Coming Up at Council
The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, February 16. The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery 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 February 16 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:
Study Session: Resolution R-5434 Early Action Update and Next Steps
The City strives to create a Kirkland where Black people feel safe and respected, and where interpersonal, institutional and structural racism no longer exists. On August 4, 2020, the City passed Resolution 5434 (R-5434), committing to several actions related to examining and dismantling institutional and structural racism in Kirkland.
During the study session, City staff will provide the Council with an early action update and will receive direction from the Council on next steps for the various elements of R-5434. For each element, staff have detailed community insight, key considerations, and national best practice review for Council’s reference and consideration of next steps. Based on Council’s direction, staff will further engage the community on R-5434 and will return to Council at a future meeting for additional Council direction.
Other items include:
- Discussion to set priority goals for 2021 - 2022 and adopt the 2021 - 2022 City Work Program
- The third State legislative update of 2021
- Consideration of a potential amendment to the adopted 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan adding a new project for intersection improvements at NE 124th Street/100th Avenue NE
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.
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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) determines the distribution of vaccine for our state and eligibility for vaccination in phases. King County is currently in the State's Phase 1a and Phase 1b, Tier 1 for vaccine distribution.
How to confirm eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine: Use www.FindYourPhaseWA.org, an online self-assessment, to find out if you are eligible for vaccination.
How to schedule a vaccination appointment if you are eligible:
Call your doctor's office or healthcare provider to see if they have available vaccination appointments. If you don't have a healthcare provider or if your provider doesn't have vaccine available, go to www.FindYourPhaseWA.org to confirm your eligibility and find possible vaccination locations.
If you can't use the online Phase Finder tool and have no one to assist you, you can get help over the phone from Washington state's COVID-19 Assistance Hotline: Dial 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Please note: Currently both vaccine supply and appointments are limited. Read more here: Public Health - Seattle & King County COVID-19 vaccine information.
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How does the City of Kirkland get ready when a winter storm is about to hit? Public Works Superintendent Ray Steiger explains more about snow response in the video below. A map of snow plow routes is available on the City’s website. Please remember to use Our Kirkland to easily report non-emergency snow-related concerns and issues. Our Kirkland is available on the homepage of the City website.
Remember, Our Kirkland is for non-emergency issues or services only. In the event of an emergency, please call 9-1-1. Thank you for watching our video and being informed about winter snow response!
The City of Kirkland is aware of a security/data incident related to its utility billing vendor, Automatic Funds Transfer Services, Inc (AFTS). The City of Kirkland contracts with AFTS to handle Kirkland resident and commercial utility billing including processing of paper check payments. The AFTS servers were encrypted by ransomware sometime between the evening of February 3 and the morning of February 4, 2021. There is no direct threat to the City of Kirkland’s network as a result of this incident. Please find the full news release on the City website at: City of Kirkland newsroom.
The City of Kirkland is inviting the community to participate in a survey about Kirkland’s trees February 5 through February 19, 2021. The 2021 Community Tree Survey will help the City gather insight from the community about how to better manage Kirkland's urban forest and will inform the development of a work plan to guide 2021-2026 tree planting, maintenance and preservation efforts. The last Community Tree Survey was conducted in 2012.
Go to www.kirklandwa.gov/urbanforestworkplan to take the survey, and find the full news release on our website.
On Monday, February 8, Kirkland firefighters began administering COVID-19 vaccinations to residents in adult family homes and skilled nursing facilities. Providing vaccinations to these Kirkland residents is an important first step in protecting the health of our entire community. For questions about the mobile vaccination program, contact Public Health - Seattle & King County. For general information about getting the COVID-19 vaccination in King County, go to: Getting vaccinated in King County.
The mobile vaccination program is overseen by Public Health - Seattle & King County, with support from the Redmond and Kirkland fire departments. Together, Kirkland and Redmond firefighters will vaccinate residents at over 77 adult family homes located in Redmond, Kirkland, Duvall and Woodinville over the next few weeks.
Visit the Public Health - Seattle & King County webpage for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Giving blood is an act of love! They say that kindness is love in action, and we believe that donating blood is the very best example of showing kindness to a stranger. Blood donations go to people we don’t know and will never meet, yet, it’s an act of kindness that changes the course of that stranger’s life. When you donate with Bloodworks from February 1 - 28, your blood will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies. You may be able to donate to our convalescent plasma program and help COVID-19 patients directly.
