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The Kirkland City Council met on May 17, 2022. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items from the meeting:
Study Session – Draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) 5-Year Roadmap: The Council reviewed an updated draft of the DEIB 5-Year Roadmap, which incorporated feedback from the community, City staff, and the Council. The draft DEIB 5-Year Roadmap defines a robust work program with goals and objectives related to the City as an organization and externally in the community. Council provided direction to staff about the draft Roadmap, and staff will return with a final draft version for Council consideration and adoption by Council at a future meeting.
Study Session – City Council Policies and Procedures – Social Media: The Council discussed its policies and procedures related to Councilmember engagement on social media. This topic is anticipated to be discussed in more detail by the Council at a future meeting.
Code Amendments Associated with the Sunsetting of Houghton Community Council: Staff presented a draft framework for undertaking amendments to the Kirkland Municipal Code and Kirkland Zoning Code related to the sunsetting of the Houghton Community Council. On March 11, 2022, Governor Inslee signed into law House Bill (HB) 1769, which sunsets community municipal corporations in Washington state effective on July 9, 2022. Staff will return to a future Council meeting with next steps based on Council direction.
Police Body Worn Cameras Update: The Council reviewed the updated Officer Body Worn Camera program draft policies and adopted the draft policies in order to comply with grant requirements from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Although these draft policies have been submitted to the DOJ, they can be updated further. Staff will return to Council for Council’s review and consideration of a Body Worn Camera program.
Cross Kirkland Corridor/Eastrail Crossing at 132nd Avenue NE Study: Staff presented the Council with options for the crossing at the CKC/Eastrail Crossing at 132nd Avenue NE. The City’s goal with this crossing is to promote safety and functionality for the trail users while minimizing impacts to vehicular traffic. The Council decided to move forward with the staff recommendation to narrow the CKC/Eastrail crossing at 132nd Avenue NE and to install a pedestrian signal.
Holmes Point Study – Recommended Street Standards: Staff provided an overview about the “Holmes Point Overlay Zone Street Design Standards & Corridor Study Recommendations Report.” The Holmes Point area is a distinct part of the Finn Hill neighborhood, and the recommendations report is intended to help guide future development that is sensitive to the area’s environmental constraints, community character, tree canopy cover and wildlife habitat, and related factors. The Council gave feedback to staff, who will return to Council at a subsequent meeting for final adoption.
How to watch:
Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact 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.
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 June 7, 2022.
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Planning Commission Public Hearing on the Station Area Plan - June 9
The Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing to review Phase 1 of the Station Area Plan on June 9, 2022. The Station Area Plan is the City’s vision and plan to ensure affordable housing, parks and open space, and bike and walking connections will accompany the anticipated development in the area around the upcoming bus rapid transit station at a new I-405 and NE 85th St interchange to be constructed by WSDOT and Sound Transit. Visit the Station Area Plan webpage to learn more about the draft plan documents and how to participate in the legislative process by engaging with decision-makers.
Small Group Meetings on Permanent Supportive Housing in Kirkland
The City of Kirkland is hosting a series of small group meetings on the topic of permanent supportive housing at the former La Quinta Inn in Kirkland. These small group meetings will focus on the terms and conditions necessary to maintain City support of La Quinta Inn as a Health Through Housing site. These will be an opportunity to ask questions, offer ideas, and talk more about the project. The feedback from the community will inform upcoming implementation decisions, including a safety plan, referral process for tenants, and ongoing community communication. There are still some slots available - for more information, visit the Health Through Housing in Kirkland webpage.
How can I contact the City with questions, requests, or suggestions?
You can always contact City staff through the Our Kirkland service portal, available on the web and mobile app. Submitting your comments through Our Kirkland ensures the right staff receives the information and is able to follow up with you.
For more opportunities to provide feedback to the City, please visit our Community Conversations page.
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 For the last two years, the City of Kirkland has been drafting a plan to take advantage of the once-in-a-generation investment by WSDOT and Sound Transit to construct a bus rapid transit station at a new I-405 and NE 85th St interchange. This newly designed interchange – a project of WSDOT and Sound Transit – is expected to be complete in 2026.
In anticipation of this, the City’s been working hard to ensure affordable housing, parks and open space, and bike and walking connections will accompany the anticipated development in the area. We have been referring to our plan as the “Station Area Plan,” but the City is interested in a different name that embodies the identified vision for the district.
