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Table of Contents:
The Kirkland City Council’s next meeting takes place Tuesday, October 19, 2021 via 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 October 19 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting at: Kirkland City Council agendas. You can also receive meeting agendas in your inbox by subscribing to City Council Agendas on the Kirkland email lists subscription page. Please note: City Council meetings will remain virtual through October 2021 or until further notice.
More ways to watch! 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.
Here are a few highlights from the meeting:
Study Session:
Equity Plan of Record Update: The City Council will hear a presentation by Chanin Kelly-Rae, President and CEO of Chanin Kelly-Rae Consulting LLC on the preliminary findings of the City’s diversity, equity, and inclusion gap analysis and recommendations.
Business Items:
Solid Waste Contract Procurement—Rates Discussion: The City Council will receive a presentation about the preliminary retail rate increase options related to the solid waste rate proposal submitted by Waste Management, Inc. and provide direction to staff on several solid waste rate policy questions that will inform the final retail rate proposal.
Teen Services Update: The City Council will hear an update on the City’s provision of programs and services to teens and provide feedback.
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 Also Earns Clean Audit Report
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recently announced that City of Kirkland received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its 2021-2022 Budget. In addition, the State Auditor’s Office gave the City a clean, unmodified opinion on all audits for the 14th year in a row.
According to the GFOA, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting. It represents a significant achievement and reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the City of Kirkland had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation which assess how well the budget serves as a policy document, a financial plan, an operations guide, and a communications device.
“The budget provides a solid framework for how the City will provide services to the community and achieve goals now and into the future,” said Kirkland City Councilmember Jon Pascal. “We build the budget around principles of fiscal responsibility, equity, public safety, and resiliency and we invite the community to participate in the process since ultimately, this is the community’s budget. We are honored to be recognized for achieving an effective and high-quality budget.”
The City of Kirkland received additional good news about its financial processes when it received another clean audit during the exit conference for the City’s annual state audit last month. The purpose of the annual audit is to provide the community with an independent and transparent examination of how the City uses public funds. The State Auditor’s office noted that there were no material misstatements corrected during the audit process and highlighted the timely responses received throughout the audit from the accounting staff. The City also received praise for its work on the CARES Act funding which was all correctly supported, documented, and in compliance with all requirements of this new federal program.
The City Council acknowledged the City’s completion of a clean audit for 2020 and received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award at the October 5, 2021 city council meeting. To learn more about the budget process and view the 2021-2022 Budget documents, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/budget.
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Local and state leaders celebrated the completion of a new multi-modal path that connects Kirkland to Redmond and Woodinville on October 6, 2021. The Willows Road Regional Trail Connection covers the 1,800-foot gap between the northern terminus of the Cross Kirkland Corridor and the Redmond Central Connector and Sammamish River Trails. It makes possible a 42-mile multi-modal corridor that, when completed, will stretch from Renton to Snohomish.
“The spine of our growing network is a 100-foot-wide corridor that stretches along most of the City’s length,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “We’ve been racing to connect that corridor to our neighborhoods, schools, parks and commercial centers. And now, with this project, we are connecting it to the region.”
King County plans to complete construction on the Eastrail’s Valley Segment—the section of trail between Kirkland and Woodinville—by the end of this year. The 11-foot-wide path parallels Willows Road Northeast to its intersection with Northeast 124th Street, where the Redmond Central Connector picks up. It includes a stormwater vault, which captures runoff from nearby streets and roofs and releases it slowly, thereby reducing the path’s impact on nearby streams. Because of this, the connection received significant support from the state legislature which allocated $2.5 million in 2018 toward its construction.
“It covers a fundamental multi-modal gap between Kirkland’s urban center and Woodinville’s wine country,” said Mayor Sweet. “We are exceptionally proud of this accomplishment and we could not have done it without the support of the Transportation Improvement Board, the Washington State Legislature and more specifically, Greg Armstrong, Ashley Probart and Senator Manka Dhingra, Representative Roger Goodman, and Deputy Majority Leader Larry Springer.”
