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Table of Contents:
Thanks to all who attended the October 5, 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:
King County Clean Water Plan Update: The City Council received a presentation about King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) rate drivers, asset management, capital improvement, Clean Water Plan, West Point power upgrades, and the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit that will cause WTD and its regional partners to consider future utility rate increases.
Preliminary Findings From Athletic Field Study: The City Council received a presentation by Kirkland Parks Director Lynn Zwaagtra and Tom Diehl, Principal-in-Charge, GreenPlay LLC on the preliminary findings of the Athletic Field Use and Demand Analysis Study which will be integrated into the 2021 Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Plan.
Business Items:
Adopt Interim Affordable Housing Targets for Kirkland: The Council voted in favor to adopt the amended Resolution R-5493, which will establish interim affordable housing targets for Kirkland based on the city-wide need model presented at the September 7, 2021 City Council meeting.
Kirkland Avenue/Lake Street Intersection Improvements—Urban Design Update: The City Council received additional information about possible urban design features for the Kirkland Avenue/Lake Street Intersection Improvement project and provided insights and additional direction to staff. There is a history of pedestrian/vehicular collisions at this intersection attributable in part to permissive turning movements for vehicles while pedestrians are crossing the street. Presently, pedestrians experience long delays waiting to cross the intersection, and curb ramps are not ADA compliant.
Eastrail Fiber Optic Project Memorandum of Understanding: The Council approved the Resolution R-5495 authorizing the City Manager to sign on behalf of the City a Memorandum of Understanding between King County, Sound Transit, Puget Sound Energy, and the cities of Woodinville, Redmond, and Kirkland to work collaboratively to fund, install, and own underground communications infrastructure along the Eastrail Corridor for both public and private use.
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 19, 2021.
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 City of Kirkland Expands COVID-19 Relief Program
The City of Kirkland has rolled out additional phases of its COVID-19 relief program to provide immediate financial assistance for small businesses, thanks to funding available through the American Rescue Plan Act. A limited number of $1,000 to $10,000 grants are now available for small Kirkland-based businesses behind on rent for the commercial properties they lease. To start the application process, businesses should go
to www.kirklandwa.gov/business-help to complete and submit the intake form between October 5 - October 19, 2021. Program funds may only be used as a payment against a small business tenant’s past-due rent due to COVID-19 economic hardship experienced between March 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. Note that the application process requires the cooperation of tenants and landlords and payments will be made to the landlord.
“The pandemic has had a profound impact on many of our businesses, making it difficult for some to keep up with rent and stay in their current locations,” said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold. “Our hope is that by passing federal relief funding directly to businesses and landlords that these businesses can get the foothold they need to thrive in our Kirkland community.”
In September, the City began offering financial assistance for residents struggling to pay for their rent, mortgage or City of Kirkland utilities due to COVID-19. Language and cultural navigators are available to help access the program. In addition, the City is assisting those needing financial relief for City of Kirkland utilities only.
The City of Kirkland has invested federal stimulus received through the American Rescue Plan Act to support equitable recovery from the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 and bolster resiliency against future pandemics. City Council’s framework and guiding principles ensures the funds are spent as intended and provides the most support to those in need in the Kirkland community.
More information about all of these programs as well as other assistance provided by the City’s partners can be found at www.kirklandwa.gov/housing-help. For questions about the small business rent relief grant program, contact businesssupport@kirklandwa.gov (425) 587-3266 or the City’s Business Response Team at (206) 686-3424. For questions about the residential rent, mortgage and utility relief program, email housinghelp@kirklandwa.gov or call 425-587-3326. This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLT-4378 awarded to City of Kirkland, Washington by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
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Did you know that there are over 500 acres of public natural area parkland in the City of Kirkland? That’s an area equivalent to 142 baseball ballfields right in your ‘backyard’! Your public park spaces quietly provide many benefits such as reducing air pollution, filtering and slowing stormwater, providing shelter for wildlife, and they are wonderful places to play and recreate close to home!
Many of these public spaces are cared for by volunteer Green Kirkland Stewards and they need your help to keep these natural areas healthy.
Join the Green Kirkland Partnership on Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24 for Green Kirkland Day and volunteer to kick off native planting season at a park near you.
Green Kirkland Day is an annual volunteer event celebrating our natural area parks and the volunteers who care for them. Green Kirkland Day features stewardship events at four parks, including O.O. Denny Park, Juanita Bay Park, Crestwoods Park and McAuliffe Park.
Volunteers will plant native trees and shrubs, remove invasive weeds, and mulch around the new baby plants while learning about your local park and the amazing habitat right in your backyard.
No experience is necessary, all tools are provided, and volunteers of all ages are welcome (youth volunteers please see the website for requirements). Events are 100% outdoors and generally rain or shine. All volunteers are requested to pre-register and follow the Covid safety guidelines listed on the registration site.
For more information and to register to volunteer visit the Green Kirkland event calendar at www.greenkirkland.org or visit the event pages below.
Green Kirkland Day Events
This is a City of Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department program in partnership with the Green City Partnership and Forterra. To learn more visit www.greenkirkland.org or www.forterra.org or email Green Kirkland at: greenkirkland@kirklandwa.gov.