Be a COVID-19 hero and schedule your one hour appointment. Donating blood is a safe and essential activity. Join the City of Kirkland and donate on February 25 or 26. To make your appointment, visit https://dslnk.co/CityOfKirkland or call 1-800-398-7888.
The North Kirkland Community Center is located at 12421 103rd Ave., Kirkland, 98034. For more information, visit our event page at: City of Kirkland Pop-Up Blood Drive.
The City has continued to maintain an online COVID-19 resource guide available on the City website. Please visit these resource pages to find resources for residents, resources for businesses, ways to help, and general information about the City's ongoing response to COVID-19. These pages are updated frequently so check back often.
Resource Highlights
- In February, the City expanded its senior lunch program at the Peter Kirk Community Center from two days a week to three. Nutritious to-go meals are available to anyone age 60 and over on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Peter Kirk Community Center. Lunches are available for pick-up at noon on the west side of the building in the turnaround area. Lunches must be pre-ordered at least one day in advance. Delivery may be available to Kirkland residents who are unable to come to the Peter Kirk Community Center to pick up their meal. To reserve a lunch, inquire about delivery, or to get more information about the program, call 425-587-3360.
- Are you behind in rent, or think you may be soon? Are you a landlord or tenant looking for help working out repayment options? The Bellevue Conflict Resolution Center is here to help and is available for Kirkland residents. Information is available in multiple languages and interpretation services are provided as needed. To find out more, please call the Conflict Resolution Center at 425-452-4091, or visit the Bellevue Conflict Resolution Center webpage.
- If you are facing housing-related challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and you cannot afford a lawyer, the Eastside Legal Assistance Program (ELAP) may be able to help. ELAP provides non-criminal legal services to Kirkland residents facing eviction and other housing-related legal issues. ELAP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people faced with domestic violence, housing, financial, healthcare, immigration and other issues that need a legal solution. To find out if you qualify, visit: www.elap.org or call 425-747-7274.
For more information about these and other resources, visit our Resources for Residents resource library.
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Join us for a 90-minute interactive session featuring structured dialogues on race and racism. We’ll use the inclusive dialogue model to practice skills for engaging in conversations about racism, build relationships and understanding between participants from diverse racial backgrounds, and support anti-racist action in the community. The first event of the series is on Saturday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Community members (high school age and up) may attend one or more sessions. Although the training material will be repeated each time, the question sets will vary. Returning participants are invited to deepen their skills and learning. Each session offers an opportunity to meet new people and explore different aspects of race, racial identity, and racism.
This is a virtual event. The event series is sponsored by the City of Kirkland.
About the Facilitators
The series is designed and facilitated by Debbie Lacy, Founder and CEO of Eastside For All, and Nura Adam, Founder and Executive Director of the Immigrant Women’s Community Center (IWCC). Debbie has a mixed ethnic background. Her mother is a Mexican immigrant with Mayan Indigenous and Spanish ancestry. Her father was white, mostly Italian. Debbie grew up in the Midwest and East Coast. Nura is ethnically Somali, raised in the U.S. Both live and work in East King County.
Community dialogues are part of broader efforts by Eastside For All, IWCC, and others who are committed to social justice and community-building that fosters solidarity, belonging, and compassion.
Registration opened on Friday, February 5. To get an announcement, please sign up for the Eastside For All email list.
Six months ago, Kirkland Place for Families and Women opened its doors, a culmination of efforts dating back to 2012 to provide permanent 24/7 emergency shelters to replace the temporary winter shelter for families and women. The shelter offers singular cubicle beds for adult women in a communal space and private spaces for families. Housing and supportive case management services are available to keep guests safe and supported as they work to rebuild their lives and re-establish their housing. Funding for shelter construction and operations came from a variety of sources including the City of Kirkland, King County, Washington State Housing Trust, ARCH, East King County CDBG Cities, and private donors from the community, particularly Holy Family Church in Kirkland, St. Louise Church in Bellevue, and The Sophia Way donors.
Right now, an initiative is underway to launch a program to provide remote learning support for kids experiencing homelessness, making it possible for their parents to concentrate on work and securing full-time housing. Keeping pace with school in the current remote learning environment is particularly difficult with the extra challenge of homelessness. The education coordinator will work with families as well as the local schools to provide guidance and organization so no student gets left behind. More information about this project can be found at https://kpcf.org/donations/remote-learning-support-for-homeless-students.
