Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting - April 18, 2023
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Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting - April 18, 2023
The Kirkland City Council held a regular meeting on April 18, 2023, starting with a joint study session with the Planning Commission at 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 7:30 p.m., adjourning at 10:27 p.m. The meeting covered a range of topics including a joint work program discussion, multiple unanimous approvals, a detailed briefing on the Kirkland Way low bridge safety, and an electric leaf blower initiative resolution with several amendments.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: Minutes from March 29, April 1, and April 4, 2023, were approved.
- Audit of Accounts: Payroll of $3,860,304.92 and bills of $5,483,839.18 were approved.
- Claims: Claims for damages from Alex Nathan Klein and Jay Templeton were acknowledged.
- Award of Bids: A contract for a self-propelled Spider Lift was awarded to FMI Equipment of Monroe, Washington, for $226,381.82.
- Other Items: Approved Ordinance O-4845 (motor vehicle towing), a call to artists for utility box art wraps, an unmanned aircraft system test program update, Resolution R-5588 (PSERN membership), IT stabilization update, 2022 Transportation Master Plan progress report, proclamations for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and YWCA Until Justice Just Is Month, February 2023 financial dashboard, and a procurement report. All consent calendar items were approved unanimously (7-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Karen Story (Quiet Clean Kirkland): Expressed full support for the electric leaf blower resolution, arguing that electric equipment is not heavier, noise reduction is significant, and costs are offset by savings on maintenance. She urged a bold approach.
- Yasmin Karimli (Quiet Clean Kirkland): Supported the initiative, addressing noise concerns and noting that gas blowers are exempt from noise ordinances via state law. She advocated for removing that exemption.
- Santos Contreras: Opposed a permanent closure of Park Lane for parking, citing decimated business interests and a lack of compelling reason for the change.
- Cherese Bourgoin (Kirkland Chamber of Commerce): Encouraged keeping Park Lane open during business hours but allowing summer closures for pedestrian movement.
- Ryan James: Questioned the goal of a Park Lane closure, noting it would negatively affect small businesses and that previous street closures for festivals were not repeated.
- Alex Tsimerman: Delivered a lengthy statement on cultural and demographic changes, expressing concerns about the displacement of white residents and invoking constitutional rights. (Note: The minutes do not record this testimony, but the transcript includes it.)
- Jessie Waldher (with Chad Waldher, owners of Bottle & Bowl and Feast): Opposed permanent Park Lane closure, citing unanimous business opposition, parking constraints, accessibility issues, and negative impacts on deliveries and operations.
Discussion Items
- Special Joint Meeting with Planning Commission: Discussed the 2023-2025 Draft Planning Work Program. Key priorities included missing middle housing and ADU optimization, increasing school capacity, and streamlining the work program. Councilmembers expressed support for focusing on housing, but also raised concerns about parking, curb management, tree code implementation, and communication between the Council and Planning Commission. Staff noted that the housing element would be informed by the comprehensive plan update.
- Electric Leaf Blower Initiative (Resolution R-5585): The Council debated and approved multiple amendments. Amendments included: striking "climate justice" from a WHEREAS clause (approved 7-0); a failed attempt to strike "that contribute to climate change"; replacing "minority" with "culturally diverse" and "low-income community members" with "community members that may be experiencing economic constraints" (both approved 7-0); striking "bearing the environmental justice components of gas powered equipment in mind" (approved 7-0); replacing "gas emissions" with "emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers" (approved 7-0); adding a new subsection directing staff to develop mechanisms to improve enforcement of existing noise regulations (amended to remove "and immediately" and later to include "any Council approved" enforcement, both approved 7-0); and adding the Washington State Nursery and Landscape Association to outreach partners (approved 7-0). The final resolution directs the city manager to transition city equipment, administer financial incentives, and explore a ban by December 31, 2025.
- Kirkland Way/Cross Kirkland Corridor Low Bridge Safety Evaluation: Transportation staff presented crash data showing a 40% reduction in reported bridge strikes after enhanced signage and shark banners were installed (from an average of 11+ per year in 2018-2020 to 6-7 in 2021-2022). The recommendation was to continue monitoring, with no additional countermeasures at this time. Council discussed the potential for a low-clearance curtain system, noting it could be effective but had noise and liability concerns, and agreed to revisit if crashes increase.
- 2023 State Legislative Update #7: Government Affairs Manager Diana Hart reviewed key bills still alive. Notable: Housing bills SB 5045 and HB 1110 heading to the governor; the transit-oriented development bill (HB 5466) failed to advance due to concerns; a new property tax cap bill (SB 5770) was introduced; and the capital budget may include funding for Kirkland Performance Center and Cross Kirkland Corridor. Council expressed optimism and support for engaging on the TOD bill during the interim.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Ordinance O-4844: 2023 Miscellaneous Zoning Code Amendments, approved unanimously (7-0).
- Approved Resolution R-5585: Electric Leaf Blower Initiative, as amended, approved unanimously (7-0). The resolution includes a timeline for city equipment transition, financial incentives, and exploration of a ban by December 31, 2025.
