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Table of Contents:
Thanks to all who attended the September 21, 2021 City Council meeting, which took place via the Zoom videoconferencing platform. We are grateful to have such an engaged community. Thank you!
Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live on the City of Kirkland Facebook page and the City YouTube channel, in addition to the livestream on the City website. Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31. Please note: City Council meetings will remain virtual through October 2021 or until further notice.
Here are a few highlights from the meeting:
Study Session:
Water and Wastewater Utility Rate Drivers: The City Council received a presentation about anticipated plans, programs, and capital projects by local and regional water and wastewater utilities that will cause the City and its partners to consider near-term utility rate increases and made some operational suggestions on how to accomplish these changes and mitigate large cost increases.
Business Items:
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CLFRF) Program Update: The City Council received an update on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CLFRF) Program. While the program funding has been delayed, a proposed spending plan was discussed for the first tranche of funds, and City Council provided feedback. For information about the City of Kirkland’s residential rent, mortgage, and utility relief program, please go to www.kirklandwa.gov/housing-help.
Equity in Contracting Resolution and Policy Update: On August 4, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution R-5434 to ensure the safety and respect of Black people and dismantle structural racism in Kirkland. The resolution called for “a comprehensive review of the City’s procurement and contracting processes and documents to eliminate barriers for disadvantaged business enterprises to compete for City projects.” The City Council made a unanimous decision to draft Resolution R-5491, establishing an equity in contracting directive to increase opportunities between the City and Women and Minority Business Enterprises.
New State Plastic Bag Ban and Repeal Of Kirkland Ordinance: The City Council approved the City Attorney's recommendation to repeal Kirkland’s Plastic Bag Reduction Policy, ordinance O-4477, effective October 1, 2021. The State plastic bag ban goes into effect October 1, 2021.
Police Training Requirements Due to Legislation: The City Council approved of the use of legislative funding to authorize the addition of 1 FTE to the Police Department to be utilized for a second training officer.
Spinney Homestead Regional Facility Project Update: The City Council elected to authorize City staff to go to 100% design (currently its at 30% completion) of the Spinney Homestead Regional Facility Project but wait until the PROS plan is complete before deciding whether or not to proceed further.
To view the Council discussions on these agenda items, visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/City-Council/Council-Meeting-Minutes-and-Agendas/Watch-City-Council-Meetings. The full agenda packet and recording of the meeting are located on the City of Kirkland website at: www.kirklandwa.gov/council. The next City Council meeting is on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
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 For anyone who has wanted to have a voice in important decisions that affect Kirkland and work with others to make a positive difference in the community, the City of Kirkland strongly encourages applying for current vacancies on city advisory boards. Currently, there are three opportunities to fill these roles.
One opportunity is for a youth-specific seat (applicants must attain the grade level of sophomore by the September of the year of appointment) on the Library Board. There are also two open seats on the Tourism Development Committee: one seat specific to an organization that collects lodging tax revenue, and the other is for a representative of a business or organization that is involved in activities authorized to be funded by tax revenue.
Interested community members meeting the eligibility requirements are invited to apply by submitting an application to the City Clerk at their first opportunity. Visit the Current Recruitment Positions page to apply, or call the City Clerk’s Office at 425-587-3190 to learn more about these opportunities. Members of advisory boards are appointed by the City Council. Virtual interviews will be held at a time and date to be determined as applications are received.
Both the Library Board and the Tourism Development Committee meet monthly. Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Boards-and-Commissions to learn more about all of City of Kirkland’s boards and commissions.
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October 2 , 2021
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Join us for an overview of the inclusive dialogue model and practice skills for engaging in – and hosting – conversations about racism. The dialogue format is structured to build relationships and understanding between participants from diverse racial backgrounds and to support anti-racist action in the community. This event is the third of four dialogue events sponsored by the City of Kirkland. This is a virtual event.
Register here
Community members high school age and up may attend. NOTE: If more than one person from your household would like to participate, each person must register separately.