The City is considering various ideas for names, as well as new name ideas from the community. The City Council will decide the final name for this area, and your feedback will help inform their decision. Any new name won’t impact the names of the neighborhoods and business district in the area.
What do you think this "Station Area" of Kirkland should be called? Visit the quick online poll and let us know.
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 Peace Officers Memorial Day - National Police Week
In recognition of Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, the Kirkland Police Department Honor Guard lowered flags to half-staff at the Kirkland Justice Center and laid a ceremonial wreath to honor fallen officers.
Peace Officers Memorial Day marks the beginning of National Police Week, May 15-21, 2022, an annual celebration recognizing the dedication of law enforcement everywhere. KPD currently has 110 commissioned Police Officers who contribute to making Kirkland a safe and welcoming city by upholding the department’s mission “to protect and serve our community with honor, integrity and courage.”
 National EMS Week
It’s also National EMS Week and we honor the life-saving work that Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) provide in Kirkland and across the country.
At the Kirkland Fire Department, all of our firefighters are certified EMTs, trained in advanced medical care for all types of emergencies including vehicle accidents, cardiac arrest calls, strokes and other emergency medical calls, which now make up approximately 75% of all response calls annually.
Thank you to our all Firefighter/EMTs at Kirkland Fire Department for continuing to step up and save lives.
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The Mayor proclaimed May 21-27, 2022, as “Safe Boating and Paddling Week” in Kirkland.
With 1,000 feet of city shoreline and the weather finally warming up, more people will soon be boating, standup paddleboarding, kayaking and more.
Safe Boating and Paddling Week serves as a reminder for recreational boaters to:
- Wear a life jacket - the Coast Guard estimates life jackets could prevent nearly 86% of boating deaths
- Practice basic boating safety - like carrying emergency distress equipment or getting a free safety check for your watercraft
- Take a boating safety course
- Stay sober while operating a boat (or a paddleboard)
With Kirkland on the shores of Lake Washington and so many boating-related activities to do on our waterways, make sure you’re as safe as you can be on the water.
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 Those willing to brave spring showers and take a waterfront walk at Marina Park will notice artwork beneath their feet, revealed by raindrops. The message, “Only Rain Down the Drain. The Lake Starts Here,” is surrounded by swirling schools of giant salmon on the park walkway.
In partnership with RainWorks, Kirkland Public Works recently installed eco-friendly sidewalk art. It only reveals itself when exposed to water and encourages all Kirkland community members to help protect Lake Washington.
We all have a part to play to protect and improve the quality of water in our local creeks, lakes, and wetlands. Rainwater that runs off our yards and streets flows into storm drains and directly to Kirkland’s creeks, wetlands, and Lake Washington without treatment.
Through simple actions in our daily lives, we can help keep pollutants out of rainwater runoff and keep our local waterways clean and healthy.
RainWorks installations usually last for just a few weeks, so hurry down to Marina Park on the next drizzly day for your chance to catch this creative art.
 Learn more at kirklandwa.gov/cleanwater.
This public art project is brought to you by our Public Works team. This week is National Public Works Week, and this year’s theme is "Ready & Resilient," celebrating the superheroes that work within every public works professional. Protecting Kirkland’s waterways is just one of the jobs of this versatile City department. Other responsibilities include spill prevention and response, transportation and paving, solid waste management and recycling, capital projects, and maintaining public grounds and the City’s vehicle fleet.
We want to thank the 145 employees in our Public Works Department who keep us moving by caring for our infrastructure to keep Kirkland healthy, safe, and vibrant!
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Who’s ready for Farmers Markets? This June, the Kirkland Wednesday Market and the Juanita Friday Market will return. Come out and support the local economy while enjoying farm fresh produce, flowers, breads and baked goods, food trucks, wineries, artists and more!
Kirkland Wednesday Market is every Wednesday from June 1 to September 28 from 3 - 7 p.m. at Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza, Kirkland 98033.
Juanita Friday Market is every Friday from June 3 to September 30 from 3 - 7 p.m. at Juanita Beach Park, 9703 NE Juanita Drive, Kirkland 98034.
Interested in volunteering? Visit Juanita Friday Market and Kirkland Wednesday Market for more.
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 Every year, King County monitors selected public swimming beaches to make sure water quality is healthy – meaning, that there’s not too much bacteria from poop in the water.
In Kirkland, testing started this week at Juanita, Houghton and Waverly beach parks and results will be posted on the King County Swimming Beach Data website.
If bacteria is too high, Public Health – Seattle & King County will recommend that a beach be closed and the City will close the beach.
