The next meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. This will be a hybrid meeting, and community members are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via Zoom.
Here’s a brief overview of some of the items on the Business Agenda for the September 19 meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.:
Council will hold a public hearing on a resolution to support Parks Proposition 1.
Council will receive a special presentation from Deanna Dawson, Chief Executive officer of the Association of Washington Cities.
Council will decide on whether to authorize the addition of two new full time employee positions as over-hires, one to ensure a smooth transition for the pedestrian and bicycle safety priority projects identified for the Transportation Benefit District when the current staff member retires, and the second to support a transition in the Finance and Administration Department.
Prior to the above business agenda, the Council will also hold a Study Session starting at 5:30 p.m., where they will discuss:
Council will receive on update on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging 5-Year Roadmap including status on all the 68 Roadmap objectives.
Council will receive a briefing on the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) and will provide direction to staff on Council priorities and goals for staff to update the TMP and the transportation element of the Comprehensive Plan.
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.
How to participate: Members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so in-person or via Zoom during the “Items from the Audience” part of the agenda. That part of the agenda occurs at the beginning of the Council’s business meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Information on the comment sign up process to provide comment to the City Council, and on attending the meeting virtually, is available on the City Council webpage.
Written comments can also be submitted to CityCouncil@kirklandwa.gov. For additional questions, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (425) 587-3190.
Houghton Beach Park has been reopened for swimming, wading and other water activities as of September 13, by recommendation of Public Health – Seattle & King County. The beach had been closed to swimming for one week due to elevated bacteria levels.
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On Sept 12, Mayor Sweet and Councilmembers Black, Nixon, and Pascal joined elected officials from around the Puget Sound region broke ground at Lee Johnson Chevrolet on the NE 85th Street freeway interchange project. The interchange will serve as a major regional transit hub and will include a Stride bus rapid transit (BRT) station, expanded express toll lane access, and non-motorized improvements.
The plans for this project and surrounding area have been many years in the making, and now the work begins toward a walkable, equitable, sustainable and complete transit-oriented neighborhood.
The new interchange, estimated to be complete in 2027, will feature three levels: the top level will be dedicated to freeways; the bottom to surface streets and the middle to walking, cycling and drop-offs.
This new interchange station is an integral part to the vision of a neighborhood with affordable housing, park amenities, high wage jobs, commercial and retail services, and new school capacity.
Everyone is welcome to attend a free Kirkland Health & Wellness Fair on Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Juanita High School, located at 10601 NE 132nd St. in Kirkland.
The Health & Wellness Fair will offer FREE health screenings, flu shots, other vaccines as available, dental services, bicycle helmets, and other resources from local services.
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National Preparedness Month happens every September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time.
Check out our series of videos from Kirkland’s Office of Emergency Management for tips to help keep you and your family safe.
Our Public Works Department is getting ready for Pollution Prevention Week, September 18-22. Our Storm & Surface Water division has a way for you to help – by participating in the Kirkland storm drain marking competition!
Believe it or not, Kirkland has over 17,000 storm drains! To help prevent pollution and illegal dumping down these drains, we install educational storm drain markers (like the one above). But we need your help! We still have more than 10,000 unmarked drains across Kirkland.
For a little friendly competition, the team that installs the most storm drain markers during Pollution Prevention Week September 18-22 will receive bragging rights and special shout outs on Kirkland's social media channels.
Sign up for the storm drain marking competition and help protect Kirkland’s natural resources!
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We're excited to invite you to participate in the City of Kirkland's Economic Development Community Survey! Your insights are invaluable in shaping the economic future of our city.
What is Economic Development? Economic Development involves the strategies and initiatives that enhance a community's economic vitality. It's about creating jobs, fostering business growth, and cultivating a vibrant local economy that benefits everyone.
Why Your Input Matters: Your perspective matters greatly in this process. Your feedback will help us:
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Understand your priorities for economic growth and business development.
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Identify opportunities to support local businesses and entrepreneurs.
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Shape policies that align with community values and aspirations.
How to Participate: Taking the survey is quick and easy, requiring only about 5 minutes of your time. Your input is entirely confidential and will be used to inform our Economic Development initiatives.
Your participation will help us create a roadmap for a thriving, sustainable, and resilient Kirkland as part of the K2044 Comprehensive Plan. We are committed to working together to build a future that reflects the aspirations of our community.
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The annual City of Kirkland Costume Swap is back! This is a great opportunity to trade in old Halloween costumes and accessories for new-to-you costumes.
Please donate gently used and clean costumes, hats, masks, and accessories at North Kirkland Community Center (12421 103rd Ave NE) or Kirkland City Hall (123 5th Ave) the week of September 25 to 29.
Then attend the swap event on Saturday, September 30 to pick up your new-to-you costumes and accessories for you and the family! There will be a photo wall for you to share your new costume pics with your friends and family.
See more about the Costume Swap. Please contact us with any questions and happy hauntings!
Are you a detailed-oriented person? Are you interested in making sure building permits get processed correctly and meetings of appointed board members happen smoothly? Our Planning & Building Department (PBD) is looking for a Program Specialist! These highly skilled team members handle projects for PBD and Development Services. You’ll perform complex, high level, skilled administrative tasks related to land use and building permit processes with a great team. You’ll also support boards and commissions including meeting attendance and information packet preparation.
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Thank you to our amazing Kirkland community for making City Hall for All a huge success!
An enormous ‘Thank you!’ to the 3,000+ community members, local businesses, visitors and everyone who turned out for this year’s City Hall for All extravaganza! Attendees got to meet Kirkland City Councilmembers, learned about City programs directly from staff, took guided tours of City Hall, supported local businesses at a pop-up market and got to climb inside City firetrucks, dump trucks, police vehicles and more. We also celebrated the launch of the “This Week in Kirkland” podcast!
