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The Kirkland City Council met on April 5, 2022 – here’s a brief overview of some of the items from the meeting:
Study Session – Station Area Plan Update: City staff presented an update on the NE 85th St Station Area Plan. The Station Area Plan is the City’s way to ensure an equitable and sustainable transit-oriented community as part of the significant growth expected around the new NE 85th St / I-405 interchange that will occur in the next few years. This briefing with the Council will include discussion of the Station Area Preferred Plan Direction adopted by Council in December 2021; status updates of 2022 work to develop the plan; outlines of the documents and code amendment packages that will be included in the Station Area Plan legislative process; and timing and phasing of final plan adoption.
Proclamations: The Mayor, on behalf of City Council, issued three proclamations as part of the meeting, two of which were read during the meeting. The three proclamations are:
Changes to City Council Policies & Procedures: The Council directed staff to return to the April 19 Council meeting with a resolution to update the Council’s policies and procedures to provide for an option for Councilmembers to participate in Council meetings remotely.
Priorities to the City’s Capital Improvement Program: The Council adopted various principles to guide the City’s investment in capital improvement projects over the next several years. These principles include completing capital projects from the 2021-2022 City Work Plan, completing public safety capital investments that help implement the Police and Fire Strategic Plans, and others. The guiding principles will help the City decide how to invest funds to best benefit the community while balancing increased constructions costs and staffing challenges.
Change to Environmental Review for Larger Development Projects on Goat Hill: The Council updated the Kirkland Municipal to require environmental review pursuant to the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) for residential projects containing more than four units on Goat Hill. This geographically focused update is intended to ensure that larger development projects in Goat Hill are evaluated for potential environmental impacts due to ongoing concerns about vehicle and emergency access, soil and stormwater conditions, and other issues.
How to watch:
Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and viewable afterwards 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.
To watch the Council discussions on the specific agenda items outlined above, visit the City’s website. The full agenda packet with information on each item is located on the City’s website.
The next regular City Council meeting is on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
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*Closing Soon* How can the City make our parks more accessible?
The City of Kirkland Parks & Community Services has published an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for parks and park facilities in Kirkland. This plan will help Kirkland’s parks be more accessible through guidance of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please provide feedback on this plan by April 8, 2022.
Join an upcoming small group meeting on a body-worn camera program
The City is exploring a potential Kirkland Police Department body-worn camera program. There are two upcoming small group meetings on April 9. You can review the draft policy, sign up for a meeting and provide online comment at: www.kirklandwa.gov/BodyWornCameras.
 What do you think about Autonomous Personal Delivery Devices?
Autonomous Personal Delivery Devices (APDDs) are wheeled machines designed to deliver products to customers. The City of Kirkland is studying these devices and considering any concerns from the community. Want to explore this topic with City staff? City staff will be facilitating small group meetings for deeper discussion around APDDs. Sign up and learn more at on the City’s website.
For more opportunities to provide feedback to the City, please visit our Community Conversations page.
Have other feedback, questions, or requests for service? You can always contact City staff through the Our Kirkland service portal, available on the web and mobile app.
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 The City of Kirkland announces the launch of a new community currency program called “Kirkland Ca$h.” Kirkland Ca$h is a dollar-for-dollar certificate program aimed at promoting tourism and supporting the local economy by assisting locally owned businesses and providing an incentive for visitors to stay and play in Kirkland.
“The Kirkland Ca$h program provides needed stimulus to our hard-hit hospitality industry and small business economy,” said Mayor Penny Sweet. “Throughout the pandemic, the Kirkland community has pulled together time and again to support each other, and the launch of Kirkland Ca$h is the latest example of economic innovation and resilience. It’s a win-win for Kirkland, businesses, and visitors.”
During the “You Stay, We Pay” promotion running now through June 30, 2022, guests who book a two-night stay at participating hotels will receive $100 in Kirkland Ca$h to spend as they like at participating businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, and services. Hotel stays must take place between April 1and June 30, 2022. Kirkland Ca$h certificates that are distributed as part of the 2022 “You Stay, We Pay” promotion have an expiration date of August 31, 2022.