For more information about the project, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/willowsconnection.
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 Join the Station Area project team for a Virtual Community Q & A session on November Monday, November 1, 2021. The City is currently finalizing the Fiscal Impacts and Community Benefits Analysis and will be reporting the results of that study to City Council on October 26, 2021. The Station Area Fiscal Impacts and Community Benefits Analysis will help us answer this question:
If the City were to implement its vision of the Station Area as a thriving, new walkable urban center with plentiful affordable housing, jobs, sustainable development, and shops and restaurants linked by transit, can the City afford the investments necessary to address increased demand on public services, especially schools, parks/open spaces, transportation, and utilities, and avoid a reduction in service for existing community members and businesses?
What we have learned from the study will help set a preferred direction for the Station Area Plan. The Community Question & Answer session is an additional opportunity for you to learn more about the study results, together with public presentations to elected and appointed officials. We hope you will join us on November 1 to learn more, and we look forward to your questions. To access the Zoom meeting link and learn more about the Station Area Plan, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/stationareaplan.
October 16 , 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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 During the month of October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, KPD is proud to join over 400 agencies nationwide in the fight against cancer. To raise awareness of this important cause, our officers are not only sporting custom pink KPD patches on their uniforms, but are giving you the chance to earn a patch for yourself. These awesome patches are meant to raise awareness, build community and help support nonprofit organizations dedicated to the fight against cancer.
This year, KPD’s nonprofit of choice is Footprints of Fight, a local charity that offers free-of-charge services to families faced with pediatric cancer. Each time an officer purchases a set of these custom pink patches for their uniform, the proceeds from the sale directly benefit Footprints of Fight.
We invite you to join us! A minimum donation of $10 made directly to Footprints of Fight earns you your own pink patch! All you need to do to get your patch is stop by the Kirkland Police Department (11750 NE 118th St) or Kirkland City Hall (123 5th Ave) and show us proof that you made the donation.
Please email chendrickson@kirklandwa.gov to make arrangements to get your patch at City Hall. If you prefer to go to the PD, just enter the lobby and show your proof of donation at the counter. Thanks in advance for supporting the Pink Patch Project!
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The Kirkland Senior Council (KSC) was established in 2002 to act as an advisory group to the Kirkland City Council. The KSC is dedicated to keeping Kirkland a safe and vibrant community for residents age 50+. The KSC is currently recruiting new members that live, work, or serve seniors in the City of Kirkland through the end of October. Member terms are for three years and the monthly commitment is approximately 6-12 hours. To learn more and to apply, visit Kirkland Senior Council.
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ShakeOut is the world’s largest earthquake drill, with over 12 million people (and counting!) participating. On 10/21 at 10:21 a.m., practice your best Drop, Cover, and Hold On wherever you’re at if it’s safe to do so. You can even get your friends, coworkers, roommates, and family members to practice with you!
After you practice, join Kirkland’s Office of Emergency Management at 6 p.m. for a FREE ShakeOut Earthquake Preparedness class! Learn about Kirkland’s seismic risk and how to keep yourself safe when the ground starts to quake. This class will be held virtually on Zoom, learn more and register here.
For more information about ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.org. For more information about emergency preparedness visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Fire-Department/Emergency-Management
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Saturday, November 6, 2021
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Juanita High School
10601 NE 132nd St Kirkland, WA 98034
Please join us for the Health Fair and Community Vaccination Event hosted by the City of Kirkland. We are partnering with Public Health – Seattle & King County to provide COVID-19 vaccinations, vaccine information and education, and much more! More information to come.
In-language assistance will be available in Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Russian, and Chinese. All are welcome!
For information contact: Antoinette Smith,
Human Services Division | amsmith@kirklandwa.gov | 425-587-3307
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 A COVID-19 vaccination or negative test will be required when participating in or visiting Kirkland recreation programs and facilities starting Monday, October 25, 2021. Pursuant to King County’s Local Health Officer Verification of Vaccination Order, indoor recreation program participants and community center visitors ages 12 and older must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 upon entry to recreational facilities, including Peter Kirk and North Kirkland Community Centers, van trips and any other indoor facilities where Kirkland recreation programs are held.