Please Read the Following Carefully Before Registering:
The dialogue event is highly interactive. Unfortunately, we’re not able to gather in person where everyone is welcomed into a physical space that supports connection, but the virtual space will be structured to promote attentive listening and sharing.
In the registration questions, you’ll be asked how you identify racially/ethnically to help us balance the groups during the event.
The event is capped at 40 participants. After filling out the registration, you’ll be sent a confirmation. If the event has reached capacity, you’ll be placed on a waitlist and notified if a spot opens up. Those who remain on the waitlist will have the opportunity to register first at the next event which will take place in November. All participants and those on the waitlist will have access to resource materials to support inclusive dialogues throughout the community.
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 and her father was white, of mixed European ancestry. Nura is ethnically Somali, raised in the U.S.
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.
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 Friday promises sunny weather, mild temps and a bustling array of awesome vendors, so do not miss out on the final Juanita Friday Market of the 2021 season!
The Juanita Friday Market takes place 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, September 24 at Juanita Beach, with vendor booths located directly north of the playground. Fresh farmers market goodness abounds at the Juanita Friday Market, where you’ll find aromatic coffee roasted right in Kirkland, delightful handmade soaps and body scrubs, decadent desserts, delicious hot food, beautiful glass art, vibrant bouquets of cut flowers, heaps of flavorful fruits and veggies, fresh fish (flash frozen), local honey and much more!
The Juanita Friday Market is local at its very best. Everything sold is grown, produced and crafted here in the state of Washington.
Hot food vendors provide ready-to-eat yumminess including delicious Russian-style crepes both savory and sweet, yummy tacos and other Mexican treats, plus a new fusion option. Other grab-and-go vendors offer home baked gluten free treats, tantalizing kettle corn, sweet confections, healthy kombucha, and artisan bread.
The Juanita Friday Market is not just a market… It’s an amazing community of vendors and shoppers. We want to thank our community for supporting the Juanita Friday Market throughout the 2021 season! We appreciate you! For more information about the Juanita Friday Market, please visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Parks-and-Community-Services/Special-Event-Services/Juanita-Friday-Market.
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How do you want to play in Kirkland? Throughout 2021, we are hosting focus groups, interviews, community workshops and survey opportunities so that, as a community, we can imagine the future of Kirkland’s parks, recreation and open spaces. A community survey was mailed the first week of September to 5,000 randomly selected Kirkland households to gather feedback. If you received this survey, thank you for taking the time to fill it out and return it. These responses will provide statistically valid results to help guide this planning process. An online version of the survey will open to the greater Kirkland community in October. The Parks and Community Services Department invites additional feedback and comments via email at playitforward@kirklandwa.gov and via our community input line at 425-587-3315.
Kirkland Parks and Community Services is also hosting a public meeting 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 29, to gather feedback about off-leash dog areas in Kirkland. Input gathered at this meeting will help inform the PROS Plan. Register for the meeting.
Learn more about how you can get involved at www.kirklandwa.gov/PlayItForward.
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Attention Small Business Owners: Does your digital presence need an infusion of energy?
If so, Boost Your Business: Tools and Resources for Going Digital (Boost) is less than a week away! Brought to you by Startup425, OneEastside SPARK and Bellevue College, Boost takes place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, September 25 and is free to attend. Please register at: https://app.brazenconnect.com/a/oneredmond-foundation/e/xBE1E.
Boost is your FREE opportunity to breathe new life into your online approach with instruction from subject matter experts plus the opportunity to connect one-on-one with service firms, regional consultants, and technology providers. This one-day workshop is aimed at helping you gain the practical knowledge you need to help your business stand out in the online world.
The morning educational sessions from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. feature inspiring digital success stories from Eastside small business owners moderated by our partners from Bellevue College. You’ll hear from Lewis Rudd of Ezell’s Famous Chicken, Brandon Ting of Kizuki Ramen, and Ana Castro of the Salvadorean Bakery, all of whom will share about their experiences connecting with customers online in response to COVID-19. Additionally, you’ll get information on marketing, technology tools and social media, including sessions with industry giants Facebook and Google. The vendor fair follows from 12 to 3 p.m., giving guests the opportunity to connect directly with local experts to engage and gain their insights on going digital.
