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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting: Budget, Winterfest, Affordable Housing (Nov 6, 2024)

City Council — Wednesday, November 6, 2024

BodyKirkland, Washington

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, November 6, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 3:39:38

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0:00

I volunteer to be remote.

0:05

Combination.

0:15

I don't know which one to look at.

0:17

Because we're not on satellite.

0:21

Hello, everyone.

0:22

I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of November 6, 2024.

0:27

City Clerk, will you please call a roll?

0:29

Councilmember Tim Chisholm.

0:31

Councilmember Black.

0:32

Here.

0:32

Councilmember Sweet.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Councilmember Falcone.

0:35

Here.

0:35

Councilmember Pascal.

0:37

Here.

0:37

Deputy Mayor Arnold.

0:38

Here.

0:39

Mayor Curtis.

0:40

Here.

0:40

Our study session tonight is on the preliminary 2025-2030 capital improvement program and the preliminary 2025-2026 budget.

0:50

We expect to reconvene our regular meeting at 7.30.

0:54

City Manager.

0:55

Okay.

0:56

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

0:58

So tonight is really a big check-in.

1:01

We're going to start with the CIP.

1:03

You've been given a lot to absorb our last couple weeks.

1:06

And so what we're going to do is provide some answers to some questions you asked about the CIP and the budget process, talk about some of the few changes that we made, but we're really looking for feedback.

1:15

We're going to be bringing all this back to you in December for adoption.

1:18

So this is our second last chance to get your input and make any changes.

1:24

So with that, I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to Kevin Pelstring, who is our interim financial planning manager.

1:30

Kevin.

1:32

Thank you, City Manager.

1:34

Madam Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Council members of the public, thank you very much for having us tonight.

1:40

I'm here with uh Jessica Clem, our senior financial analyst for the CIP, who's been helping a lot on uh the CIP, uh, and our Anterom Capital Project Manager uh George Menassian, who's gonna um answer questions on that you might have on the CIP and um just be our kind of our utility our utility player um on all things CIP.

2:01

Um so we as city manager mentioned uh we have some updates tonight on uh the CIP you last heard uh the preliminary CIP at the September 3rd study session.

2:12

Um so there's been a few changes and some responses to some of the questions and things that you brought up since then.

2:18

Um so we'll go through that.

2:19

There's about 12 slides on the CIP.

2:21

Uh and then we also have about 24 uh sorry, 25 slides on the budget.

2:26

Um we have a number of uh responses from your questions and comments from the October 24th work session on the 2526 uh budget uh and a few options for you all to consider um uh opportunities for for additional um things to to fund with unprogrammed resources.

2:45

So uh plenty to get through tonight.

2:47

Um please feel free to stop us with any questions at any point.

2:50

Um and I will quickly go through kind of our timeline and then pass it off to Jessica Clem.

2:56

Um so tonight is uh a few things.

2:59

So we have the study session on the budget and the CIP, and then during the regular hearing, we have a public hearing on the budget, the CIP and the transportation improvement program, um, as well as a public hearing on the the preliminary 2025 property tax.

3:13

Um and then in a couple weeks we'll have another public hearing on the budget, um, can bring back any final council deliberations on the budget, uh, and we'll have our our preliminary 25 uh property tax levy ordinance.

3:29

And finally, on the big day, uh Tuesday, December 10th, uh we have uh final budget adjustments for the current 2324 budget um as well as adoption for the 25-26 uh operating budget and the 2530 CIP and the final 2025 property tax levy ordinance pending King County uh available data, which uh in the last couple years we've had, but uh before that we haven't had before the December 10th meeting.

3:56

So with that, I will pass it off to Jessica to go through some of our um CIP updates.

4:05

Thank you, Kevin.

4:06

Uh good evening, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Council.

4:10

Um first of all over a brief timeline.

4:14

Uh we brought our CIP priorities resolution uh to you in April over the months of May through July.

