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Table of Contents:
Survey Open Until September 10
People who live in, work in, or visit Kirkland are invited to participate in an online survey by September 10, 2021 to help identify strengths and growth opportunities related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across the city. Over the course of the past year, the City of Kirkland has been engaged in critically important actions to assess our efforts to improve as both a municipal government and employer.
To help with this work, the City has hired Diversity Consultant Chanin Kelly-Rae Consulting to assess the City as a municipal government organization. The community survey is part of Ms. Kelly-Rae’s work, and the City is requesting your participation in sharing your lived experiences, insights, and perceptions of Kirkland.
Take the Kirkland Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Survey
The survey takes approximately 9 minutes to complete and the deadline for completion is 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 10, 2021. Please note that demographic questions are to both make sure the voices of diverse stakeholders are heard and to better understand unique differences in experience. All questions on this survey are entirely voluntary and anonymous. You will not be asked to submit your name, home address, or any other personal identification information. Your IP address will not be stored as part of this survey.
Questions regarding the survey should be directed to the City’s Diversity Consultant at grow@chaninkellyrae.com
This survey, and the work of Ms. Kelly-Rae, is part of the City’s effort to create a Kirkland where Black people feel safe and respected and interpersonal, institutional and structural racism no longer exists. On August 4, 2020 the City passed legislation (R-5434) committing to examine and dismantle institutional and structural racism in Kirkland. To learn more, please visit www.kirklandwa.gov/5434.
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 Projects Will Improve Safety and Livability Throughout the City
The City of Kirkland’s Neighborhood Safety Program (NSP) is accepting ideas for projects that will improve the safety and livability in Kirkland’s neighborhoods. Kirkland residents are encouraged to submit their ideas through the OurKirkland interactive map. To do so, click the “Request for Service” blue button and then enter the address for your project selection or use the pin on the map. Then select “Suggest a Project” in the drop-down dialog box and select the type of project. Projects can be submitted at any time during the year.
All suggestions will be shared with the respective Neighborhood Association this fall. Each Neighborhood Association reviews projects at their monthly meetings in the coming months and can select a maximum of two projects totaling less than $50,000 to submit to the Program. Individuals, community organizations, and businesses are encouraged to work directly with their respective Neighborhood Associations to help identify, review, and prioritize NSP projects. Each Neighborhood Association will identify a Neighborhood Representative to work with other neighborhood representatives and City staff through the Neighborhood Safety Program process in December 2021 through March 2022.
Project idea forms are due from Neighborhood Associations by December 3, 2021 and Neighborhood Associations will start discussions about potential project ideas at their fall meetings. To find your Neighborhood Association, go to the City website and refer to the “Kirkland Neighborhood Association Map” to identify your neighborhood association.
Each year there is a total of $350,000 available for projects citywide under $50,000, including $150,000 funded by the voter approved 2012 Streets Levy. Projects fall into the following categories:
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Bicycle Facility: Bike lanes or trails.
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Crosswalks: New crosswalks, improved crosswalk ramps (ADA), crosswalk islands, and rapid flashing beacons.
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Intersection Improvement: Signage, parking, and pedestrian “bump outs.”
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Traffic Calming: Traffic islands, speed cushions, pedestrian “bump outs,” signage, and radar signs.
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Walkway/Sidewalk and Trail: Gravel trails, steps, curbs, traffic delineators, and sidewalks.
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Street Lighting: On existing utility poles or installing a light new pole.
Improvements are restricted to City property including streets, parks, community facilities, and the Cross Kirkland Corridor. All projects that were funded through the NSP can be found on the City website. Ideas for traffic calming projects, such as traffic islands, speed cushions, pedestrian “bump outs,” signage, and radar signs, are welcome, but these project types are handled through a different program than the Neighborhood Safety Program.
For more information, contact David Wolbrecht, Senior Neighborhood Services Coordinator at 425-587-3011, or by email.
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 Kirkland Parks and Community Services is hosting See Spot Splash at Peter Kirk Pool and Park (352 Kirkland Avenue) 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, September 11, 2021. Bring your dog to splash and play as we celebrate the end of the season at the pool. Register your dog in advance to enjoy a splashy good time with other pups. There are five sessions to choose from, including one for large, small, and mixed-sized dogs.
The cost is $10 per dog, with up to two humans per dog on the pool deck. The pool consists of a large pool and a wading pool, with the wading pool recommended for small dogs. Enjoy some fantastic BBQ from HP Smokehouse BBQ, then visit vendor booths representing dog rescue groups and dog businesses. After every session, participate in the cake walk and best trick contest for fun prizes.
Dogs must show proof of rabies vaccination at check-in. Pre-registration is highly recommended as space is limited. To register, visit kirklandparks.net or call 425-587-3330.
Parking is limited. Download a copy of the Explore Kirkland Guide to Downtown Kirkland Public Parking pamphlet by visiting our website.
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Ismaili CIVIC (formerly known as i-CERV) is once again putting its values into action by collecting food and school supplies for our friends and neighbors in need. Ismaili CIVIC drives are a fun, uplifting way to serve the community! All are welcome and even the smallest donation is embraced.
