Thanks to all who attended and gave comment during last night's City Council meeting, which took place via the Zoom videoconferencing platform in alignment with current public health recommendations and guidelines.

The public is always welcome at Council meetings, which are a great way to have your voice heard while gaining a better understanding of how your City government operates. The public comment period, identified as "Items from the Audience" on the Council agenda, is your chance to address the Council directly, with both compliments and concerns. We appreciate the commenter who spoke last night and exercised their option to educate our Council on the things that are important to them. 

For more information about Council meetings, including the Zoom link and instructions for providing public comment, please visit the City website. To view this council meeting or any past council meeting, go to Watch Council Meetings on the City’s website.

Here are a few highlights from the meeting:

Study Session: Countywide Growth Targets Briefing

At the Study Session that began at 5:30 p.m., the City Council received a briefing on the current update of the Countywide Planning Policies, including growth targets. 

Other items included:

• The second State legislative update of 2021;
• A resolution setting the City’s priority goals for 2021-2022 and adopting the 2021-2022 City Work Program; and
• Amendments to Title 21 of the Kirkland Municipal Code regarding building and construction and Chapter 110.10 of the Kirkland Zoning Code regarding building permit valuation.

The next City Council meeting takes place Tuesday, February 16. For more information on the Kirkland City Council, please visit our website. 

Come give input on how Kirkland can become a place where Black people feel safe and respected and where interpersonal, institutional and structural racism no longer exists. On August 4, 2020 the City of Kirkland passed legislation (R-5434) committing to examining and dismantling institutional and structural racism in Kirkland and ensuring the safety and respect of Black people.

An overview of early actions related to this work was presented to the City Council on January 5, 2021 and is available on the City’s website. The first update will be presented on February 16 during the City Council study session. These actions come with significant funding over the next two years, and we need your input to advise us on how best to use this funding and how to reimagine Kirkland.  Your input will have a direct influence on various City and Police Department culture, policies, programs, and practices.  There are many ways to provide input:

• Join a virtual Community Conversation. The first of these events will be held 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, February 4, and will be facilitated by Chanin Kelly-Rae, Founder and President of Chanin Kelly-Rae Consulting. Register now
• Provide feedback now through our Community Experience Feedback survey. 
• Visit the City’s website for information about this initiative, how to stay informed, and how to schedule a focus group with City staff.

Thank you for being involved in our community!

The City recently welcomed five new firefighters, hired after an extensive recruitment process that took place during the latter part of 2020. The five probationary firefighters will join the ranks of the Kirkland Fire Department in mid-June, after completing their fire academy and emergency medical technician (EMT) training.

Congratulations to Keenan Huschke, Andrew Claussen, Spencer Hart, Jordan Burton and Hunter Marshall. Welcome to Kirkland!

These five new employees are filling vacancies due to retirements. For more information on the Kirkland Fire Department, visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/.../Departments/Fire-Department

Happy World Wetlands Day!

In honor of World Wetlands Day (Tuesday, February 2), we decided to pay homage to one of the City’s most industrious contributors to the health and vitality of our wetlands: the beaver! Although they sometimes get a bad rap, beavers play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. These small-but-mighty semiaquatic critters have a dramatically positive impact on the natural environment with a multifaceted ability to improve riparian environments.

Here are four fun facts about beavers and how they help our environment:

• Beavers create and maintain wetlands, which are often referred to as the “earth’s kidneys” because of their incredible ability to purify water. Wetlands naturally filter pollutants, provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species, help manage flooding, and help sustain a diverse ecosystem.

• Beaver dams and ponds create nutrient-rich habitat for both plants and animals including mammals, fish, turtles, frogs, birds, ducks and others. Spend some time at Juanita Bay Park and you can visually observe this vibrant biodiversity with your own eyes. You’ll see various species of the above listed wildlife, along with evidence of the beavers that enhance the health and wellness of the Forbes Creek Wetlands.

• Beaver dams actively improve water quality! It is no mistake that beavers are often referred to as “ecosystem engineers” for their skilled knack at building dams that enhance a stream’s ability to break down toxins. Beaver dams and ponds replenish groundwater while providing a cleaner, more consistent water flow into our surrounding streams and lakes.

• Beaver dams deliver natural flood management by helping to slow peak stream flows during storm events. Studies have proven that beaver dams can mitigate flood flows, helping to reduce flood damage by keeping the water where it belongs.

For more information about the City’s efforts to improve the health of our creeks, lakes and wetlands, visit our Storm & Surface Water Division webpage. 

More about Storm & Surface Water

The public is invited to comment on Kirkland’s 2021 NPDES (EPA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan by February 24, 2021.

This Plan outlines Kirkland city actions to protect area waterways by reducing stormwater pollution. Actions include educating citizens about natural yard care techniques or vehicle maintenance, tracing and eliminating pollutant discharges and spills to the City’s stormwater drainage system, and maintaining an extensive network of city-owned Stormwater ponds, vaults, rain gardens, and ditches that store, treat, and transport stormwater prior to discharge to local creeks, wetlands, and Lake Washington.

Comments can be provided via email to Rkonrady@kirklandwa.gov. To see the plan and learn more about the City’s Storm and Surface Water Management Programs, check out www.kirklandwa.gov/stormwater.

Do you want to support Kirkland businesses and nonprofits while simultaneously spoiling your sweetie? We have a challenge for you! Use www.ShopLocalKirkland.com to plan every aspect of your Valentine’s Day celebrations and revel in the knowledge that you’re sharing the love with not only your better half, but also our local businesses who need your support!

It’s as easy as 1… 2… 3...

1. Prep! Getting ready is super easy on ShopLocalKirkland.com. Use it to find a salon or barbershop to make sure you’re looking your very best.

2. Got gifts? You’ll find unique, handcrafted jewelry, beautiful boutique clothing, home décor, fine art and much more on Shop Local Kirkland. Use it to shop for your significant other and take advantage of a variety of options including private shopping hours, in person shopping, curbside pickup or home delivery, depending on where you shop!

3. Dinner and a show! From In-Car Dining, to gourmet takeout, to dine-in services at one of our award-winning restaurants, we’ve got you covered. And to complete your night, check out a livestream performance at our local nonprofit performance center (details in Upcoming Events below).

We hope you have a fantastic Valentine’s Day!