 Tune in to This Week’s podcast and get to know Kirkland’s new Animal Control Officer, Angela Arnold, who helps Jim, Kate, and David settle once and for all whether cats or dogs are the best pets. ;)
The next meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. 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 May 7 meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m.:
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Council will consider adopting Ordinance O-4876 to amend various sections of the Kirkland Zoning Code and Ordinance O-4877 to amend various sections of the Kirkland Municipal Code.
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Council will receive an update on the RapidRide K Line planning and design, and provide direction on the City’s formal response to Metro to support continued design development.
- Council will consider authorizing the use of $20,000 from the Council Special Projects Reserve to fund the continuation of the Sustainability Neighborhoods Ambassador Program.
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Council will recognize the graduates of the 33rd Community Emergency Response Training class.
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Council will receive an update on the activities, progress, and status of the Capital 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 discuss:
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Draft Resolution R-5631 Declaring the City's Commitment to Addressing Homelessness
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Council Operations
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.
Stay in the know: you can also get a preview of what’s coming up at Council in the coming weeks and months by checking out the City Council Agenda Calendar. Please note: this calendar is subject to frequent change and does not constitute legal notice.
Last month, Mayor Kelli Curtis delivered the annual State of the City address to the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce. During her speech, the Mayor declared the state of the city is "flourishing."
Watch the video and read her address on the City’s website
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Kirkland Police recovered two stolen vehicles and arrested nine auto theft suspects who were in the process of stealing a third vehicle in Kirkland.
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 The Kirkland Police Department is proud to announce Angela Arnold as Kirkland’s new Animal Control Officer.
You might see her responding to calls of animal abuse or neglect, patrolling the Kirkland parks, and attending public events.
More about Angela on our website.
 Come one, come all to the grand opening of Kirkland’s BRAND NEW Fire Station 27 on Saturday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.! Community members can tour the newly opened station, meet the Fire Chief, and explore fire trucks at the event. Fire Station 27 is located at 12127 NE 132nd St, Kirkland 98034. The building of Fire Station 27 was made possible by Kirkland voters passing the Fire & Emergency Medical Services levy (Fire Prop 1) in 2020.
Starting this week, the City will be working with a research partner to conduct the 2024 community survey. Listening to and understanding community feedback is a priority of the City of Kirkland. One of the more comprehensive ways the City does this is by conducting a community survey every two years.
You may receive a call, text, or email asking you to participate in a survey sometime in the next two weeks. Please consider participating in the survey to help the City understand your views on a variety of City functions.
If you are not contacted to participate in the next two weeks, you can still be a part of this process. The City will be posting an open-link survey available from the City’s website and invites you to participate. This version of the survey is anticipated in mid-May. The City will promote that survey broadly when it’s available.
Having clean streams, creeks, and lakes in Kirkland is something that we all want. To support this goal, the City has secured funding for improvements to water quality in Juanita Creek, which is Kirkland’s largest salmon bearing stream.
“The health of our natural waterways is something that we can all support,” said Councilmember John Tymczyszyn. “Kirkland takes pride in preserving our streams and creeks to promote a healthier watershed for the benefit of all community members. We are grateful to King County for this grant to support our ongoing efforts to protect Kirkland’s natural environment.”
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The annual Kirkland Half Marathon and 5K is Sunday, May 5, 2024, at Juanita Beach Park. Drivers should expect traffic delays and parking restrictions in the area. Please note: vehicles parked in restricted areas will be towed prior to the event. Course maps are available at orcarunning.com/kirklandhalf
Roads will be impacted from 7:15 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. or when the last runner finishes.
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Want to enter a float into the 4th of July Celebrate Kirkland Parade, but need a little support?
Apply for a Celebrate Kirkland Parade Float Mini Grant Program – this year only!
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Celebrate Kirkland Parade, the City of Kirkland is offering up to twenty $500 mini-grants for eligible organizations and businesses to create a parade float that highlights the parade’s theme “Where We Come Together” and celebrates diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in Kirkland.
This mini grant is intended to help cover the cost of materials and decorations for organizations who otherwise would not be able to create a parade float. We can’t wait to see your creativity and community spirit as you parade down the streets of Kirkland with a festive and fun float display!
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Calling All “Senior” Artists (50 and older) - share your talents at the 14th Annual Kirkland Senior Art Show!
Categories include Oils & Acrylics, Watercolors, Pastels & Drawings, Photography, Quilts and Other Media (+Sculptures).