The 2021 Food and School Supplies Drive takes place 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, August 28 and Sunday, August 29 at the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Totem Lake, and all are welcome to participate. Ismaili CIVIC donation events are contactless with COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place. All you need to do is drive through the collection area, pop your trunk, and let the volunteers do the unloading and hauling. Event organizers ask that donors please wear facial coverings while on site.
Recommended donations include canned protein like tuna fish and chicken, peanut butter, canned fruit and vegetables, white and brown rice, boxed/canned meals, soup, chili, cereal, oatmeal, pasta, sauce, granola bars, shelf-stable milk, and other nonperishable food items. Recommended school supplies include dry erase markers, composition notebooks, graph paper, mechanical pencils and lead refills, three-ring binders, backpacks, hand sanitizer and more.
If you have questions about this event, contact Tasnim Rehamani at 206-981-6860. The Ismaili Jamatkhana and Community Center is in the Totem Lake area at 12505 115th Ave NE, Building D, which is west of the Kirkland Justice Center and near Jasper's Off-Leash Dog Park.
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We would like to extend a gracious thank you to Kirkland resident Karen Lightfeldt for her generous contribution to the City’s collection of vibrant public art!
Karen commissioned local artist Andrew Carson to create the mesmerizing new wind sculpture, called “Glassinator,” which is made of beautifully shaped glass in deep rich colors and moves with the breeze. Karen, a long-time resident of the Juanita area and huge advocate for Juanita Beach Park, targeted Juanita Beach as her preferred home for the sculpture knowing that kids are fascinated with light, color and movement. She wanted to bring something memorable, fun and unique for parkgoers to enjoy, and so far, the response is overwhelmingly and enthusiastically positive.
The 10-foot-tall sculpture is located south of the new playground along the promenade, looking out over the beach and Juanita Bay.
Andrew Carson is a Seattle based artist who has works installed in all 50 states and all over the world, including at our very own Carillon Point and in nearby Bellevue at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
Thank you, Karen!! We appreciate you!
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Are you interested in protecting in-stream habitat for our local fish and wildlife? Do you want to ensure that pollutants stay out of our local waterways? Are you concerned about flooding issues in Kirkland?
Kirkland’s Storm and Surface Water Division is updating its Surface Water Master Plan and we want to hear from you!
Kirkland Public Works' Storm & Surface Water Division works to:
- Reduce flooding in our streets and neighborhoods
- Improve the water quality in our creeks, lakes, and wetlands
- Ensure the proper operation of all public and private stormwater systems in Kirkland
- Improve in-stream habitat conditions for fish and wildlife
The Surface Water Master Plan a five to ten-year strategic plan for managing storm and surface water in Kirkland for our community and for future generations. The plan was last updated in 2014 and needs to be updated to reflect current community, environmental, and infrastructure needs.
For more information about the Surface Water Master Plan and opportunities to provide input, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/SWMP.
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 Startup425 has partnered with Bellevue College’s Tombolo Institute to offer the Startup425 Innovation Lab, an intensive, four week program held in October designed to help business owners acquire the support and knowledge necessary to take their businesses to the next level.
Innovation Lab strives to help entrepreneurs adapt to the changed economic environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic, by helping them achieve overall digital maturity through real-time, hands-on instruction on things like website best practices, social media, and much more.
Innovation Lab classes are held weekly on Saturdays and Thursdays in October:
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, October 9
- 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, October 14
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, October 23
- 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, October 28
The program has a customized approach to meet the unique needs of participating businesses. By conducting a comprehensive assessment of each business at the outset of the program, faculty can address the pain points that each is experiencing. This year, the program is enhanced with instruction on how to build your online presence, critical in the post-COVID economy. Preparing to access capital, thereby increasing a business’s chances of getting a loan, will be offered by Business Impact NW, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that helps underserved businesses secure loans.
The Innovation Lab will help you acquire knowledge of the M3 Model of Markets, Money, and Management as a framework for analyzing your business. You’ll work in teams with instructors, peers, mentors, and advisors to develop strategies to improve your business and create a support network. You’ll also conduct a guided assessment of the key factors that drive the success of your business.
Sound interesting? Click here to view an informational video about the program. For more information, including testimonials from Innovation Lab graduates, visit the Startup425 website.
Startup425 is an alliance of five Eastside cities (Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Renton) dedicated to providing education, training, networking, and support to entrepreneurs and small business owners and managers. Visit the Startup425 website for more!
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Lake Washington School District students will be going back to school on September 1, 2021. Drivers should anticipate increased traffic around schools, especially during the start and end of school days. For the safety of students, drivers are asked to drive with caution and must obey speed limits as posted in school zones or they could be ticketed and fined. Safety cameras at John Muir Elementary/Kamiakin Middle School, and Rose Hill Elementary operate 30 minutes before and after the start of school and 30 minutes before and after the end of school (based on individual school start and stop times).
