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Table of Contents:
The Kirkland City Council’s next “virtual” meeting takes place Tuesday, May 18. The meeting uses video conferencing technology provided by Zoom. 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 May 4 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting at: Kirkland City Council agendas.
More ways to watch! Kirkland City Council meetings are now streamed live on City of Kirkland YouTube and Facebook in addition to the live stream on the City website. Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.
Here are a few highlights from the upcoming meeting:
Study Session: R-5434 Update Study Session
On August 4, 2020 the City passed legislation (Resolution R-5434) committing to several actions related to examining and dismantling institutional and structural racism in Kirkland. At the May 18 Study Session, the City Council will discuss Section 2f regarding alternatives to police and Section 1 regarding dashboards and provide direction to staff on how to move ahead with the community responder program and continued dashboard development. The Council will also receive an update on additional Resolution R-5434 elements.
Proclamations
National Police Week: National Police Week is an annual week-long celebration of the professionalism, dedication and courage exhibited by Police Officers as they serve their communities and preserve the rights and freedoms of all people. Peace Officer Memorial Day, May 15, specifically honors all police officers, especially those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Older Americans Month: Older Americans Month was established in 1963 and has historically been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country, in particular those who defended our country. Older adults have built resilience and strength over their lives through successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. Their stories and contributions help to support and inspire others.
National Foster Care Month Proclamation: National Foster Care Month is a time to acknowledge families and professionals who help children and youth in foster care. This year the Children’s Bureau recognizes National Foster Care Month through the initiative and its theme “Foster Care as a Support to Families, Not a Substitute for Parents,” as part of an on-going effort to promote meaningful family engagement, support, and empowerment.
Business Items Include:
- 2021 Board and Commission Interview Selection Committee Recommendation
- 2021 State Legislative Update #8
- Summer Action Plan Follow-Up
- Public Works Staffing Modification
- Kirkland Zoning Code Chapter 95 Amendments
The full agenda and details will be available on the Kirkland City Council agendas page. 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. Please see www.kirklandwa.gov/council for more information on how to provide spoken comments. Written comments can be submitted to CityCouncil@kirklandwa.gov. For additional questions, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (425) 587-3190.
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City Council invites anyone who lives, works, or plays in Kirkland to share your thoughts about the NE 85th St. Station Area Plan at a special meeting of the Council on Wednesday, May 26. Over the past several months, community members have provided ideas and feedback on the future of the Station Area, and we want to hear more! The listening session will provide an opportunity to voice your opinion directly to the City Council and provide them with input before the next phase of the project begins.
Please join us for the Virtual City Council Listening Session on May 26, 2021 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. To make sure the City Council hears from as many speakers as possible, comments will be limited to 2-3 minutes. Learn more about the project and watch for further event details on the project webpage: www.kirklandwa.gov/stationareaplan.
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 The Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission is seeking a vibrant series of three-dimensional artworks to occupy an outdoor sculpture gallery right in the heart of downtown Kirkland! The exhibition is titled “Intersectional Voices” and is located on Kirkland’s Park Lane, a destination street known for its bustling nightlife, unique boutique shopping, decadent desserts, and award-winning restaurants. Park Lane is a dynamic roadway that opens to people walking and wheeling during summer evenings, for a pedestrian-friendly environment that welcomes wandering, shopping and dining.
Selected artists will receive a $1,000 stipend with the understanding that the art will be showcased for roughly a year. During its time on Park Lane, the art is for sale to prospective buyers.
The theme, “Intersectional Voices,” has been chosen to reflect the City of Kirkland’s ongoing efforts to dismantle structural racism. The artwork should invigorate, inspire and energize the Kirkland community, communicate Kirkland as a safe, inclusive and welcoming place, celebrate diversity, and honor social and racial justice.
For more information on this exciting opportunity, visit our website.
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Staff are working to get the buildings cleaned, supplies prepared, and programs ready for you and your family to enjoy this summer. The centers will be open to program participants and renters only. To enter the building, community members must be signed up for a program or be part of a private rental.
Just like Darth Vader, we ask everyone who comes into the community centers to wear a mask, physically distance from others, and make sure to wash or sanitize hands often.