Artwork will be on display June 7 – 21, 2024 at Merrill Gardens (14 Main Street South). There will be an artist’s reception open to the public with music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and a no host wine bar featuring NW wines on June 7 from 5 – 7 p.m.
The “People’s Choice Awards” (voted on by the public) are tallied by category, during the reception, and awarded at the end of the evening.
For more information or to request an application, please contact the Senior Council at email Scouncil@kirklandwa.gov or contact the Peter Kirk Community Center at 425-587-3360.
May is Building Safety Month, and this year's theme is "Mission Possible." The first week of May is dedicated to understanding the basics of building safety and how it affects us.
Building Safety includes building code and sustainability initiatives.
A Building Code’s purpose is:
• To protect homes, offices, schools, and stores.
• To protect communities from hazards like unsafe wiring, fires, structural collapse, and natural disasters.
Building codes aren't just for professionals, residents can also contribute. Residents can Install smoke alarms and keeping heaters away from flammable objects and in a safe spot.
Playing sports is healthy and fun for children. It provides physical activity and teaches discipline, teamwork, and leadership. However, children can and do get hurt during sports activities. Every year, over 8.5 million kids are treated in emergency rooms for sports-related injuries. That’s about one injury every two minutes!
Parents play a vital role in helping keep their children safe while playing sports:
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Teach your kids to play by the game rules and to listen to their coaches.
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Make sure your child has the correct protective safety gear and that it’s either packed or worn on the way to practices and games.
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Take your child for medical care if you suspect a concussion or serious injury. Concussions can be serious and delaying medical care can have serious consequences. Visit the CDC’s website to learn more about symptoms, how concussion occurs in different sports, and how sometimes symptoms can come on right away, but other times they can take a few minutes or hours.
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Don’t let your kids play when they are injured.
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Eighth Avenue West and Fifth Street West
To prepare for the water and sewer main upgrades, a Kirkland contractor is staging its equipment this week along sections of Eighth Avenue West and Fifth Street West.
Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street
Lake Street’s intersection with Kirkland Avenue will remain closed until June 1. Kirkland’s Lake Street pedestrian scramble contractor closed it April 1 for two months while its crews rebuild the intersection into the city’s first pedestrian scramble.
Drivers should expect intermittent lane-closures for the next year along Juanita Drive, between 79th Way Northeast and Northeast 133rd Place.
Fifth Avenue South and Eighth Street West
Kirkland's Fifth Avenue South and Eighth Street West water main contractor is alternating traffic until mid-May on Eighth Street South and a short section of Railroad Avenue.
Strickland and Sons crews are working from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
100th Avenue Northeast’s intersection with Northeast 139th Street remains closed until early May while Kirkland’s contractor upgrades stormwater utilities beneath the street.
OMA Construction is alternating traffic at various locations between Northeast 137th and 145th streets. The legal speed limit through the construction zone is 25 miles per hour.
Leaf Blower Trade-In Event
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: North Kirkland Community Center
We all want clean air and quiet neighborhoods. To support these goals, the City of Kirkland is currently phasing out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in Kirkland. Have a gas-powered leaf blower you’d like to trade in for a voucher to buy an electric? Swing by the North Kirkland Community Center (12421 103rd Ave NE) on Saturday, May 4 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vouchers up to $100 in value will be available on a first-come, first served basis and are redeemable at specific Kirkland businesses.
Free Natural Yard Care Class
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Kirkland City Hall - Peter Kirk Room, 123 5th Avenue
Learn how to encourage beneficial creatures to live in your garden and grow healthier plants without using pesticides.
What are all those things crawling and flying around your garden, and are they dangerous?
Join garden educator Lisa Taylor, author of Your Farm in the City: An Urban-dweller’s Guide to Growing Food and Raising Animals and the Maritime Northwest Garden Guide for a hands-on lesson about insects in the garden.
This class is hosted by the City of Kirkland Storm & Surface Water Division to help keep Kirkland's creeks, lakes, and wetlands clean
For more visit the City website.
Spring Recycling Collection Event
Location: Lake Washington Institute for Technology, 11605 132nd Ave NE
Kirkland's recycling collection events allows residents to dispose of recyclable items that are not accepted through recycling collection services or product stewardship programs. All items collected will be reused or recycled.
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May is Volcano Awareness Month! Who knew? Our emergency preparedness folks did! Tune into our Emergency Preparedness “Let's Chat” Series to learn about volcanoes and the volcanoes near Kirkland:
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