For more information, visit: https://www.startup425.org/.
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 With the autumn season quickly approaching and long-range weather forecasts predicting more rain than usual, it’s more important than ever to keep Kirkland’s stormwater drainage system flowing freely.
Kirkland’s stormwater system is designed to hold and carry water during storms to prevent flooding. However, heavy storms may exceed the system’s capacity and some flooding may occur. City crews work hard to keep storm drains clear of leaves, but with over 15,000 drains in Kirkland, we could use your help! Fallen leaves pile up on storm drains on our streets, blocking rainwater from draining, which can lead to neighborhood flooding. Flooding can cause safety concerns and property damage.
Kirkland residents and businesses are encouraged to take measures to prevent flooding and flood damage. Read the full news release for tips on preventing property damage and clearing leaves from storm drains and for information about free extra yard waste pickup in November and sandbag stations. Check out our video about flooding too!
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National Pollution Prevention Week is a great time to think about practices that reduce, eliminate, or prevent pollution at its source. Reducing the amount of pollution produced means less waste to control, treat, or dispose of. Less pollution means less hazards posed to public health and the environment.
You have the power to reduce and prevent pollution. Whether it be limiting the amount of trash you generate, using less chemicals, or simply buying products that are safer for the environment, you can make a difference.
Here are some ways you can help prevent pollution:
Learn more about Pollution Prevention Week: https://www.epa.gov/p2week.
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Highlands
112th Avenue Northeast
Minor delays are likely next week along 112th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 87th and 97th streets, where Kirkland’s street paving contractor is grinding and repaving the street.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/streetpreservation
North Rose Hill
124th Avenue Northeast
Minor delays are likely along 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 108th and 115th lanes, where Kirkland’s street paving contractor is paving and re-striping the street.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/streetpreservation
Northeast 120th Street
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
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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Eastside Walks with Janice King
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Online event
For adults. Janice King presents highlights from her book, Eastside Seattle Walks. The book features family-friendly walks in every Eastside community. The walks include fascinating aspects of nature, history and public art waiting to be discovered. Many routes in the book have segments on sidewalks and paved trails that may accommodate people with accessibility needs.
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Recycle Paint, Electronics, Batteries, and Fridges
Saturday Oct. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | LWTech South parking lot
11605 132nd Ave NE
Recycle electronic equipment and peripherals, household batteries and lead acid batteries, and latex and oil-based paint at a recycling event on October 2. Refrigerators and air conditioners will be accepted for a pass-through charge.
See all event guidelines and details about accepted materials.
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RainWise and Salmon See-son Webinar
Wednesday, October 13, 6-7:30 p.m.
Learn about human influence on local and regional salmon runs, and what role a
RainWise installation at your home may have in supporting local fish and the marine mammals that count on them as a food source. Time and interest permitting, discuss salmon ecology, how to identify between salmon species, and our recommendations for Covid-responsible salmon viewing locations to visit, and recent findings linking Coho Salmon die-off to a little known product in car tires.
With every storm, rain carries pollutants off our roofs, driveways and other hard surfaces to local creeks, Lake Washington and Puget Sound. Rain gardens and cisterns can help control this storm water, but we need your help!
In selected areas of Seattle, the City of Seattle and King County will pay up to 100% of the cost of installing rain gardens and cisterns on homeowners’ properties through the RainWise program.
Sponsored by the KCLS Social and Wellness Programming Team and
King County Wastewater Treatment Division.
Please register at kcls.org.
To learn about the City of Kirkland's program, Yard Smart Rain Rewards, go to www.kirklandwa.gov/yardsmart.
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Accelerate Your Business Growth with Our October Innovation Lab
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. Sound interesting? Click here to view an informational video about the program.
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
For more information, including testimonials from Innovation Lab graduates, visit the Startup425 website.
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