Meeting for July 26th, uh 15th.

Whew, I jumped to July 15th, 2025.

Um, before we begin, um, I need a motion to excuse Councilmember Newenhouse from our meeting tonight.

I move to excuse Councilmember Newenhouse from tonight's meeting.

Second.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Okay, can we do roll call, please?

Thank you.

Mayor Robinson?

Here.

Deputy Mayor Malikuti.

Here.

Councilmember Barkova.

Here.

Councilmember Hamilton.

Here.

Councilmember Lee.

Here.

Councilmember Simademoria.

Thank you.

Deputy Mayor, would you please lead us in the flags?

Absolutely.

Please rise.

I pledge to the flag in the United States of America.

To the reports.

One motion.

So we have one proclamation tonight, pretrial probation and parole supervision week, which will be read by Councilmember Hamilton and received by the Honorable and Venerable Lisa O'Toole, East Division presiding judge, King County District Court, and Craig Fritz, probation manager for Parks and Community Services.

So why don't you go ahead and come on up?

We'll have Councilmember Hamilton read the proclamation.

Thank you, Mayor.

Whereas probation services are an essential part of the justice system, enhancing public safety by supervising individuals charged with misdemeanors in Bellevue and providing an alternative to incarceration that enables clients to maintain meaningful connections with their families and communities.

And whereas probation services are a proven tool for reducing recidivism by identifying client needs and risk factors and by positively influencing behavior through role modeling, collaborative problem solving, and targeted programming.

And whereas in 2024, the City of Bellevue's probation division supported 2,280 clients through professional staff who believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, offering services, programs, and referrals that promote personal growth and accountability, and whereas probation services professionals form strong partnerships with community organizations to help address the root causes of client behavior, thereby reducing the likelihood of future justice system involvement, and whereas probation services professionals advocate for community and restorative justice, working to support marginalized residents and invent in and advancing equitable outcomes, and whereas by incorporating trauma-informed practices, probation professionals prioritize relationships and empathy in their client interactions, which improves outcomes and fosters long-term change, and whereas probation services professionals apply an equity lens to their work using translation and interpretation services to ensure accessibility and tracking data to monitor fairness in client outcomes, and whereas probate probation services professionals serve as agents of positive change in the community.

Now, therefore, I, Dave Hamilton, on behalf of Lynn Robinson, mayor of the City of Bellevue, Washington, and on behalf of its city council, do hereby proclaim July 20th through 26th, 2025 as pretrial probation and parole supervision week in Bellevue, Washington, and encourage all residents to honor these probation professionals and recognize the vital services they provide to our community.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So I'm Judge Lisa O'Toole.

I'm the East Division presiding judge for King County District Court, and I've also had the honor of serving in the Bellevue Courthouse for the last 10 years.

And I want to thank our Bellevue City Council for recognizing our Bellevue probation department during national probation week.

And I want to give you a little insight into Bellevue probation.

So of course, our Bellevue probation team helps judges by being our eyes and our ears once we've imposed a sentence.

The probation team certainly monitors whether people comply with the terms of their sentence and whether they whether they reoffend.

But that's really just a small portion of what it is they do.

In reality, what our Bellevue probation team does is offer people hope.

That belief that their future will be better than today, and that they have the power to make that happen.

And our probation team enables people to see themselves in that better future.

So our probation team strives to establish positive relationships and rapport with each client.

They establish trust and solid working relationships.

They help probationers on their journeys to sobriety, to stable housing, and to meaningful employment.

At each turn, our probation officers offer guidance, they offer support, and they offer hope.

Each member of our Bellevue probation team truly has a meaningful impact on the lives of their clients, and they help set those probationers on a path to improve every aspect of their lives by giving them confidence and the tools to see themselves in that better future.

Our probation team helps restore probationers' sense of self-worth and self-esteem and instills hope.

And it's the powerful impact that this has that can be truly transformative on a probationer's life.

And it is this work that Bellevue probation is called to do.

And our probation team changes lives for the better and makes our community a better place and a safer place for all of us.

So thank you to the probation team for the work that they do.