Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting – January 16, 2024

The Kirkland City Council met in a hybrid study session at 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. The study session covered draft questions for a post-ballot-measure community survey and interim activation options for the Houghton Park and Ride. The regular meeting included the consent calendar, childcare for board and commission members, 2024 committee assignments, a legislative session update, public comments, and a closed session. The meeting adjourned at 10 p.m.

Study Session: Post-Ballot Measure Community Survey Draft Questions

• Management Analyst Hillary De La Cruz, with EMC Research and City staff, presented a revised timeline and draft survey questions. The survey is intended to learn why the November 2023 ballot measure failed, why some voters supported it, and whether a smaller, time-limited pool levy would attract more support.
• Staff now expect to finalize the questions by late January, field the statistically valid survey by the end of January, and present survey results, focus groups, and community outreach findings on February 20. Feedback from PFEC and the Park Board will be shared at the February 6 Council meeting.
• Council feedback included specifying property taxes instead of general taxes, allowing more than one top reason, clarifying statements such as we can't afford any more tax increases, adding a why follow-up to options, simplifying tax descriptions, and reconsidering whether some questions could be combined or removed.
• Councilmember Black said the key question is why a majority of residents may want a pool but voted against the property-tax measure. Councilmember Pascal noted roughly 60 percent voted no and 40 percent yes, so a future measure would need about two of ten no voters to change their vote. Councilmember Tymczyszyn said any future ballot proposal would need to look fundamentally different from Proposition 1.

Study Session: Houghton Park and Ride Activation Options

• Deputy Director of Parks and Community Services John Lloyd presented short-term activation options while long-term planning continues.
• Staff proposed four semi-permanent asphalt pickleball courts at about $100,000, and a modular skate park and bike amenities at about $350,000, with projected annual maintenance of about $3,500. The concept also included restroom activation, parking, community programming, fire-training use, and possible construction staging and laydown.
• Councilmembers generally supported the recommendations and suggested emphasizing that uses are temporary, balancing amenities for youth and adults, adding public art and shade, offering bike-safety classes, and ensuring construction use remains compatible with the site. Councilmember Pascal encouraged outreach to the Park Board, neighborhood groups, and Youth Council; Councilmember Falcone added the Human Services Commission.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Don Samdahl, a neighborhood association board member, said nearby neighbors were not contacted for input despite a May 2023 promise of robust outreach. He supported most ideas but asked for a pop-up open house on the site.
• Ken Mackenzie supported building a pool and urged Council to review the 2021 PROS survey and the spring PFEC survey. He cited 60 percent support for a bond-funded pool and 56 percent support for user fees covering operations.
• Margaret Schwender, a Houghton resident for more than 35 years, suggested National Night Out, recycling events, farmers markets or swap meets, time-bank neighbor-to-neighbor programs, and classic car shows at the park and ride.

Consent Calendar

• The consent calendar was approved 7-0 on a motion by Councilmember Sweet, seconded by Councilmember Tymczyszyn.
• Approved minutes of the January 2, 2024 special and regular meetings; acknowledged the audit of accounts in the amounts of $4,349,601.69 for payroll and $5,375,551.52 for bills; acknowledged claims; awarded the Kirkland Avenue/Lake Street Intersection Improvements contract to New X, Inc. of Monroe, Washington, for $2,025,811.00; approved Ordinance O-4869 granting the Lake Washington School District a franchise for its fiber optic cable network; and acknowledged the Day of Racial Healing Proclamation, the November 2023 Financial Dashboard, and the Procurement Report.

Business: Childcare for Boards, Commissions, and City Events

• Staff recommended a childcare stipend pilot for appointed board and commission members who serve on personal time and have children age 10 or younger, or dependent children with special needs under age 18. The proposed rate was $25 per hour plus buffer time, with no receipt requirement.
• The 2024 pilot would use $20,000 from the Council Special Projects Reserve. Estimated annual cost if 25 percent of eligible members used stipends was $16,981 for all meetings or $15,269 for in-person meetings only.
• Councilmembers broadly supported the pilot. Suggested changes included raising the eligible child age to 13, considering a minimum or flat payment per meeting, removing the certification requirement, and reviewing tax, employment, and administrative implications.
• For city events, staff recommended continuing youth activities at large citywide events with parents or caregivers responsible for their children, deferring drop-in childcare, and continuing virtual and written public participation options.

Business: 2024 City Council Committee Assignments

• Government Affairs Manager Diana Hart reviewed the proposed 2024 committee assignments. Councilmember Sweet agreed to serve as an alternate on the Eastside Transportation Partnership.
• The Council voted 7-0 to adopt the amended 2024 committee assignments.

Business: 2024 Legislative Session Update

• Diana Hart reported that January 16 was day nine of the 60-day legislative session; the Senate had introduced 478 new bills, with 189 active bills on the city's tracker and 340 subject-matter-expert reviews completed.
• City priorities include transit-oriented development, affordable housing, behavioral health treatment, and lifting the 1 percent property tax cap. Budget challenges include the capital budget not advancing the city's Houghton Crossing request and Senate capital budget requests capped at $100,000.
• Councilmembers discussed gun-violence-prevention bills, with Councilmember Black asking that the city be authorized to testify in support of bills recommended by the legislative work group and Councilmember Tymczyszyn requesting case-by-case review.
• Councilmember Falcone asked for follow-through on Lake Washington School District-related legislation, and Councilmember Pascal asked for a public-facing link to the updated bill tracker.
• City Action Days are planned for February 7-8, 2024.

Reports

• Councilmembers shared updates on the upcoming Eastrail Regional Advisory Council meeting, Shoreline Tool Lending Library and Sweetgreen ribbon cuttings, the February 3 Lunar New Year celebration, the Lake Washington School District Leadership Breakfast, the King County Affordable Housing Symposium, the Coordinated Response to Homelessness Symposium, regional gun-violence prevention work, the Eastside Transportation Partnership, a Governor Inslee behavioral health and public safety roundtable, the RACER Principals Assembly, and a Livable Kirkland meeting on the Station Area Plan.
• City Manager Kurt Triplett reported that PSERN has officially taken over the emergency radio system for all of King County and that the ARCH Board Strategic Planning Committee recommended a framework to build more affordable housing faster. He also noted a Police Academy learning opportunity for Councilmembers on February 2-3, 2024.

Key Outcomes

• The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
• The amended 2024 City Council committee assignments were adopted unanimously.
• Staff will return with a childcare stipend proposal, including resolution language and code changes, incorporating Council feedback.
• No formal decisions were made on the community survey questions or Houghton Park and Ride activation options; those discussions will continue.
• Council entered executive session to discuss potential litigation, returned at 10 p.m., and adjourned.