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or has other human service needs, resources can be found on the City of Kirkland website.
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For the safety of students, school zone speed enforcement will resume on Thursday, February 18, including school zone safety cameras.
The Lake Washington School District has announced that in-person services will begin on February 18 starting with kindergarten and first grade students and then phasing in additional grades over the following weeks. Drivers are asked to drive with caution and must obey speed limits as posted in school zones or they could be ticketed and fined.
Please find the full new release on our website. For more information about school zone speed enforcement and the safety camera program, visit our school zone speed enforcement webpage.
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Whatever your Valentine’s Day needs may be, we’ve got you covered! Shop Local Kirkland is growing every day and we’re continually working to make the site more intuitive and easier to use. We’re rapidly approaching 250 businesses, all Kirkland based and gathered on this digital main street for your convenience.
From flowers, to delicious baked treats, to custom jewelry, to plenty of options for both casual and fine dining, Shop Local Kirkland is your digital pathway to so many wonderful opportunities to use your dollars to support our local businesses. Shop Local Kirkland offers unique gifts alongside one-of-a-kind memory-making experiences, so no matter who you’re shopping for, you’ll find something great.
You never know what you’ll find on Shop Local Kirkland!
Spread the love this Valentine's Day and visit www.ShopLocalKirkland.com today!
As King County Metro continues to transition through the pandemic’s recovery phases, it is making plans to gradually restore suspended service where needed most. In order to make the most informed service decisions for King County residents and Metro customers, King County Metro is seeking community feedback through a short survey on Metro’s route to recovery.
Responses are due by 11:59 p.m. March 8, 2021. Your valuable input will help transit planners identify and recommend priority service changes in September 2021 and beyond. The survey is available in six languages. Please visit the Metro Matters webpage for more information and links to the survey.
Totem Lake
Willows Road Northeast will remain open only to northbound traffic until Feb. 26 when Interwest Construction will re-open both of its lanes.
Kirkland’s contractor is building a multi-use trail along Willows Road that will help people who are riding bicycles or walking to connect to the Sammamish River Trail and the Redmond Central Connector. This project, referred to as the Willows Road Regional Trail Connection, will complete a gap in King County’s regional trail network, progressing toward a more complete network that connects the Totem Lake and Redmond urban centers, the Woodinville Wine Country and the Willows Road high-tech corridor.
Visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/WillowsConnection
Juanita
A City of Kirkland contractor will continue its closure of Northeast 116th Street’s center turn-lane through February while its crews upgrade a series of crosswalks near McAuliffe Park and A.G. Bell Elementary School. The center lane will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each work day.
Westwater Construction is also closing an additional lane from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., with flaggers maintaining the flow of two-way traffic.
This project improves pedestrian safety in the Juanita neighborhood with a total of four upgraded crosswalks along Northeast 116th Street, between 104th Avenue Northeast and 113th Place Northeast. These improvements will increase safety for those walking between destinations north of Northeast 116th Street, like McAuliffe Park, and destinations south of the Northeast 116th Street, like Alexander Graham Bell Elementary School.
Visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/116thCrosswalks
North Rose Hill/South Rose Hill
A Kirkland contractor will begin establishing features in mid-February along 128th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 75th Street that will transform the residential street into one of Kirkland’s first two greenways, on which walking and bicycling are the primary modes of travel.
Rodarte Construction will add rapid flashing beacons, 20-mile-per-hour speed-limit signs and other devices to reduce the speeds and volume of automobiles.
Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways
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Kirkland City Administrative Offices Closed for Presidents' Day
Monday, February 15
Administrative Offices both Virtual and at City Hall
In observance of Presidents' Day, City services normally accessible through email, the Our Kirkland Customer Service portal, and over the phone are unavailable on Monday, February 15. *Note: City facilities remain closed to the public in alignment with Gov. Jay Inslee’s Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery plan for reopening.
For more information about City services, visit our website at: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Home.
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King County Solid Waste Division
Northeast Recycling & Transfer Station Project Extended Comment Period
Comments due by February 18, 2021
Online survey
The King County Solid Waste Division is evaluating four sites for a new transfer station to replace the Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland. Visit www.kingcounty.gov/northeast to share your thoughts about the sites in a multilingual survey available through Thursdsay, February 18.