- Approved Motion on Animal Services Ordinance: Directed staff to explore Options 2, 3, and 4 (targeted updates, full review, and licensing improvements) with a timeline and workplan, approved unanimously (7-0).
- Approved Motion on Short-Term Rental Ordinance: Directed staff to pursue Option 5, waiting for vendor data before further action, approved unanimously (7-0).
- Approved Motion for Legislative Request Memo: Requested a memo on pedestrian facility investments along 124th Avenue NE, including interim improvements and safety grants, approved unanimously (7-0).
- Councilmember Reports: Various councilmembers reported on upcoming meetings, events, and community engagements, including a request for updates on the roundabout project, sewer main replacement, Lake Street/Kirkland Way scramble project, and Park Lane consultant report. The city manager noted the scramble project update would come May 2, and the Park Lane report in early June.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. I'd like to call an order the city council meeting of April the eighteenth, two thousand twenty-three. Tonight's meeting is a hybrid meeting starting with a joint study session meeting with the planning commission. Welcome. Community members are welcome to join us either in person or remotely through Zoom or by telephone. Clerk, will you please call the rule for both the city council members and the planning commission? Councilmember Nixon. Councilmember Curtis. Council Member Falcone. Here. Here. Commission member Heiser. Here. Commission member Rutherford. Here. Commission member single. Here. Commission member Tim Chisholm. Great. Okay, as I mentioned, our study session tonight is a special joint meeting with the planning commission. After our study session, we will be meeting an executive session session to discuss two issues. First, the potential acquisition of real property and second, potential litigation. If you're a member of the public joining us by Zoom this evening, please exit and log off the Zoom feature during our executive session. So we have a brave presentation that Alison Syk, our deputy director of planning and building is going to make. So, first just wanted to show all of you, planning commissioners and council members what we've completed that was on the 22 to 24 planning work program, and it's it's several things, tree code amendments, which we still have ongoing work on, and we'll cover that a little bit. I'm not gonna read all of these to you, but we we've gotten quite a bit done. So there's several things that were on the last work program that you'll see have come off the draft work program for 23 to 25 because we have completed them. Um, the next category is just some projects that were on the last work program that we're still working on now. So we've started work on these, we're continuing work on them now. Um, that's the station area plan, the urban center designation, which is nearing completion. Um, the comprehensive plan update, of course, wireless uh service facility regulation updates. We're taking that to hearing in May, so that's getting close. Um, community initiated amendment requests, we're just starting work on those. Those all uh kind of follow along with the comp plan update process, and then the miscellaneous code amendments, which council is actually um hopefully taking action on later tonight. There's a few projects that were on the 22 to 24 work program that we haven't started yet. Um, and in the memo, we discuss a little bit some of the factors as to why we haven't been able to start work on those yet. So you'll see them continue in the current work uh draft work program. So some things follow through as just kind of an annual renewal, so sustainability master plan implementation, urban forestry work program implementation. Some of the ones that we haven't started that we thought we might have by now are uh the amendment uh review to look at increasing school capacity citywide, um updates to our geohazard regulations, um, looking at affordable housing incentives and parking policies, those are two things where we think we'll lay the policy groundwork with those with the comp plan update, and so kind of pushing zoning code amendments on those two items until we talk about bigger policy implications with the comp plan update, and then the sign code update is another one that we haven't started work on yet. There's a few projects that were on the 22 to 24 work program that we've taken off the draft 23 to 25 work program because they either just we've got a lot of stuff that we want to do, and so we had a discussion with planning commission over a couple different meetings about were there any projects that really are kind of lower in priority now when we start talking about adding new work to our program. Um so those you see on the screen, the homes point overlay updates, um, the Norkirk and Highlands Light Industrial Study really isn't necessary anymore because we've done that work with the station area plan, and then um the CKC design guidelines and regulations is another one we've talked about with the station area plan a lot as it relates to a good portion of the CKC through downtown. Um so it could it could go back on the work program at some point, but at this point we've taken it off the 23 to 25 draft work program. And then we've added a few new projects into the 23 to 25 uh planning work program. Um you'll see them on the screen. I won't go through all of them, but uh did want to highlight missing middle and ADU optimization. Um, and on the next one, just kind of some of the general guidance we got from planning commission over our discussions with them at their retreat in February, and then at another study session um, I think in March, um, was just that planning commission, and I'll let you all um discuss more specifically, but I think what staff really heard from planning commission was that looking at our middle housing and ADU regulations and trying to really increase the uptake of those was a priority and kind of the utmost priority, and it should be the next new project. And so that's how we tried to draft the the draft work program in front of you. Um, increasing school capacity was another high priority, trying to figure out how we can do that and make sure it's there when the school district needs it. Um, and then also any projects that could potentially be getting in the way of enabling housing production are ones that we should be looking for opportunities to get the work done sooner rather than later. Um, and then also I think the the feedback that staff heard from planning commission was that as we look at how we tackle the work program that we need to be identifying opportunities to streamline where we can.
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