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 The Kirkland City Council’s next regular meeting takes place Tuesday, February 1, 2022 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 February 1 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 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 upcoming meeting agenda:
Study Session – Development Services Fee Update: The City Council will receive a presentation on the preliminary cost of service results from the most recent development fee update. The discussion with Council is anticipated to result in further direction from Council to staff on cost recovery and financial structure.
Officer Body Worn Cameras Update: The City Council will receive an update on an Officer Body Worn Camera pilot program and will provide direction to staff in anticipation of the pilot program starting after a community engagement process.
Possible Next Steps on a Kirkland Transportation Benefit District: The City Council will consider requesting a public hearing to invite comment about the City Council combining the Kirkland Transportation Benefit District into the City of Kirkland (making them one legal entity). The anticipated public hearing date is February 15, 2022, as part of the Council’s regular meeting.
Tree Code Amendment – Framework for Completion: The Council will review Part 3a of the draft amendments to Kirkland Zoning Code Chapter 95 (also known as the “Tree Code”). These include moderate/major amendments with a focus on tree retention and replacement related to development activity. This item was originally scheduled for the January 18 Council meeting but was postponed due to time constraints at that meeting.
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.
City Council Retreat
The City Council is holding a policy retreat on Friday, January 28, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The agenda for the January 28 retreat will be available on the City website prior to the meeting at: Kirkland City Council agendas.
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From Public Health – Seattle & King County:
"In the midst of the omicron variant surge, King County hospitals and healthcare partners are issuing an urgent plea to the public to help reduce pressure on hospitals so they can provide essential care for those who need it."
"While there are promising signs with cases on the decline the past few days, King County hospitals are still under tremendous strain from increased hospitalizations, staff shortages and difficulty discharging patients who no longer need care. In the previous month, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased over 700 percent from 8 to 70 people hospitalized each day."
Read the full article by visiting the Public Health Insider blog post.
There’s a lot of information out there about the current status of the omicron surge of COVID-19. Here’s a collection of frequently asked questions from credible resources that may help you get answers:
Public Health – Seattle & King County
Washington State Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The City was awarded the Governor’s Smart Communities Award for the Village at Totem Lake, which recognizes local governments and their partners for exceptional work in implementing the state’s Growth Management Act. Kirkland received the Judge’s Merit Award.
The City produced a video featuring Mayor Penny Sweet, who discusses the history and vision behind the project. That video can be found on the City’s YouTube channel.
For more information on the award, read the news release on the City’s website.
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 The King County Special Election is open and ballots are arriving in mailboxes. If you have not received your ballot yet, please contact King County Elections. There are 15 measures on the ballot. You can visit My Voter Information to learn more about the ballot measures that you'll be weighing in on.
There are 2 drop boxes in Kirkland. One is at City Hall located at 123 5th Ave and the other is at Kingsgate Library located at 12315 NE 143rd St. Drop boxes close Feb 8 at 8pm sharp! You can find all 74 county drop box locations here. Or you can vote online – the deadline to register to vote online is Jan 31.
For questions and assistance, contact King County elections at elections@kingcounty.gov or (206) 296-VOTE (8683).
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The City of Kirkland is excited to announce the launch of the 2022 tree planting rebate program! Now in its second year, this City program provides rebates up to $500 per property for planting qualifying trees on your property.
Rebates can also cover the necessary amounts of compost and mulch during planting, as well as watering bags to help your new trees thrive in the summer.
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.
Learn more and apply now at https://kirklandwa.gov/treerebate
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The City is excited to welcome our eight new firefighter/EMT recruits to join the Kirkland Fire Department. Additional staffing allows the Fire Department to provide faster response times for fires and emergency medical services, which will help to keep our community safe.
Five of these positions were made possible by the Fire & Emergency Medical Services levy (Prop 1) approved by voters in 2020, which also invests in fire station renovations and new construction. Thank you, Kirkland voters!
For more information about Fire Prop 1, please visit the City’s webpage.
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Most City services were made available online and remotely throughout the pandemic. The City of Kirkland Development Services provides virtual appointments with Planning and Building and Public Works staff to help answer your general development and permitting questions. You can meet directly with staff between 3 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday to receive answers to basic questions regarding Kirkland zoning, building, and development requirements.
The virtual appointments are for 15 minutes and are conducted using Microsoft Teams with the ability to choose from available meeting times and services (2 p.m. is the cut-off for requesting same day meetings).
When scheduling an appointment, please note the following:
- Meetings will be for 15 minutes. If additional time is needed, you may need to schedule another appointment.