Visitors can book at the following Kirkland locations: The Heathman Hotel, The Woodmark Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Seattle-Kirkland, and Motel 6. Guests must book a minimum two-night stay at any participating hotel directly through the links provided on the KirklandCash.com website to receive $100 in Kirkland Ca$h at no additional cost. Upon check-in at the hotel, the Kirkland Ca$h certificate will be issued to the guest in digital form and print form if desired. Consumers bearing Kirkland Ca$h need only to present the certificates to participating businesses as if they are cash at the time of purchase. The certificate code will be easily redeemed by the Kirkland business.
The list of participating businesses is ever-growing and includes restaurants, retail outlets, services, spas, salons, activities, attractions and more. The complete list will be updated regularly and can be found on the Kirkland Ca$h webpage.
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 The City of Kirkland invites community members to celebrate Earth Month to inspire environmental awareness and engage in environmental stewardship. Throughout the month of April, the community will have opportunities to learn about “green” initiatives by the City, attend events connecting us to our natural world, and discover actions that individuals can take to help the environment. For information throughout the month, visit kirklandwa.gov/earthmonth.
“The City of Kirkland has a longstanding record of leadership in our stewardship, protection, and enhancement of the natural environment to benefit our current residents and future generations,” states Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold. “Earth Month is a reminder that communities and individuals can make a positive impact to reduce the use of fossil fuels, produce or purchase clean renewable energy to mitigate climate change and reduce environmental impacts, and reduce waste. The Kirkland community continually show this commitment, and Earth Month is an opportunity to explore more ways to contribute.”
The City’s efforts toward a sustainable future
The City Council adopted Kirkland’s Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) on December 8, 2020. The SMP identifies around 200 actions the City and community can take to help achieve our environmental, economic, and equitable sustainability goals.
Actions completed during the Plan’s first year include appointing a Sustainability Manager and completing an organizational equity assessment of the City to inform the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging 5-Year Roadmap. And as a part of the April 5, 2022, Council meeting, the Council adopted High Performance Building Standards for major development projects, which will reduce energy and water use in buildings, improve indoor air quality, and move Kirkland towards decarbonizing the built environment.
Kirkland was recently named a 2021 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for our commitment to effective urban forest management. The City has been part of the program for 19 years and has been recognized as a leader in community forestry, thanks in part to our dedicated community volunteers. The City Council recently updated the City’s Tree Code that balances property development with preservation of trees for the many environmental and health benefits they provide our community today and into the future. The amended Tree Code supports City efforts to preserve and maintain a 40% tree canopy in Kirkland.
By working together, City actions and community actions can help us to meet our robust environmental objectives.
For more information on events and programs to participate in, visit the City’s website.
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 The City of Kirkland is seeking vendors, sponsors and volunteers to participate in the Juanita Friday Market, which will make its return on June 3, 2022, and continuing every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. through September 30, 2022, at Juanita Beach Park.
The Juanita Friday Market will once again feature fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and handcrafted confections, as well as original offerings from local artisans and crafters. Live entertainment will be sponsored by Transforming Age. State of Washington Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons for Seniors and WIC will be accepted by market vendors.
The City is now processing applications for vendors, community partner sponsorships and volunteers. For more information or to apply, please see the Juanita Friday Market page. Questions and inquires can be emailed to: juanitafridaymarket@kirklandwa.gov.
Find information about the Juanita Friday Market or other Community Events on the City website.
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Drinking water from the tap instead of a single-use bottle is one of the easiest environmentally beneficial swaps you can make! And the City of Kirkland is working to make it easier while you’re out and about. This past year, new water bottle filling stations went in at Totem Lake Park, Juanita Beach Park, and Marina Park. More water bottle filling stations are on their way too! See where you can refill your water bottle in Kirkland at kirklandwa.gov/refill.
 Each American drinks an average of 44 gallons of bottled water a year. Compared to tap water, drinking a single-use bottle of water produces three times the greenhouse gas emissions and uses three times the energy. All the bottled water Americans drank in the US in 2016 produced as many greenhouse gas emissions as 2.5 million passenger cars.
Recycling is important, but it isn't the solution to our waste. Even if a bottle gets recycled — and only a quarter are in the US — it still takes energy to turn that plastic into a new product. Making products has environmental, and often social, impacts that aren't erased by recycling the product or making it with recycled material. Preventing waste is best for the environment.