Along with learning about their local government, people who stopped by also got lots of fun freebies - Kirkland Fire dropped 300 toy parachutes from their ladder truck, Public Works gave away 265 snow shovels, City staff gave away 150 Kirkland water bottles and lots of other cool swag, and 1,000 young firefighters-to-be left the event with their very own toy firefighter helmet.
Thank you for joining us on a beautiful sunny day - we hope all feel welcome at City Hall all year round!
Our 3rd annual ‘See Spot Splash’ event was a day of wet and wild fun at Peter Kirk pool! Nearly 400 dogs (chaperoned by about 1,000 of their humans) got the chance to make a splash, followed by off-leash dog fun at the Lee Johnson baseball field where Parks staff provided 300 recycled tennis balls.
Dog families visited vendors with dog-related items and pet education. Event sponsor Juanita Hills Animal Hospital provided a fun photo booth and heaps of swag, while Pup Shoot photography took shots of dogs in action.
Local rescues, including Homeward Pet and Seattle Humane were given a pre-event opportunity to allow a few of their shelter dogs time in the pool, granting them a well-deserved outing tailored just for them.
And if you haven't yet, be sure to license your dog. Not only is it required, but it also helps keep your furry family member (and other animals) safe. Plus, if you're dog is licensed, they'll get a free ride home from our Animal Control Officer if they ever get lost! License your furry loved one today.
Two new roundabouts have opened along NE 132nd St at near I-405. Roundabouts help improve traffic flow and safety – when used right. So how do you use a roundabout? Here are some tips for going round the new intersection:
Being on the same page will help keep our community safe and achieve the benefits of our new roundabouts – thank you!
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CKC Closures
Puget Sound Energy has started construction for the Sammamish - Juanita 115kV Transmission Line Project. Construction will impact segments of the Cross Kirkland Corridor in Totem Lake spanning from 120th Avenue Northeast to 132nd Avenue Northeast / Slater Avenue Northeast.
To protect the safety of trail users and crews, there will be intermittent trail closures during construction over the next few months. Detour signage will be posted when closures are in effect.
A transmission line in this location was included in the CKC Master Plan adopted in 2014. The project map below shows the transmission line route in Kirkland. Visit the project webpage for project-specific contact information and to view the full route.
Slurry Seal
You’ll see the City’s slurry seal contractor out and about from now through September. Slurry seal is applied every year to help extend the life of neighborhood streets. Streets are closed to travel and parking while “Road Closed” signs are up. Additionally, the contractor sweeps streets one week, three weeks and three months after application. Street parking is not available during sweepings. To check when the slurry seal application is scheduled for your neighborhood, visit: www.kirklandwa.gov/slurryseal.
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Juanita Friday Market – 3 left of the season!
Date: Fridays thru September 29
Time: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Location: Juanita Beach Park
This week: Check out Kirkland’s own Coffee Roaster - Two Sisters Coffee! They have a wide variety of locally roasted coffees, including White Coffee. Entertainment: John Frost from 3-5p and Carolyn Cruso from 5-7p, sponsored by Parkshore Juanita Bay. Busy Lil Bees Kids Booth, sponsored by Kirkland Kids Dentistry, has face painting. Take home some fresh, locally roasted coffee!
See more about Juanita Friday Market.
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Now through September 17, celebrate Welcoming Week with the King County Library System. Join the everyday work of building communities of belonging. Find books, events, and services to celebrate and new more about the cultures of our communities.
Blood Drive
Location: Kirkland City Hall (Peter Kirk Room at the South Entrance), 123 5th Ave
Donor, you’re a firework! Donate blood in September and enter to win a trip to Las Vegas for two with airfare, hotel stay, and tickets to see pop icon Katy Perry’s Las Vegas Residency Show!
Changes to Medicare Parts B & D Presentation
Date: Thursday, September 21
Location: Peter Kirk Community Center, 352 Kirkland Ave
A special presentation offered from the Kirkland Senior Council on Inflation Reduction Act Changes to Medicare Parts B & D
Learn how the new drug law makes improvements to Medicare Part B and D that will expand benefits, lower drug costs, and stabilize prescription drug premiums. Get answers on choosing the right Medicare Part D plan for you. Presented by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
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Fall Recycling Event
Date: Saturday, September 23
Location: Lake Washington Institute for Technology (South Parking Lot), 11605 132nd Ave NE
This is your opportunity to dispose of those hard to recycle items! See the Fall Recycling Collection Event page for a list of accepted items. Some items have a fee to recycle and this is a cash only event. We will be answering questions about the event on the Recycle Hotline until Friday, Sept 22nd. Recycling Hotline: 425-587-3812 or email recycle@kirklandwa.gov.
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Wheels and Reels
Date: September 23, September 30, and November 4
Location: Juanita Beach Park, 9703 NE Juanita Beach Dr
Experience a night under the stars with our 2023 Fall Drive-In Movies Series on our giant 12-foot LED movie screen! Movies are PG-13 and under, all ages are welcome. Parents are encouraged to review movie titles in advance. The event will be held rain or shine, no refunds. Cars and trucks are acceptable, but please do not bring limos, RV's, buses, or alcohol. No tailgating allowed. Registration is required. Please register based on the size of your vehicle to help ensure the best possible viewing for all. $20 per vehicle. Parking lot opens at 6pm, movie starts at 7pm. Register: KirklandParks.net
September 23 – Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (PG-13)
September 30 – Hotel Transylvania: Transformed (PG)
November 4 – Akeelah and the Bee (PG)
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There’s still time to enjoy the Juanita Friday Market! Watch our video to plan your visit.
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