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 The next meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Tuesday, November 21, 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 November 21 meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.:
Council will vote to adopt the City’s 2024 State Legislative Agenda which sets the Legislative priorities of the Council and the Legislative Workgroup.
Council will consider for adoption Ordinance O-4862 establishing the preliminary 2024 regular levy for Kirkland. The vote on the ordinance is the next step before property tax levies are submitted to King County.
Council will recognize Employee Service Awards for employees who have served 20 years or more.
Council will hold a public hearing on amendments to the Kirkland Municipal Code regarding the Multifamily Housing Property Tax Exemption target areas within the NE 85th St Station Area Plan.
Council will hold a public hearing on the City’s proposed update to the 2023-2028 Transportation Improvement Program.
Prior to the above business agenda, the Council will also hold a Study Session starting at 5:30 p.m., where they will:
- Receive a briefing on the Kirkland Transportation Plan (formerly Transportation Master Plan) and provide direction to staff on priorities
- Receive an update on Puget Sound Energy (PSE)’s storm readiness and system resilience
Meeting details:
The business meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded by a 5:30 p.m. study session. The agenda for the November 21 meeting will be available on the City website prior to the meeting on the Kirkland City Council agendas webpage. You can also receive meeting agendas in your inbox by subscribing to “City Council Agendas” on the Kirkland email lists subscription page.
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.
 Calling Kingsgate and Juanita Neighborhoods
Share your vision for your neighborhood at an upcoming visioning workshop. These events are a chance to shape the future of your neighborhood and establish a vision for the next 20 years as part of the Kirkland Comprehensive Plan.
Kingsgate Neighborhood
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Kingsgate Neighborhood Visioning Workshop on Wednesday November 29, 2023, from 6 - 8 p.m. The Workshop will be held at the Kingsgate Library (12315 NE 143rd St, Kirkland, WA 98034). Please RSVP HERE to help us plan for the correct number of attendees.
Juanita Neighborhood
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Juanita Neighborhood Visioning Workshop on Thursday November 30, 2023, from 6 - 8 p.m. The Workshop will be held at Heritage Hall (203 Market St, Kirkland, WA 98033). Please RSVP HERE to help us plan for the correct number of attendees.
For more information, view the project webpage for Juanita and Kingsgate or contact LeAndra Baker-Lewis, llewis@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3265.
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 can follow up with you.
City administrative offices are closed on November 23 and 24 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Fire, police, and other critical services will remain fully operational. City services normally accessible through email, the Our Kirkland service portal, and over the phone will resume at 8 a.m., Monday, November 27.
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Kirkland Police have arrested a suspect believed to have used stolen identities to fraudulently buy cars who then abandoned one of the vehicles in Kirkland last summer.
Read more.
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With your help, Kirkland Police Department was able to raise $834 through the Pink Patch Project, surpassing the amounts they raised in the two prior years! KPD made the donations to Footprints of Fight, a local charity that supports families in Washington going through pediatric cancer treatment.
Pink Patch Project is an annual campaign to bring attention to the fight against breast and other cancers. Police and Corrections Officers showed their support by wearing pink patches on their uniforms.
Thanks again for your help and spreading the word about this great cause! KPD looks forward to your participation next year!
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For Crash Responder Safety Week, Nov 13-17, “Protect Those Who Protect You” by slowing down, moving over and staying alert on our roads. Thank you to all City of Kirkland staff who keep us safe and moving! #CRSW
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We’re ridin’ clean!
You may have noticed our Street Crew on a mission to remove leaves from our roads. Our 3 street sweepers are currently running 6 days a week. AND we’ve got a 5-person crew, a backhoe, two dump trucks, and flatbed pickups to clear out as many leaves from the right-of-way as possible.
We’re sweeping a south to north rotation and hitting trouble areas that are prone to urban flooding.
It generally takes between 1-2 months to sweep the entire city - which is 660 lane miles!
We do this at least 7 times a year for a minimum total of 4,620 miles swept a year. Arterials are swept even more frequently - around 15 to 20 times a year.
Thank you, Street Crew!
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 Test your tire knowledge and sign the Don’t Wait to Inflate pledge to enter our tire care giveaway for free digital tire gauges and portable tire inflators!
Sign up here: https://cityofkirkland.research.net/r/Inflate
Scientists have discovered a chemical in tire dust that is toxic to coho salmon and other aquatic life. This dust rubs off our tires when we drive, then gets washed to our creeks when it rains.
Under-inflated tires create more tire dust. One of the easiest things we can to do help is to check our car tires monthly and add air if needed.
#DontWaitToInflate #PugetSoundStartsHere
Energy Smart Eastside is launching a “Make the Switch” campaign to encourage eastside residents to switch to fully electric heating and cooling through heat pump incentives, following a summer of extreme global climate impacts.
