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Table of Contents:
Thanks to all who attended the January 4, 2022 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 until further notice.
Here are a few highlights from the meeting:
Study Session: Draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Five Year Roadmap: The Council discussed the preliminary draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Five Year Roadmap. This draft document is based on the work of the City’s equity consultant who has been conducting an equity gap assessment as part of the City’s work of Resolution R-5434. Based on Council feedback and direction, staff intend to update the preliminary draft Roadmap informed by community feedback and return to Council in the first quarter of 2022. Watch the Council discussion here. Community members can also give feedback on the draft Roadmap by visiting the City’s website.
Tree Code Amendment – Framework for Completion: The Council reviewed and provided direction on Part 2 of the draft amendments to Kirkland Zoning Code Chapter 95 (also known as the “Tree Code”). The topics covered included moderate/major amendments with a focus on a Landmark Tree mitigation and private property owner tree removals. Watch the staff presentation and Council discussion here.
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 regular City Council meeting is on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
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The City of Kirkland remains open for in-person services but is encouraging community members to access City services through remote options in January in order to help slow the current surge of COVID-19 brought on by the omicron variant. Information on remote options for specific services can be found on each City Department’s website. City facilities will remain open during regular hours for in-person services, and community members without technology access can still come to City Hall and other facilities as needed. Thank you for your understanding.
Kirkland’s four recently-elected Councilmembers were sworn in during a ceremony at the Kirkland City Council meeting on January 4, 2022. Kirkland residents Penny Sweet (Council Position No. 3), Jay Arnold (Council Position No. 1), Jon Pascal (Council Position No. 7), and Neal Black (Council Position No. 5) were all re-elected in the November 2021 election and were officially sworn in on Tuesday by Kirkland Municipal Judge John R. Olson. Their terms are effective January 2022 through December 2025.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the Council re-elected Sweet and Arnold as Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively. As a “council-manager” form of government, Kirkland’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor roles are selected from within the Council to serve for two-year terms. The Mayor’s responsibilities are primarily to preside at Council meetings and act as head of the City for ceremonial purposes. The Mayor votes as a Councilmember and does not have any veto power. Mayor Sweet has served as Kirkland’s Mayor since 2019. Deputy Mayor Arnold has served as Kirkland’s Deputy Mayor since 2016. More information about Kirkland’s form of government can be found on the City Council webpage.
For more information, please read the full news release on the City’s website.
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 Kirkland’s new Fire Station 24 responded to its first call yesterday, January 5, 2022. Thank you to our first responders, and to everyone who made the new station a reality. Completing construction of Fire Station 24 is one of the City’s 2021-2022 Work Program items and is one of several significant investments the City is making in its fire stations.
The new station features modern designs including a decontamination bay, an extractor that sucks contaminants out of the gear, and a sealed locker room. The station is located on Northeast 132nd Street, just north of Juanita Elementary School, which helps emergency responders reach every home in Finn Hill and Juanita Community in 6 minutes. Kirkland celebrated the opening of the new Fire Station 24 with a ribbon cutting on Dec 16, 2021. You can watch ceremony highlights and special messages from Fire Chief Joe Sanford, Mayor Penny Sweet, Councilmember Jon Pascal, Councilmember Toby Nixon, & Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission Member Lani Brockman here: https://youtu.be/7h-CVSOMn3Y.
In the image below, Lt. Ty Koistinen swaps out the unit ID placard of the engine at new Fire Station 24, officially identifying the engine as Engine 124. Fire Station 24 also houses Aid Car 124.
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As of January 1, 2022, a new waste-saving policy has taken effect in Washington State. When you go to a restaurant or get takeout, they won't automatically give you single-use utensils and straws. Instead, they'll ask whether you want these items, or offer them for self-service.
These single-use items include:
- Utensils
- Straws and stirrers
- Cold beverage cup lids (except at drive-throughs and very large venues like arenas)
- Sauce or condiment packets
In the United States, we use almost one trillion -- that's a million million -- disposable food service products every year. This generates a lot of waste. You can help by only taking the single-use items you need. This is a great time to bring a set of reusable utensils and insulated cup to your workplace, so you can skip the waste when you grab lunch or coffee. Choose reusable instead of disposable!
Does your business need help adapting to the new policy? Are you interested in switching to reusable options for dine-in customers? Reusables can help reduce waste and costs. We can provide assistance -- contact our Recycling Hotline at recycle@kirklandwa.gov or (425) 587-3812.
Get more information about the new law at ecy.wa.gov/serviceware.