Program registration is now open at kirklandparks.net or over the phone at 425-587-3336.
Until June, May the Force Be with You!
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 The City of Kirkland strives to offer recreation programs that are welcoming and inclusive for all. Recreation Scholarships are available to Kirkland residents. Scholarship applications can be submitted at any time during the year. Limited spots are available for scholarship recipients for summer 2021 programs – applications should be submitted earlier if possible.
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭: To provide greater benefit, scholarship limits have been increased to $450 per Kirkland resident per year and may be used for multiple programs throughout the year.
To learn about income eligibility requirements or to apply for a Recreation Scholarship, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/RecreationScholarships.
 Would you like to volunteer to monitor the health of Kirkland’s local creeks? Join Sno-King Water Watchers, a Community-Based Water Monitoring program in King and Snohomish Counties.
Volunteer Water Watchers visit a location on a local creek once per month to conduct a variety of water quality monitoring tests and record their data.
To become a volunteer monitor:
- Attend our series of Zoom-based classes and in-person practical training. Volunteers will need to attend all 3 sessions.
- Choose a location on a Kirkland creek to monitor.
- Monitor at your location once per month.
CLASSES
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Introduction to Water Monitoring - Wednesday, May 26, 7-8 p.m.
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Physical/Chemical Monitoring - Wednesday, June 2, 7-8 p.m.
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Practical Skills Training - Saturday, June 12, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. OR 1-4 p.m.
** Registered participants will receive reminder emails before each class with details and training materials.**
More information and class registration: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5119903
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The King County Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program (EPRAP) is beginning its next round of enrollment for landlords and individual tenants. As of Wednesday, April 28, Phase One enrollment is open for landlords who have five or more tenants behind in rent. For more information, visit: https://kingcounty.gov
Phase Two is aimed at individual tenants and landlords with less than five units behind in rent, and starts on Monday, May 17. If you are a tenant interested in receiving notifications about the tenant registration process; visit the webpage linked below and sign up for updates.
The 2021 Eviction Prevention and Rent Assistance Program is significantly larger than the 2020 program, with over $125 million available to assist residents. EPRAP will help King County residents in danger of eviction by paying past, current, and future rent. Payments go directly to landlords or property owners. For more information visit https://dchsblog.com
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If you’ve noticed more people out and about on bicycles lately, that’s because May is Bike Everywhere Month! Bike Everywhere Month is a wonderful opportunity to get outdoors and engage in physical activity while contributing positively to the environment by lowering your carbon footprint.
In order to help keep our friends and neighbors on bicycles safe, we wanted to share a few safety tips. Here are three easy ways you can help enhance safety for people on bicycles:
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Always look twice for bikes! In many areas of Kirkland, including Lake Washington Boulevard, Market Street and Central Way, our bike lanes and our parking lanes are very close neighbors. If you are in a vehicle, always remember to look twice for people on bikes before swinging your car door open, and then again when you leave the parking lane to enter the driving lane.
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Move over three feet or more to pass! As of January 2020, the state of Washington has a new safe passing law. When there are two or more lanes in the same direction of travel, drivers must move left into the adjacent lane to pass, after making sure it's safe to do so. When there is only one lane in the direction of travel, drivers must move into the lane going in the opposite direction to pass if it's safe to do so. If not, drivers should pass when it's possible to do so at a distance of at least three feet. This new state law is meant to reduce the number of collisions and risks for vulnerable users of the roadway, including people walking and wheeling.
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Please keep our bike lanes clear! Bike lanes are travel lanes too. Never park in a bike lane, even if you’re just checking your phone, and please keep your trash and recycle carts out of bike and pedestrian travel lanes. Learn more about being “cart smart” on our website.
The best way to celebrate Bike Everywhere Month is to get on a bike and ride to work, to one of our amazing Kirkland businesses, or to one of our scenic waterfront areas like Marina Park or Juanita Beach. For more information about biking in Kirkland, visit our website.
Thanks for helping keep our community safe!
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108th Avenue Northeast – Houghton/Lakeview
Drivers along 108th Avenue Northeast should expect traffic delays starting May 17 as Marshbank Construction returns to complete Kirkland’s upgrade of water and sewer systems.