Our community also needs to make less waste because we're running out of space to put it. Cedar Hills Landfill in Maple Valley, where Kirkland's garbage goes, is filling up. Once it's full, we'll have to find somewhere else to take our garbage. Other disposal options will cost more, and have other environmental and social implications. The longer we can keep using our own landfill, the better. Learn what King County is doing to extend the useful life of the landfill, and how the landfill operates, at an online meeting on April 27.
Right now, every person in Kirkland throws away an average of 8 pounds of garbage a week. Our goal is to cut that down to 5 pounds. You can throw away less garbage by:
- switching to reusable items instead of single-use throwaway products
- repairing broken items instead of replacing them
- selling or giving away usable items
- using drop-off recycling options
Get more ideas for ways to reduce your waste on the City website.
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 It takes work to keep Kirkland’s streets smooth.
That’s why we do an up-close inspection of major arterials and collector streets every two years - to evaluate road conditions. Over the next month, you may see crews conducting visual inspections. They’ll be working along the roadside, not in the middle of streets, so there won’t be any cones or traffic control.
They’ll be checking for: cracking, distortion, ruts, potholes, patch deterioration, weathering or other surface defects. They will be in teams of two, and you’ll know them by their safety vests and vehicles marked with “CAPS” (Capitol Asset & Pavement Services) and “Pavement Distress Survey.” There’s no need to report them to police – we want them to case our streets!
Kirkland’s main arterial streets see higher traffic volumes and heavier vehicle loads, like public transportation, so they require inspections more often than residential streets, which are checked every four years.
The inspection work is expected to start in late April and take about four weeks, ending in mid-May.
The biennial roadway inspection is just one way we help preserve our streets. The goal of Kirkland's annual street preservation program is to keep the City's 665 lane miles of roads in good condition - so they’re functional for travelers and cost-effective for the City to maintain.
See more about the City’s Street Preservation program here.
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April 14 is the last day to apply for the City of Kirkland’s ARPA Small Business Relief Program (SBRP). The program offers up to $8,000 in grant funds for Kirkland’s small businesses. The goal of the Small Business Relief Program is to help keep Kirkland’s small businesses with demonstrated need pay expenses and cover cost increases caused by the COVID-19 health emergency. Detailed eligibility requirements and application can be found www.kirklandwa.gov/SBRP. For questions, please email KirklandBusinessRelief@livestories.com or call 1-855-582-FWRD (3973).
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 Want to learn the latest about the I-405/132nd Street Interchange project? (hint: WSDOT’s contractor is planning to transition into the first stage of construction work). Register here to join the April 13 project update meeting and hear about WSDOT’s progress and what construction activities will be coming next. You can also call the project hotline at 425-224-2433 to be added to the email notification list.
For more information about the interchange project, visit the project page at WSDOT.
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The City of Kirkland is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which oversees the hiring and disciplining of City Police and Fire personnel. The vacancy on the CSC will fulfill the remainder of a 6-year term ending 12/31/2024. The position will be appointed by the City Manager and confirmed by the City Council.
Required Qualifications:
- Registered voter in King County,
- US citizen or lawful permanent resident,
- Have lived in Kirkland for the 3 years preceding appointment to the Commission, and
- At least 18 years old
Women, people of color, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.
City Boards and Commissions, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
With the adoption of Resolution 5434, the City committed to ensuring the safety and respect of Black people and to dismantling structural racism in Kirkland. To reach these goals, the City’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) 5-Year Roadmap outlines several goal areas, including Community Partnerships to ensure that City agreements express its equity and social justice values and policies.
The City has several advisory boards and commissions, such as the Civil Service Commission, which are responsible for gathering information, hearing and receiving public comments, analyzing complex issues, and making recommendations for specific policies.
Board members and commissioners are appointed by the City Council, which seeks to appoint qualified candidates who reflect the diversity of Kirkland, including with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, background, and perspective, and status as a homeowner or renter in Kirkland.
How to apply
Printed applications are available by mail by calling the City Clerk's Office at 425-587-3190. If you have questions or need assistance on this application, please contact Kathi Anderson, City Clerk at kanderson@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3190.
The Civil Service Commission meets the second Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m.
For more information about the Civil Service Commission, visit the City's website.
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NEW - Northeast 75th Street and 128th Avenue Northeast – North & South Rose Hill
Drivers will notice permanent traffic revisions on Northeast 75th Street and 128th Avenue Northeast.
At the two-way stops on Northeast 75th Street and 122nd and 124th avenues northeast, traffic on Northeast 75th Street now has the right-of-way. Traffic on 122nd and 124th avenues northeast must stop at the intersections.