Bacteria are measured as colony forming units (CFU) per 100 milliliters (mL) of water, or about a half-cup. A beach is closed if bacteria is more than 1000 CFU/100 mL. For a beach to be reopened, bacteria must be below 200 CFU/100 mL for three days. See more detail about King County’s beach closure protocol.
All beaches are only monitored once a week. This means if a beach is closed, it will stay closed a minimum of two weeks (enough time for retesting to reopen). Testing exceptions would be for weeks with holidays: Memorial Day, Father’s Day, 4th of July and Labor Day, when testing would be delayed a day.
To help our community understand why the beaches close, the City of Kirkland and King County made this video called “7 Things to Know about Juanita Beach” to explain all you ever wanted to know about why beaches may be closed and how you can help avoid that from happening in Kirkland (hint: it has to do with poop).
See more on King County’s Lake Swimming Beach Program.
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Congratulations to two of our own from Kirkland’s Planning and Building Department - Prins Cowin, Administrative Supervisor, and Xiaoning Jiang, Resilience and Technology Officer! They were among 36 graduates of the Northwest Women’s Leadership Academy (NWWLA) this year, chosen for the program for their incredible accomplishments and commitment to public service.
The NWWLA program has made it their mission to prepare and promote women into leadership roles in local government, as women are still dramatically underrepresented in city leadership positions across our state.
The NWWLA is open to women and non-binary applicants who work in municipal governments including cities, counties, other local public sector organizations, and tribal governments across the state. The program is designed to build confidence, create long-lasting support networks, and connect each person with resources to help them grow in their career.
If you or someone you know would like to apply for a future cohort or want to learn more, visit Northwest Women’s Leadership Academy.
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 The City of Kirkland is looking for great people! Come join an amazing team doing meaningful work.
Streets and Public Grounds Manager
Public Works is looking for a leader to manage maintenance of the City’s infrastructure including streets, sidewalks, curbs/gutters, ADA ramps, street trees, medians, and trails, as well as snow and ice removal. This person will also be responsible for personnel management, financial administration, long-range strategic planning and employee development. Apply for Streets and Public Grounds Manager.
Pool Cashiers
Fun summer jobs, ringing people up at Peter Kirk Pool. Looking for friendly, responsible people to handle cash and pool admissions. Pool cashiers greet customers, provide information about pool fees, schedules, hours and classes. Must be 18, have or able to obtain basic First Aid/CPR certification, and 6 months experience handling $$. Be a Pool Cashier this summer!
Facility Program Attendant – City Hall & Heritage Hall
Come work at City Hall and in our Parks Department! Parks manages historic Heritage Hall and this person will open and close the hall for rentals for parties, weddings, business meetings, etc., respond to facility needs, supervise customer use, and do light cleaning. This position also assists with clerical duties at City Hall. Most shifts will be weeknight and weekends, with weekdays at City Hall, as needed. Apply for Facility Program Attendant – City Hall & Heritage Hall.
See our other open City jobs.
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As part of construction activities for the new I-405 half diamond interchange, travel lanes on Northeast 132nd Street will shift south for the first stage of construction. Left turns from Northeast 132nd Street will only be permitted westbound onto Totem Lake Boulevard Northeast and eastbound into Woodlake Apartments.
- Left turns will be restricted onto northbound 116th Ave Northeast
- Left turns will be restricted onto southbound 116th Way Northeast.
- Left turns will be permitted onto Totem Lake Boulevard Northeast.
- Eastbound and westbound travel on Northeast 132nd Street will be maintained.
Construction will primarily occur weekdays during daytime hours but may include nighttime and weekend work when necessary. Nighttime and weekend full closures could occur during construction with detours and potential delays.
During construction, traffic conditions are expected to remain similar to existing conditions during the most congested times of the day, although some short-term delays may occur. Residents and commuters may experience noise, vibration, dust, debris, crosswalk and sidewalk closures, lane and shoulder closures, restricted turn movements, and detours for pedestrians and bicyclists. Nearby driveways and other access points to neighborhoods and businesses will remain open throughout construction.
For any questions, please call WSDOT’s project hotline at 425-224-2433.
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Totem Lake Boulevard – Totem Lake
Kirkland’s Totem Lake Connector contractor is planning at 10 p.m. on May 19 to close Northeast 124th Street between 120th Place Northeast and 124th Avenue Northeast.
The closure ends at 6 a.m. on May 20.
Kraemer North America’s crews will use that time to stand-up a Y pier and pour concrete for the bridge.