Marshbank Construction will be repairing damaged curbs and sidewalk and rebuilding sidewalk curb ramps to improve the corridor’s overall accessibility for all users.
Marshbank will also pave 108th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 53rd and 68th streets.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/108thavewatersewer
Cross Kirkland Corridor – Totem Lake
A detour around the Cross Kirkland Corridor between 120th Place Northeast and 128th Lane Northeast remains in effect while Kirkland contractors use it to make progress on two of Totem Lake’s most ambitious capital projects: renovation of Totem Lake Park and construction of Totem Lake Connector pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
Totem Lake Park is expected to be complete this summer and the Totem Lake Connector is expected to be complete later in 2022.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector or www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakepark.
Cross Kirkland Corridor – Everest/Moss Bay
Cross Kirkland Corridor travelers will continue to encounter a short detour around the trail between Seventh Avenue South and Sixth Street South as construction of the Feriton Spur Park expansion continues.
The short detour will direct travelers to a protected pathway along Fifth Place South. The park’s developer, SRM Development, expects the detour to continue for five months. During that time, SRM Development will restrict parking along the north portion of Fifth Place South.
SRM Development expects to open Feriton Spur Park to open to the public in September. The new park will extend the developed section of the Cross Kirkland Corridor to Sixth Street South with 14 improvements, including a pickleball court, urban farm and the corridor’s first bathroom.
Northeast 132nd Street - Juanita
Drivers commuting along Northeast 132nd Street, between 100th and 97th avenues northeast should continue to expect minor delays while Kirkland’s Fire Station 24 contractor and Puget Sound Energy work in the street to connect and upgrade utilities for the new Fire Station 24.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/firestation24
Multiple locations - North Rose Hill/South Rose Hill
Drivers should expect construction this week along various sections of Northeast 75th Street and 128th Avenue Northeast while Kirkland’s Neighborhood Greenways contractor closes lanes to establish a variety of traffic-calming features.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways
City of Kenmore - Juanita Drive
The City of Kenmore is closing a two-block section of Juanita Drive from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays until mid-May.
Kenmore is closing the arterial between Northeast 153rd and 155th places while its contractor continues to make progress on a mile and a half of sidewalk and bicycle lanes. After 3 p.m., Juanita Drive will be open to one lane, two-way traffic controlled by portable traffic signal.
Visit https://kenmoreconstruction.com/juanita-sidewalk-project
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𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽! 😎☀️
- Open to ages 5-8.
- Camp runs 9-5pm, with extended care options available.
- Campers will enjoy exciting camp activities, which include arts, sciences, sports, games, wacky special events, and guest visitors and entertainers.
Camp themes include Summer Snowstorm, Forces of Nature, Dumpster Diving, and more! Register today at kirklandparks.net
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Recycling Collection Event
Saturday May 15, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Lake Washington Institute of Technology, 11605 132nd Ave NE
Recycle tricky items at our biggest recycling event of the year. Bring block Styrofoam, oversize scrap metal, bulky wood, mattresses, tires and more for recycling. Free shredding of confidential papers will be available (quantity limit). Some items are free to recycle, while others have a pass-through charge. Attendees must wear a mask at the event. See all event details, including all accepted items, fees and limits.
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!😍
During the month of May gather your friends and family together and construct a gnome house, for fun, comradery, and prizes.
Categories include:
- Best home that honors your cultural heritage
- Most unique
- Most modern home
- Best use of foliage
- Best use of stones
- Best use of sticks
Once you create your gnome home then you will place it in a park of your choice for all to see. Submit a photo of your creation, the park location, and choice of category to tcobb@kirklandwa.gov. Prizes will be given to each category winner on June 2nd.
Criteria:
- Use all organic material sticks, stones, foliage found on ground
- Build no bigger than 12" x 12" squared
- Keep homes at ground level, off of walkways
- No profanities used in any way
- Small figurines are permitted
Register for FREE at https://bit.ly/3t2IKff.
Looking for gnome home supplies? Stop by our Gnome Home Supply event this Saturday from 11-2pm at North Kirkland Community Center. You will find sticks, moss, pine cones, bark, and more for FREE!
North Kirkland Community Center
12421 103rd Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98034
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