The Kirkland City Council met on April 7, 2026. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items from the meeting. During the Business Agenda, Council: 

Prior to the above business agenda, the Council held a Study Session where they:

• Held a joint meeting with the Human Services Commission 
• Received a presentation on the peer review of the Upper Highlands Water Pressure.

How to watch: Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact on the City’s: 

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 City Council meeting is on April 21, 2026.

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. When you’re behind the wheel, your only job is to drive. Distracted driving is any activity that takes your attention away from the task of driving safely. 

Be an attentive driver: 

• Do not scroll through apps while driving. Struggling not to text and drive? Put the cell phone in the trunk, glove box, or back seat of the vehicle until you arrive at your destination. 
• Set your route, playlist, or podcast before you go. 
• Don’t eat while driving. Finish meals before you hit the road. 
• Stay alert. Keep your eyes on the road and watch for people walking or biking. 

It takes all of us to make our streets safer. Drive attentively and do your part to share the road safely.

National Pet Day is Saturday, April 11, and it's a great time to celebrate the pets that are part of our families and make sure they’re protected if they ever get lost.

Licensing your pet is required in Kirkland and is one of the easiest ways to help them get home quickly. If your pet is found, a license helps Animal Control connect them back to you without delay.

If your pet isn’t licensed yet — or if your information has changed — now is a good time to take a few minutes to get it done.

Learn more or license your pet: kirklandwa.gov/petlicense.

Kirkland will celebrate art and ageless creativity once again with the Senior Council’s 16th Annual Art Show on June 5. Submissions are currently open to community members who are 50 and older. The public is welcome (and encouraged!) to attend the show, which will be held at Merrill Gardens at 14 Main Street South in Kirkland.

The Senior Art Show welcomes all forms of creativity. Senior artists who wish to participate can submit up to two pieces of artwork in six different categories. The categories are: Oils and Acrylics, Watercolor, Pastels and Drawing, Photography, Quilts, and Other Media.

To submit, artists can request an application from Scouncil@kirklandwa.gov. Applications are due on Friday, May 29. Participants should then deliver their artwork to Merrill Gardens between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 4 and sign the Hold Harmless Agreement. Following the show, artwork must be picked up at Merrill Gardens between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on June 12.

To kick off the event, there will be a reception on June 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. with live music, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and a no-host bar serving Northwest wines and beer. Attendees can vote for their favorite artwork in the six categories during this time. At 7:30 p.m., winners will be announced and receive ribbons.

Participants’ artwork will continue to be displayed in the lobby of Merrill Gardens until June 12. It will be available for viewing between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

We look forward to this special celebration of our senior community and their talent!

Since 2020, more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) than ever have been approved to be built on Kirkland residential properties. You may know these small, self-contained homes by various names, including in-law units, backyard cottages, garage apartments, and more. No matter the title, building an ADU can be daunting because it’s a serious time and financial commitment — but it’s one that can pay off.

The City of Kirkland has been working to support and streamline the process of building ADUs to create more affordable housing in the area and strengthen the community. Thanks to a growing gallery of pre-approved ADU plans submitted by architects, designers, and builders, homeowners don’t have to start from scratch. These designs offer a simpler path to building an ADU, whether you’re hoping to keep aging family members at home, give adult children their own space, generate rental income, or sell the unit for a profit.

Saving time and money before construction begins is the biggest benefit of using a pre-approved ADU plan. The designs are complete, so you can pay a license fee of no more than $1,000, and then work with the designer to adapt it to your property at their hourly rate if needed. The plans are suited to different lots, lifestyles, and budgets, including small-footprint and family-friendly ADUs, so that you can find one that works for you.

All of the pre-approved designs comply with City codes, so your permit approval can be faster and more predictable than it would be for a custom project. The turnaround may be as little as a few weeks, compared to approximately three months. Speeding up the process in these ways means paying less overall and being able to start building sooner.

Ultimately, ADUs can create options and lasting value for homeowners. If you’re looking to build one, check out Kirkland’s gallery of pre-approved plans to see if there are any that may fit your needs.

For more events from the City, visit our Community Events page. For up to date happenings around Kirkland, visit ExploreKirkland.com/Events.

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