Kraemer North America is planning on May 19 to close Northeast 124th Street between the Interstate 405 off-ramp and 124th Avenue Northeast. That closure, too, will begin at 10 p.m. on May 19 and end at 6 a.m. on May 20.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/tlc
Northeast 75th Street and 128th Avenue Northeast – North & South Rose Hill
The City of Kirkland is continuing to encourage drivers to use caution this week while navigating through three Rose Hill intersections that have changed recently—two in South Rose Hill and the third in North Rose Hill.
The City recently converted to a four-way stop what was previously a two-way stop at 128th Avenue Northeast’s intersection with Northeast 95th Street.
At Northeast 75th Street’s intersections with 122nd and 124th avenues northeast, the City ‘flipped’ the stop signs so traffic on 122nd and 124th avenues northeast must stop at the intersection. Traffic on Northeast 75th Street, meanwhile, can continue through the intersection without stopping.
To improve sight distance at the intersection, the City eliminated approximately 130 feet of street-parking along Northeast 75th Street, near the intersection.
These planned changes are part of the City’s plan to transform the Northeast 75th Street and 128th Avenue Northeast corridors into Neighborhood Greenways, where walking and bicycling are the priority transportation modes and driving is the alternative.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/greenways
Northeast 132nd Street – Juanita
Drivers may encounter a lane-closure the week of May 23 on Northeast 132nd Street between Juanita High School and 111th Avenue Northeast as the contractor paves the street and new right turn lane. Our contractor is working to get the street repaved as quickly as possible, but it is highly weather dependent including the days leading up to our scheduled paving day.
Kamins Construction will utilize uniformed police officers and flaggers to control traffic flow as they apply the new asphalt. The City is building this right turn lane to increase vehicular capacity at the intersection to support effective functionality of the new Interstate 405 interchange at Northeast 132nd Street.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/ne132ndstreet
Northeast 124th Street – Juanita
Drivers will continue to encounter construction overnight on 116th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 124th Street, where a Kirkland project to improve traffic flow at the intersection is in process.
Interwest Construction is working from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., Sunday through Thursday to create a new southbound right-turn lane from 116th Avenue Northeast onto Northeast 124th Street.
The contractor is also building a wide sidewalk with street trees and street lighting along the northwest side of 116th Avenue Northeast.
Visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works-Department/Construction-Projects/116th-Ave-NE-RTL
Northeast 132nd Street at I-405 – Juanita/Kingsgate
Drivers will encounter additional lane-closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. continuing around Northeast 132nd Street at Interstate 405 as the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) contractor begins work to install temporary signals for the first phase of construction.
As early as May 21, travel lanes on NE 132nd Street will shift south, and left turns will be restricted except onto Totem Lake Boulevard for drivers traveling westbound.
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 intersection.
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
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 resumes its effort to improve the crosswalk.
Visit https://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
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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Ride Your Bike this Friday, May 20 for Bike Everywhere Day
Ride to work, ride to the grocery store or just ride for the sheer joy of being outside and soaking in the sun after a long winter.
While you’re out, stop by one of Kirkland’s Celebration Stations. We’ll have coconut water, coffee, and a variety of snacks to give away. Plus, you can ask any questions and learn about the latest bicycling-related developments in the city.
Celebration Stations will be located at Marina Park and Evergreen Point Park & Ride / 520 Trail and are open 6 – 9 a.m.
Learn more at Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bike Everywhere Month web page
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Taste of the World Event
Date: Saturday, May 21
Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Juanita Beach Park 9703 NE Juanita Beach Drive, Kirkland 98034
Join the City of Kirkland at our newest community event, Kirkland’s Taste of the World. A multi-cultural experience celebrating our diverse heritage with multiple food trucks featuring world flavors, an international bazaar with artisan craft and food vendors, live cultural music and dance, photo stations, and a “small world” for children with global crafts and games.
Thank you for our event sponsors: Koelsch Communities - Jefferson House & Madison House, Hallmark Realty, and Google.
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Stewardship Events with Green Kirkland Partnership
Join Green Kirkland Partnership and 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!
Check out the Green Kirkland Partnership Event Calendar to find a date that works for you!
Summer Gardening – Keep It Growing! (online)
Date: Wednesday, June 8
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Believe it or not, summer is just around the corner! Join us for a FREE online class all about summer garden care. A Garden Hotline expert will discuss tips and techniques for keeping your garden healthy and looking great through the hot, dry summer months.
More information and class registration.
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