this summer to assist firefighters in California as they battled some of the largest wildfires in California state history.  

He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2019. Thank you for your service FF Hall!  

Kirkland Police Officer Promise Jackson

Originally from Midlothian Texas, Kirkland Police Officer and former Army National Guard Soldier Promise Jackson loves his job and is passionate about serving the Kirkland community. He was inspired to join the military by his grandfather, who served in the Army and is a veteran of the Korean War, and his older brother, who joined the Army National Guard shortly before he did.

Promise was hired by KPD in 2017, graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Academy, and began serving the Kirkland community. He started as a patrol officer and was recently promoted to the traffic unit as a traffic officer, dedicated to traffic enforcement, collision investigation, DUI enforcement, and other related traffic incidents. Promise loves working in traffic because it gives him the daily opportunity to have a positive impact on public safety. 

Thank you for your service Officer Jackson!

The fall surge, which is showing no signs of stopping, has erased the progress that we made this summer. Western Washington, specifically King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, are hot zones for disease transmission, and they’re following a troubling nationwide trend. This week, the United States broke two records in as many days: more than 100,000 cases reported on Wednesday November 4, and more than 116,000 on Thursday November 5.

As the holidays approach, the Washington State Department of Health recommends taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Limit in-person gatherings as much as you can. That means reducing the number of times you gather, how many people attend and how long you spend together. Gather outside if possible, or open windows and doors to maximize ventilation inside.
• Always wear a face covering when you’re around people who don’t live with you. This includes close friends and family. It may feel awkward to do this around people we know well and trust, but many people get COVID-19 from someone who doesn’t have symptoms yet. Even if you’re keeping some physical distance, it’s still a good idea to wear a face covering.
• Talk to your family and friends about alternate ways to celebrate the holidays. Brainstorm ideas for virtual celebrations so you can still enjoy spending time together without putting each other at risk.
• Make a safety plan for in-person gatherings. Have a conversation with your family and friends about what you’re going to do to reduce risk of spreading COVID-19 when you gather.
• Stay home if you’re sick or have been exposed to COVID-19. If you’re feeling a little under the weather but aren’t sure if you’re getting sick, take the cautious approach and protect others by staying home.
• Keep up your good hygiene habits. Wash or sanitize your hands often and avoid touching your face.

Read the full news release here. See the latest record breaking national numbers here.

On Sunday, November 8, the City of Kirkland became an official stop on the Hand Medal Project’s tour de force as members of the Kirkland Fire Department were presented with handmade medals meant to represent a collective sense of gratitude for healthcare workers around the world. 

Founded by international artists Iris Eichenberg and Jimena Ríos, the Hand Medal Project is a global effort to honor health workers. Launched in March of 2020, the project recruited over 3,000 individual makers from 63 different countries to fashion the small, hand-shaped medals, each meant to serve as an emblem of the service and sacrifice of health workers during this tumultuous year. From there, Eichenberg and Ríos coordinated a network of “Hand Keepers” to collect the medals, and “Hand Givers” to distribute the medals to medical communities all over the world.  

Kirkland’s batch of custom medals was delivered by local Hand Givers Maria Phillips and Jennifer Bennett, both artists and jewelry makers who stepped up to distribute the individual medals to healthcare workers throughout our region. The Hand Medal Project deliberately emulates COVID-19 in its ability to travel swiftly, except that instead of spreading virus, this hope-filled counternarrative spreads gratitude, thankfulness and devotion.

The medals are distinct and made from different types of metal, each with a unique numerical identifier so that Hand Medal recipients can look up their medal and find out who made it. The medals are in the shape of hands because hands themselves have been at the forefront of this ongoing battle. As we wash and sanitize our hands, we reflect on their powerful ability to heal and connect.

“Unlike a war, our current battle with coronavirus is fought with an enemy invisible to the naked eye, its specter made all the more ominous by its intangibility—a danger you cannot see,” wrote Hand Medal Project spokesperson Elizabeth Essner. “By contrast, metal, especially jewelry, is known by its weight and shape against the body. When formed into a medal, it provides a physical testimony for both the unseen virus and invisible bravery of those who have fought it.”

Thank you to the Hand Medal Project for honoring our first responders!

Because City resources can’t reach all locations or address every situation, community assistance and personal responsibility are needed to help keep our community safe during the winter months. If you’re able to, please stay home during a snow or ice event until the roads are clear and safe for traveling.

You can help out by doing the following:

• Staying home throughout the storm, if possible, until driving, walking, and biking routes are clear and safe for travel.
• Parking vehicles in your driveway or garage to give crews access to the street. Owners are responsible for removing/digging out their vehicles if they are parked on snow routes. If a vehicle is blocking snow and ice response activities, police may utilize towing service to clear the roads of these vehicles.

More winter weather preparedness tips are available on the City’s website.