Additionally, drivers should expect increased congestion on 132nd in the vicinity of the Juanita Elementary School and the new Fire Station 24 currently under construction. The fire station is scheduled to be completed this fall and remaining items of work include sidewalk restoration, a new multiuse path, roadway paving and restriping, and a new signal. This work is located along NE 132nd Street between 97th Ave NE and 100th Ave NE. Drivers should expect to see flaggers and changes to traffic in this area due to construction activity. The heaviest congestion around Juanita Elementary will likely occur between 9 – 9:20 a.m. and between 3:30 – 3:50 p.m. Please exercise caution and patience, and if possible, choose an alternate route or travel time.
Also, there are new members of the School Resource Officer team, which will be returning to Kirkland middle schools and high schools. To learn more about the School Resource Officer (SRO) program and meet the new members of the team, visit the SRO Program webpage. The Kirkland SRO program is a partnership between the City of Kirkland and the Lake Washington School District. The community will be invited to discuss the program further this fall in alignment with the City’s goals of community safety, equity, and belonging.
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 Drivers should expect parking lot and street closures as Kirkland Uncorked returns to the shores of Lake Washington August 27-29, 2021. The Lakeshore Plaza and auxiliary lot will be closed from Friday, August 27 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, August 29 at 11 p.m. Access to the garage, limited parking for appointment-based merchant services, and event-displaced accessible parking will be available in the Lakeshore Lot’s north bay. Lakeshore Plaza and Kirkland Ave. from Lake St. to the City dock will be closed from Friday, August 27 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, August 29 at 11 p.m. Vehicles parked in closed lots or on closed streets will be towed.
The three-day event, hosted by Bold Hat Productions, is a weekend long celebration of world-class Washington wineries which benefits Homeward Pet Adoption Center, one of Washington State’s leading non-profit, no-kill animal shelters. The festival includes a street fair, tasting garden, live music, dog modeling contest, and food truck feast.
Event organizers expect 10,000 attendees will participate in the event. Event goers are encouraged to carpool and plan for their parking in advance. For bus transportation, go to http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/. For event information, go to www.explorekirkland.com. For permit information contact, Sudie Elkayssi, Special Projects Coordinator, City of Kirkland Parks & Community Services, 425-587-3347 or selkayssi@kirklandwa.gov.
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The shoreline renovation begins an estimated six-month park closure, while Kirkland’s contractor, Wyser Construction, replaces the failing bulkhead at the south end and expands the beach cove at the north end with softened shorelines. The pier’s decking and benches will be improved, and the surface of the waterfront pathway from the pier to the north beach will be replaced with new concrete. An additional accessible pathway at the northern edge of the park will improves access for all visitors. Wyser Construction, which also constructed the Totem Lake (Rainbow) Park, expects the project to be complete and the park to reopen by March 2022.
For more information, visit the project website at www.kirklandwa.gov/davidbrink
North Rose Hill
Drivers traveling Northeast 120th Street between Slater Avenue and the Lake Washington Institute of Technology between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. will encounter lane-shifts through the end of September.
A Kirkland contractor is upgrading catch basins to treat stormwater before it reaches Totem Lake.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/120thstormwater
Minor delays are possible this week on 128th Avenue Northeast, where Kirkland’s contractor has resumed construction on the North Rose Hill Greenway. Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways
Totem Lake Boulevard – Totem Lake
Totem Lake Boulevard’s slip-lane remains closed while Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor continues the process of building the pedestrian and bicycle bridge that will connect the two ends of the Cross Kirkland Corridor that are separated by its intersection with Northeast 124th Street and Totem Lake Boulevard.
The City is detouring commercial trucks around the intersection.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector
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’s Totem Lake Connector contractor uses the corridor to build the pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
The Totem Lake Connector is expected to be complete in fall 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 is directing 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 parallel, on-street 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
Construction continues on Kirkland Fire Station 24, which is scheduled to be completed this fall. Remaining items of work include sidewalk restoration, a new multiuse path, roadway paving and restriping, and a new signal. This work is located along Northeast 132nd Street between 97th Avenue Northeast and 100th Avenue Northeast. Drivers should expect to see flaggers and changes to traffic due to construction activity. Please be sure to allow plenty of time when dropping off or picking up students, and thank you for exercising caution and patience in this area.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/firestation24
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City Hall for All
Saturday, September 18
Be part of creating a more equitable Kirkland where everyone has a sense of belonging. City Hall for All 2021 features important and collaborative discussions about how communities are shaped through planning and how to lift up all voices and get involved in these processes. Virtual presentations will start at 10 a.m. Watch for more details coming soon at www.kirklandwa.gov/CityHallforAll.
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Skip the Waste, Win a Coffee Card!
Stay hydrated without the waste this summer by bringing your own reusable water bottle! To thank you for choosing reusable, we're giving away two $25 gift cards to Urban Coffee Lounge. Enter the prize drawing by emailing recycle@kirklandwa.gov a photo of your reusable water bottle somewhere in Kirkland -- at a park, in your neighborhood, on a trail, at a local business, on your bike or the bus, anywhere you go in Kirkland! One entry per person. Enter by August 31. See where you can refill your reusable bottle, and learn more about the prize drawing, at kirklandwa.gov/bottlerefill.
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