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City of Kirkland N.E. 85th Street Station Area Plan Comment Period Ends Friday, February 19
Comment on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
Visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/stationareaplan
The City is working toward a regional gateway that supports transit, creates opportunity for all, and reflects Kirkland’s unique identity. In this phase of the project, the City is seeking input on the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS).
The DSEIS is a detailed analysis of each potential Station Area Plan alternative and looks at possible impacts and mitigation measures across elements such as air quality, aesthetics, stormwater management, transportation, housing, public services, and more. The community’s input will be taken into consideration as decisions are made about which parts of each alternative should, or should not, be incorporated into the final Station Area plan.
In recognition of the great input the City is receiving from community members, the DSEIS comment period has been extended to give people more time to learn about the project and share their thoughts. The extended comment deadline is February 19, 2021.
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Kirkland Parks & Community Services presents "The Heart of Kirkland" Scavenger Hunt
Friday, February 5 - Friday, March 5
Self-guided event
Kirkland Parks & Community Services invites you to join this fun citywide adventure starting Friday, February 5!
Follow the clues, find the letters, solve the final riddle and submit your answer by Friday, March 5 to be entered into a drawing for prizes. Clues will take you to the four corners of Kirkland, test your knowledge of local businesses, parks, and our local history.
Starting Friday, February 5, clues will be emailed weekly on Fridays. Your registration fee supports Kirkland Parks & Community Services Scholarship Fund which helps enable families to participate in programs. Please check the box yes when asked to donate.
Win prizes donated by local businesses.
Register today at KirklandParks.net
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Kirkland Parks & Community Services presents "Color Your World!"
Ongoing
Online event
Skin comes in many different colors, and all are beautiful. Draw a picture of yourself, show us the color of your skin, hair and eyes. Let us see how beautiful and proud you are! For more about Color Your World, watch this great video on the Parks & Community Services Facebook page.
Email your picture with your name to tharrison@kirklandwa.gov. Your art will be featured on the Kirkland Parks & Community Services Facebook page!
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Kirkland Performance Center presents: Stephanie Anne Johnson is Back for a Virtual Concert
8 p.m. Thursday, February 11
Live, virtual show
Tune-in on Thursday, February 11 at 8 p.m. as Stephanie Anne Johnson joins KPC for a virtual concert.
You may remember Stephanie from KPC's first ever KPC at Home: LiveStream in May of 2020, or from her amazing opening set at our 2020 Mavis Staples concert, and we can’t wait to have this talented musician back again.
About Stephanie
A singer’s talent is complete when they can bring a crowded dive bar to a collective hush and also get one of the biggest audiences on the planet to a collective standing ovation. Stephanie Anne Johnson is that special singer. The front person for the Tacoma-based band, The Hidogs, can don a cowboy hat and sing over a slide as old timers weep. And they have wowed judges on the immensely popular NBC TV series, The Voice, showcasing their gifts.
Visit the KPC webpage for more!
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Kirkland Performance Center presents... The Singles Soundtrack Experience: A Virtual Benefit Concert
7 p.m. Sunday, February 14
Live, virtual show
Welcome back to Grunge City.
Thirty years after Cameron Crowe captured a moment in cultural and musical history with the hit movie, Singles, FM Collective and Rain Light Fade are excited to announce The Singles Soundtrack Experience— a virtual concert benefitting MusiCares, an organization that provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need.
The Singles Soundtrack Experience, premiering on February 14th at 7:00 PM PST, will be a musical celebration that allows fans to re-live the soundtrack of a movie and movement that defined an era and a city. Livestreamed through Kirkland Performance Center this special benefit concert will feature some of the artists that were instrumental in putting the grunge scene and Seattle, on the map.
For more about this show, visit the KPC website.
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Cascade Water Alliance presents FREE Virtual Cascade Gardener Classes
March and April, 10 a.m. Saturdays
Online virtual events
Cascade Water Alliance is pleased to provide the 2021 Cascade Gardener virtual class series. All classes are free and will be held through Zoom. Cascade presenters are regional gardening experts who will help you create beautiful gardens and landscapes that are water efficient and sustainable. Space is limited, so register today!
You'll learn about natural yard care, choosing the best plants, gardening in small spaces, sustainable landscaping, garden design, veggie gardening, gardening year 'round and practical gardening. Visit the website to see the class schedule and to sign up!
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