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In Kirkland and throughout the country, intense rainstorms are happening more often, bringing large volumes of rain over relatively short periods of time. These storms can sometimes exceeds the capacity of Kirkland’s stormwater drainage system, leading to local flooding.
Flood reduction is one of the major priorities of the Storm and Surface Water Division. We have created a short video that discusses how we work to prevent flooding and reduce the impacts of flooding – and what you can do to help.
Are you concerned about flooding issues in Kirkland? The Storm and Surface Water Division is updating the City’s Surface Water Master Plan and would love to hear from you. Learn more at www.kirklandwa.gov/SWMP.
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Tree rebate deadline extended! We’re excited to share there are still funds available in the City’s tree planting rebate program! But act fast, rebates expire October 31, 2021.
City of Kirkland provides rebates up to $500 per property for planting qualifying trees on your property. Rebates also cover the cost of necessary compost soil amendments, mulch to protect the soil, and watering bags to help your new trees thrive.
Learn how to receive rebates at https://kirklandwa.gov/treerebate
Trees help prevent flooding in our neighborhoods, provide shade for our homes, and help filter pollutants to provide clean water for Lake Washington. Planting trees is an easy, affordable way to help the environment on your own property.
While funding through a grant from the WA Department of Ecology expires soon, the program will return next year, thanks to City Forestry Account funding through 2022.
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Northeast 132nd Street - Juanita
Kirkland’s Fire Station 24 contractor is planning on Monday to repave Northeast 132nd Street, between 97th and 100th avenues northeast.
Kirtley-Cole’s crews will work from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. through Wednesday to grind away the street’s old surface and repave a new one.
Meanwhile, the contractor is continuing construction on the new fire station and many of its amenities, such as restoring the sidewalk, building a new multi-use path and installing new traffic signals.
The City expects Kirtley-Cole to complete the fire station later this fall.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/firestation24
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 this week along 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 108th and 115th lanes, where Kirkland’s street paving contractor is re-establishing maintenance hole lids.
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.
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Kirkland Urban Fall Family Fun Event
TICKETS: No tickets; free and open to the public
DATE: Saturday, October 9
TIME: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
WHERE: Fountain Court, 425 Urban Plaza, Kirkland, WA 98033
Kirkland Urban is excited to celebrate the start of fall with a family-friendly activity on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families are invited to come by Kirkland Urban’s Fountain Court for a harvest-themed KU Kids event, where Julie from Clown Buggie Entertainment will lead kids in creating a scarecrow craft.
Families are invited to stick around and enjoy the fall weather, get temporary, airbrush tattoos, receive a balloon animal and take photos in front of the “Instagrammable” photo installation, courtesy of Seattle Giant Letters and Twinkle Trees. This fall installation can be viewed Oct. 4-31 in front of the main lobby at Kirkland Urban.
Kirkland Urban is an inclusive and accessible open-air shopping center. To support children and adults of all abilities, sensory-sensitive toolkits will be available onsite during all Kirkland Urban events. Toolkits include noise-canceling headphones, sensory/fidget toys, earplugs and an identifier sticker/badge and can be picked up upon arrival.
MORE INFO:
https://www.kirklandurban.com/event/KU-KIDS-IN-PERSON/2145551272/
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Virtual Recycling Center Tour
Wednesday, October 13 | 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Online Event
Register Here in Advance
Take a special behind-the-scenes tour to see where your recycling goes once it leaves the curb. Virtually tour Waste Management’s recycling facility in Woodinville. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Sign up online!
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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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Kirkland Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 16, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
at Juanita Beach Park (9703 Juanita Drive NE)
Bring your family and friends and join us at the Kirkland Harvest Festival as we bid farewell to summer and say hello to fall. This free event is hosted by Kirkland Parks and Community Services and sponsored by MorningStar Senior Living of Kirkland.
How does Kirkland celebrate the season? With food trucks, live music, artisan food and craft vendors, apple cider pressing, tractor-pulled wagon rides, contests like pie eating and corn shucking for adults and children, photo booths, live music, and an outdoor game area for adults. The event also features a Kid’s Korral sponsored by Neal Smiles Orthodontics with faux cow milking and bull roping, ring toss, horseshoes, pumpkin bowling, cookie walk, crafts, and a 4-H area. Parking is limited at the site but there is ample parking across the street.
The City is seeking musical groups to perform at the festival. Are you in a musical duo, trio or small band? Are you looking for the exposure of playing outside to 1,000 plus festival goers? If so, the Kirkland Harvest Festival is a great fit. All musical genres encouraged! Please contact tharrison@kirklandwa.gov by Wednesday, October 6, if you are interested in performing. Questions? Call 425-587-3352.
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Burnscapes: Art Discussion with Suze Woolf
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 | 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Online event
For adults. Meet Suze Woolf and hear her talk about her exhibit at the Kirkland Library. She will be joined in conversation with Dr. David L. Peterson, Affiliate Professor, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington and Lorena Williams, former wildland firefighter and author. Suze has been painting burned-over landscapes and large individual portraits of burned trees from all over the West for the last 13 years.
One of those in the library is the largest yet, at 21.5 feet long. Wildfire fighters call fire-carved standing snags “totems.” These totems - each ridge and fissure a landscape unto itself - have become an apt metaphor for climate crisis.
For more information about the exhibit, visit the Kirkland Arts Center website.
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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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