The Make the Switch campaign connects eastside households to contractors who can help homeowners benefit from available incentives from Mitsubishi, Puget Sound Energy, and the Inflation Reduction Act. Households at 150% or below of Area Median Income also qualify for Energy Smart Eastside’s $1,500 Fuel Switch rebate. In total, residents can save up to $6,400 by switching to a heat pump through Make the Switch.
Energy Smart Eastside is a joint program of the Eastside Climate Partnership, made up of the Cities of Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, and Redmond. Make the switch today:
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 Join representatives from WSDOT, Graham, Sound Transit, and City of Kirkland for the next I-405/Northeast 85th Street Interchange and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Station Construction Project quarterly update meeting.
At the meeting, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the project, hear about upcoming construction work, ask questions, and find out how to stay informed. The meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 12 to 1:30 p.m.
Register here: https://bit.ly/85th-Dec-Quarterly-Meeting
Not able to make it? WSDOT will post a recording to the project webpage within one week after the meeting. Please feel free to register for the meeting even if you can’t attend and the recording will be emailed to you when it’s available.
Project Information
Project Webpage | I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov | 425-224-2423
I-405 NB overnight closures
Heads up late-night drivers heading northbound on I-405. All Northbound lanes of I-405 between NE 124th St and NE 160th St will be closed overnight from midnight to 4 a.m. on Nov 16, and again midnight to 6 a.m. on Dec 3. The closures remove an existing sign bridge and install a new one. Closing northbound I-405 for this work enables crews to complete construction activities along the interstate more safely and efficiently.
For any questions about this work, please call the WSDOT hotline at 425-224-2433 or email I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov
Full Updates on Construction Projects and Traffic Alerts
Kirklandwa.gov/capitalprojects
Join an Upcoming Winter Break Camp!
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Northwest University Holiday Hoop Camp
Date: Wednesday, December 27
Time: 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Let the kids burn off extra energy at our Holiday Hoop Basketball Camp with Northwest University on Wednesday, December 27. Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt and a basketball. Register online now at bit.ly/3SjCRu2 or call 425-587-3336.
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Northwest University Basketball Shooting Camp
Date: December 28 - 29
Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Ages 8-10) and 1 - 4 p.m. (Ages 11-13)
A 2 Day Specialty Shooting Camp hosted by Northwest University Men's Basketball. Learn how to develop a repeatable shooting motion, generate power, and increase your range. Athletes will work on shooting off the dribble, shooting off the pass, free throws, and more through a combination of shooting drills, games, and game-like scenarios. Register online now at bit.ly/490va25 or call 425-587-3336.
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Winter Holiday Activities with Snapology
Date: December 18 - 22
Time: 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
In this winter holiday program, we'll help get your student in the holiday spirit with exciting activities that will inspire their creative thinking, develop their communication skills, and get them thinking about this special month in ways they never have before as they make fidget spinners and more! Register online now at bit.ly/494s8d3 or call 425-587-3336.
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Play-WELL Teknologies Bash'em Bots Camp
Date: December 18 - 21
Time: 1 - 4 p.m.
Design your custom LEGO® bot to take on any challenge. Mix and match chassis designs using wheels, treads, or walking legs. Apply real-world engineering and physics concepts to help you bash and crash your way to victory. Register online now at bit.ly/46Zz75d or call 425-587-3336.
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Blood Drive
Date: November 29 & 30
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: City Hall (Peter Kirk Room, South Lower Lobby), 123 5th Ave
November is National Marrow Awareness Month, a time to celebrate the doctors, researchers, and donors helping to fight against marrow-destroying diseases and support the patients fighting them. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones that produces blood cells. When that blood-production system is attacked by leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, or anemia, patients sometimes need bone marrow transplants from a matched donor to reach remission and, after five years, a cure. Donate blood in support of these patients at the November 29 & 30 blood drives taking place in the Peter Kirk Room at Kirkland City Hall. Start to finish, the blood donation process only takes 40-60 minutes. Book your appointment.
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Snowflake Ball
Date: Friday, December 8
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: North Kirkland Community Center, 12421 103rd Ave NE
Our annual Snowflake Ball for kids ages 3-9 is almost here! Kids and their parents, grandparents, or guardians can dance the night away – with a special guest from Frozen! Snacks and beverages provided and professional photos will be available. Tickets are $35 per child. Limited space available, register in advance for course #17381 at www.kirklandparks.net, or call 425-587-3336. Hosted by Kirkland Parks and Community Services.
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 The fall is so much fun! Thank you to all the Pee Wee Monsters who showed off their amazing costumes at the Monster Bash.
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