On 128th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 95th Street, drivers will encounter a four-way stop.
The traffic revisions are part of the Greenways project.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways
NEW - Northeast 124th Street – Juanita
Beginning Sunday, April 10th at 8:00 p.m. drivers will encounter construction on 116th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 124th Street. Construction begins no earlier than 8:00 p.m. and ends by 5:00 a.m., Sunday to Thursday.
The City received grant funding from King County Metro to contribute to this project, as the right turn lane increases intersection capacity, thus increases reliability for Metro bus routes. The project also creates a wide sidewalk with street trees and lighting, updating a corner in Juanita that has been desolate for over a decade.
Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/116th-Ave-NE-RTL
Northeast 132nd Street – Juanita
Drivers will continue to experience lane-shifts and uniformed police officers controlling the intersection this week and next at Northeast 132nd Street’s intersection with 108th Avenue Northeast, where a Kirkland contractor is building a new right turn lane.
Kamins Construction has established a pedestrian detour that will direct people who are walking around the construction. People who are riding bicycles will merge with traffic.
The City is building this right turn lane to increase vehicular capacity at the intersection to support effective functionality of the new Interstate 405’s Northeast 132nd Street interchange.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/ne132ndstreet
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.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/2020nsp
Cross Kirkland Corridor – Totem Lake
Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor will maintain the detour around the Cross Kirkland Corridor between 120th Place Northeast and 128th Lane Northeast while construction on the pedestrian and bicycle bridge remains in suspension.
Maintaining the detour helps the City of Kirkland avoid the costs it would incur if it ordered Kraemer North America to restore the Cross Kirkland Corridor’s permanent route during the work-stoppage and then to re-establish the detour when work resumes.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/totemlakeconnector
Northeast 132nd Street at I-405 – Juanita/Kingsgate
Drivers may encounter lane-closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. this week on and around Northeast 132nd Street at Interstate 405 while the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) contractor continues to prepare for the start of construction this spring.
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.
For questions about these closures, call WSDOT’s project hotline at 425-224-2433.
Visit https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/i-405northeast-132nd-street-interchange-project
Sixth Street – Moss Bay
Drivers can expect intermittent delays on Sixth Street, east of Kirkland Urban, while private developers prepare Sixth Street’s intersection with Fourth Street for improvements that include traffic signal upgrades and a new right turn-lane. The concrete drivers’ strike is likely to delay completion of the work.
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 until the park is completed. The concrete drivers’ strike is delaying completion of the park. 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 open 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.
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2022 Drive-In Movie Series at Juanita Beach – "Lion King"
Date: Friday, April 22, 2022
Location: Juanita Beach Park (NW parking lot) - 9703 NE Juanita Drive
Times: Movie starts at 7 p.m. (Parking lot opens at 6 p.m.)
Ages: All are welcome | Cost: $20 per vehicle
Bring along your family/friends to watch the 2019 live action "Lion King" on our new giant 12 foot LED movie screen in the comfort of your own vehicle. All ages are welcome and movies are rated PG-13 and under. Snack vendors will be on site. The event will be held rain or shine, with no refunds. Cars and trucks are acceptable, but please do not bring limos, RV's, buses, or alcohol. Please register for this event based on the size of your vehicle to help insure the best possible viewing for all. Advanced registration is required.
Register online here.
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Stewardship Events with Green Kirkland Partnership
Join Green Kirkland Partnership this Earth Month help our parks and natural areas thrive Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing invasive plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants, and pitching-in with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding.
All experience levels and ages are welcome following the safety and event. Tools and training are provided. Events are 100% outdoors and occur rain or shine!
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Teen Open Art Studio
Offered by: Kirkland Arts Center
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022
Location: Kirkland Arts Center 620 Market Street, Kirkland, WA 98033
Times: 6– 9 p.m. | Ages: 13 – 19 years old
The Kirkland Arts Center offers free open studio time to teens ages 13 – 19. Sessions are held the last Saturday of each month. There are 12 Skylight studio slots where all mediums are welcome. There are 6 Print studio slots where you must be either 1) cleared by the Print Studio attendants to work with the press or 2) working only with dry mediums at one of the tables. Drawing and collage materials are available for use.
For more information, and to register, visit the event page.
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