Valid forms of verification include a CDC vaccination card or photo of vaccination card, documented proof of vaccination from medical record or vaccine provider, printed certificate or QR code from MyIR Mobile, or a negative FDA-approved polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test administered within the last 72 hours. You do not need to show identification with proof of vaccination.
Kirkland Parks and Community Services is committed to the safety of program participants and visitors. For specific guidelines on vaccinations and mask requirements for Kirkland Parks and Community Services, visit Kirklandwa.gov/PlayitSafe. For information about King County’s vaccine verification requirement for indoor activities, please visit https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/covid-19/current-guidance/verify.aspx.
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108th Avenue Northeast – Everest/Houghton
Kirkland’s 108th Avenue Northeast water and sewer contractor is returning to the Northeast 68th Street intersection between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday to repair a faulty maintenance hole cover.
Drivers should expect lane-shifts and significant delays.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/108thavewatersewer
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. to repave the street’s westbound and center turn-lanes.
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
Northeast 132nd Street – Kingsgate
Drivers should expect lane-closures and lane shifts early next week while Kirkland’s 132nd Square Park contractor adjust utilities in Northeast 132nd Street at the park entrance. Flaggers will direct traffic through the construction zone between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/132ndsquarepark
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 October.
A Kirkland contractor is upgrading catch basins to treat stormwater before it reaches Totem Lake.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/ne120thsurfacewater
Totem Lake Boulevard – Totem Lake
Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor is closing the Cross Kirkland Corridor’s bypass trail the week of Oct. 18, just south its intersection with Northeast 124th Street.
The walking and bicycling detour will route people along 124th Avenue Northeast, Northeast 120th Street and Northeast 116th Street.
Meanwhile, 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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Join Eastrail Partners and other community organizations at a section of the Cross Kirkland Corridor in Kirkland! All are welcome!
Saturday, October 16, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (rain or shine)
Where: Cross Kirkland Corridor, from the Feriton Spur Park / Google Campus southward until NE 52nd St.
Join Eastrail Partners and other community organizations at a section of the Cross Kirkland Corridor in Kirkland! All are welcome!
There will be outdoor SWAG that you can pick up, and booths where are folks ready to chat about Eastrail, health and wellness, and connected communities. There is also a geocache adventure, with finishers entered to win REI gift cards of $25, $50, and $100.
We’ll be out there along the trail from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. rain or shine between the Feriton Spur Park/Google Campus southward to NE 52nd St. The easiest place to park and access this event is at Lakeview Elementary School.
Grab your friends, family, running or biking partners and walk, wheel, or roll your way to visit us at this event!
More info at EastrailPartners.org
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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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2021 Kirkland Heathman - Zombie Wine Crawl - Wine Walk
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22ND, 2021
6:00 – 9:00 p.m. (early admission at 5:00 p.m.)
Purchase Tickets for Event Here | 21+ over
Event website: Kirkland Chamber Wine Walks
2021 Kirkland Wine Walks a Kirkland Chamber and Kirkland Downtown Association Event
Registration / Check-in at the Heathman Hotel, 220 Kirkland Avenue, WA 98033
Parking is available around downtown Kirkland.
Grab some friends and embark on a wine adventure of downtown Kirkland galleries, boutiques, and businesses. Must Check in at the location chosen when purchasing tickets. No exceptions. Masks are required. Wine must be finished or dumped into the provided dump bucket prior to exiting each establishment.
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Volunteer on Green Kirkland Day in your Parks
Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 24th for Green Kirkland Day and kick off native planting season at a park near you!
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
- O.O. Denny Park - Saturday, October 23, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Juanita Bay Park - Saturday, October 23, 2021 | 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Crestwoods Park - Saturday, October 23, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- McAuliffe Park - Sunday, October 24, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. (two shifts)
This is a City of Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department program. To learn more visit www.greenkirkland.org or email Green Kirkland at: greenkirkland@kirklandwa.gov.
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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:
- 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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