- Make a list of your questions and include them in your request. We will make sure appropriate staff is available to assist.
- Have a notepad and pen or electronic device handy so you can take notes during your appointment.
For more information, and to schedule an appointment, visit: https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Services-Center/Development-Services-Virtual-Appointments.
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 The Totem Lake Connector bridge continues its circuitous journey toward the intersection of Totem Lake Boulevard and Northeast 124th Street. The pedestrian and bicycle bridge will connect the two ends of the Cross Kirkland Corridor interrupted by those two streets.
For more information about the Totem Lake Connector, visit the City’s website.
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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. Please take our survey and tell us about your priorities. 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
…for our community and future generations.
The Surface Water Master Plan is a five to ten-year strategic plan for managing storm and surface water in Kirkland. The plan was last updated in 2014 and needs to be updated to reflect current community, environmental, and infrastructure needs.
Your answers to this survey will help guide the content for the draft Master Plan. Please respond to the survey by January 31, 2022.
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The City of Kirkland is updating the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) which seeks to improve pedestrian and bicycle networks by making them safer, better connected and a viable option for people of all-ages and abilities to walk, bike and roll. You can view the draft plan and submit your comments on the City’s website. Comments will be received until March 11, 2022.
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The Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission (KCAC) seeks proposals for an outdoor mural project. The project should embody the principles of the City’s Resolution 5240 and Resolution 5434, which express the City’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. The selected artist should plan to install the mural between April to May, 2022.
The KCAC proposes that artists consider the NE 68th Street underpass crossing under the Cross Kirkland Corridor between 104th Avenue NE and 106th Avenue NE as the mural installation site. Artists are welcome to suggest alternative locations, subject to approval by the City and other stakeholders.
The submission deadline is February 8, 2022 at 5pm PST. For more information and to submit a proposal, visit our website or visit www.kirklandwa.gov/home and search "Call to Artists: Mural Art".
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The City of Kirkland will be increasing its Parks and Community Services offerings to teens in 2022.
The Kirkland Youth Council would like feedback and fresh ideas from teen voices and would greatly appreciate if you could take a few minutes to complete a survey to share your thoughts and opinions. For those who are interested, one hour of community service is offered for your time. The survey can be found here. Thank you!
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 MyBuildingPermit and Simpson Strong-Tie have once again partnered to provide a series of home retrofit classes (formerly known as Project Impact) for homeowners and contractors. The virtual class series highlights Washington Association of Building Officials’ (WABO) newly revised seismic retrofit standard plans.
All classes are free. Pre-registration is required. To register, visit: http://mybuildingpermit.com/training and select the preferred date and time. Registrants will receive a webinar link prior to class start.
The following dates and times are offered for Protecting Wood Framed Homes from Earthquakes: A Foundation Retrofit Class
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February 9, 2022 at 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
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February 10, 2022 at 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
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March 9, 2022 at 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
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March 16, 2022 at 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
More resources on earthquake retrofitting can be found at
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Northeast 124th Street – Totem Lake
Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor will be closing Northeast 124th Street and Totem Lake Boulevard on Friday from midnight to 4 a.m. while it moves a crane from the north side of the intersection to the south side.
Kraemer North America expects to complete construction on the pedestrian and bicycle bridge by December 2022.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector
Market Street – Moss Bay
All aspects of the Market Street and Central Way intersection remain open to pedestrian and vehicular traffic while a Kirkland contractor awaits the end of a labor dispute that has halted the delivery of concrete to construction projects throughout the region.
NPM Construction is rebuilding the intersection’s south leg with concrete bulbouts to reduce the distance pedestrians must travel from one side to the other. This project, and the installation of rapid flashing beacons at Central Way’s intersection with Main Street, are two of the three projects funded in 2020—and built in 2022—by the Neighborhood Safety Program.
NPM Construction plans to begin installing the rapid flashing beacons at Central Way and Main Street immediately after completing the bulbouts at Market Street and Central Way.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/2020nsp
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 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 with five automotive lanes, wider sidewalks and elevated bicycle lanes.
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
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 to conduct pre-construction activities for the site such as potholing, surveying, and clearing vegetation.
Drivers should expect single lane-closures on/around Northeast 132nd Street at I-405 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For questions about these closures, call the project hotline at 425-224-2433.
WSDOT is building a new on-ramp for northbound Interstate 405 traffic and a new off-ramp for the interstate’s southbound traffic. The project will enhance sidewalks and bicycle lanes and will create roundabouts at the ramps’ Northeast 132nd Street intersections.
Visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/i-405northeast-132nd-street-interchange-project
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