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The annual Christmas tree collection service during the first two weeks of January will be delayed and is scheduled for Jan 10 – Jan 31.
From January 10 through the end of the month, you can put out your Christmas tree next to your cart for free collection on your regular service day. Trees must be unflocked and undecorated. Trees taller than six feet must be cut down to six-foot segments. Apartment and condo residents can place trees next to your dumpster or carts on your designated collection days (see map for days (pdf)). Collected trees will be composted. Flocked trees and artificial trees cannot be composted and must be thrown away.
The Best of 425 is back and voting is open. Casting a vote is a great way to support local business and to say thank you if you had an exceptional experience or service. Your vote will help choose the best restaurants, businesses, shops, activities, and people of the Eastside. You can cast one vote per category, and vote in as many or as few categories as you like. The Best list will be published in a future issue of 425 Magazine. When you register to vote, you will be entered to win a trip to Chelan, Washington that is valued at $1,200. Voting ends Friday, January 14th at 11:59 p.m. Cast your votes today!
With the New Year comes resolutions, but did you know that can go for your pet, too? What better resolution than to keep your dogs and cats safe by licensing them with the City? Making sure your pet’s license is up to date is the best way for your lost fury friend to be returned swiftly and safely by Kirkland’s Animal Control Officer, Hunter Woldseth. When licensed with a City pet license, your lost pet can be easily identified by their license number and returned to your home by ACO Woldseth.
Over the next couple months, ACO Woldseth and other staff members will be doing some door-to-door canvassing to encourage pet owners to renew their pet licenses. More information on how to license your pet can be found on the City’s website: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Services/License-Your-Pet
All dogs and cats 12 weeks old and older who live in Kirkland must be licensed and vaccinated against rabies.
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124th Avenue Northeast - North Rose Hill
Franchised utility operators, such as Ziply and Comcast, are continuing to relocate their utilities this week along 124th Avenue Northeast, between Northeast 116th and 124th streets.
Crews are generally working from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but may work some nights from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. This work may be impacted by the snow.
After Ziply relocates its fiber optic lines, other utility operators, such as Comcast, will begin relocating their utilities through February.
The City of Kirkland is coordinating the utility relocations as part its ambitious effort to improve the 124th Avenue Northeast corridor.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/124thavenue
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 City expects the Totem Lake Connector to be complete by December 2022.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector
Northeast 120th Street - North Rose Hill
Drivers traveling Northeast 120th Street between Slater Avenue and the Lake Washington Institute of Technology may have noticed the project has not progressed as expected. The concrete workers’ strike has forced the contractor to suspend construction until the strike is resolved.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/ne120thsurfacewater
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 through January. During that time, SRM Development will continue to restrict parallel, on-street parking along the north portion of Fifth Place South.
SRM Development expects to open Feriton Spur Park to the public in 2022. 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 at I-405 – Juanita/Kingsgate
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Graham Contracting Ltd., expects to be on-site intermittently to conduct pre-construction activities for the site such as potholing, surveying, and clearing vegetation.
Drivers may experience lane-shifts and potential shoulder or lane-closures on Northeast 132nd Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For questions about these closures, call the project hotline at 425-224-2433.
Visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/i-405northeast-132nd-street-interchange-project
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Join the Green Kirkland Partnership for a day of stewardship on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day
Monday, January 17, 2022
Times Vary
Green Kirkland has three events looking for volunteers and teams to help plant trees, pull invasive weeds, and nurture Kirkland’s parks in celebration of Dr. King’s legacy of community service.
All tools and training provided. All ages welcome following the youth volunteer policy on the website.
Please bring a face covering (mask) to wear anytime when social distancing is not possible at these outdoor events.
Pre-registration is requested from participants.
Follow the links below to register and learn more.
Stewardship Events on MLK Day – Monday, January 17, 2022
This event is hosted by the Green Kirkland Partnership and City of Kirkland Parks and Community Services Department.
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Kirkland Performance Center presents Jake Shimabukuro
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
7 p.m. at Kirkland Performance Center
Join KPC on Wednesday, January 26 at 7 p.m. for a LIVE performance by ukulele master and Kirkland Performance Center favorite, Jake Shimabukuro.
With only four strings, Jake Shimabukuro is a humble master whose mission is to connect and inspire people. Whether one on one or in front of an audience of thousands, Jake shares a deep emotional connection with the listener that is open, magical and transcendent. Often referred to as the Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Lee and Michael Jordan of his craft, Jake delivers performances around the world with an out-of-the-box blend of stunning virtuosity, deep musicality and a natural entertainer’s flair.
Visit the KPC website for tickets!
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