4:22

We met with finance and city manager's office to develop our six-year CIP by program, and that is what we presented to you at your September 3rd study session.

4:33

Tonight we're here at our second study session to bring updates that have happened since uh the last meeting, and then again we'll be back in December for our final adoption.

4:45

Uh for a new projects, uh uh pedestrian safety enhancements at Lake Washington Boulevard.

4:51

Uh this is the result of a recent federal grant award from Washdot, uh, their city safety program, uh just under 1.7 million dollars.

5:00

Um, this program is based off of um we produce a local road safety plan, and the goal of that is to um determine which locations are having a high incidence of severe injury in fatal crushes.

5:14

So uh the reason why this project isn't in the CIP now is that uh it was determined to be in need during that um development of that plan, and so we're adding it now.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Engagement██████████████████████22%

Public Safety███████████11%

Capital Improvement Planning██████████10%

Affordable Housing██████████10%

Community Engagement████████8%

Budget Equity Analysis███████7%

Transportation██████6%

Criminal Justice█████5%

Procedural████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting – November 6, 2024

The Kirkland City Council held a study session at 5:30 PM and a regular meeting at 7:30 PM on November 6, 2024. The study session reviewed the Preliminary 2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and 2025-2026 Budget. The regular meeting included public hearings on the budget, CIP, Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and property tax levy; a consent calendar; and business items on the Transportation Strategic Plan (TSP), Winterfest funding, and a potential public-private partnership to convert the Areté Apartments to affordable housing. The council approved Winterfest funding and directed staff to prepare a resolution for the Areté project.

Study Session – Preliminary 2025-2030 CIP and 2025-2026 Budget

Interim Financial Planning Manager Kevin Pelstring, Senior Financial Analyst Jessica Clem, and Interim Capital Projects Manager George Minassian presented updates on the CIP and budget.
Council discussed new projects (e.g., pedestrian safety enhancements on Lake Washington Boulevard, stormwater retrofit at Houghton Park & Ride, automatic locking gates at parks), modified projects (e.g., Fire Station 24 training configuration, Odenny Park Pavilion), and unfunded projects.
Council provided feedback on the budget, including potential uses of unprogrammed resources (estimated $764,727 after adjustments). Items discussed included human services grants (Option C), a council newsletter, utility bill insert, Eastrail Partnership, Eastside Pathways, Leadership Eastside, a pipe threading machine, and funding for festivals/anniversary events. No final decisions were made; staff will bring back recommendations on November 19.

Public Hearings

Combined Public Hearing (Budget, CIP, TIP): Opened at 7:30 PM. Interim Financial Planning Manager Kevin Pelstring gave an overview. Testimony was provided by:
- Dila Ertem and Tanushri Goyal (Lake Washington High School SNAP interns): Supported sustainability initiatives and youth transit programs.
- David Haines (Juanita Beach): Criticized Seattle progressive policies, budget allocations to nonprofit capacity-building, and public safety issues; urged improved laws and oversight.
- Joe Kunzler (remote): Encouraged automated traffic enforcement for speeding and suspended licenses.
Public Hearing on 2025 Property Tax Levy: Opened after the combined hearing. Director of Finance Michael Olson provided an overview. No testimony was offered. Ordinance O-4890 was not acted on.

Public Comments & Testimony (Items from the Audience)

Jennifer Loy: Expressed frustration with Parks Department communication regarding Caroline Woods Park classification and maintenance.
Lisa McConnell: Expressed enthusiasm for the bike valet program and its community engagement benefits; anticipated a future presentation.
David Haines (Juanita Beach): Repeated criticisms of city policies, public safety, and budget priorities; called for independent oversight.
Jennie Jaeger (Juanita resident): Supported the potential conversion of Areté Apartments to affordable housing.

Consent Calendar

Approved 7-0 (motion by Councilmember Sweet, second by Councilmember Tymczyszyn). Items included:

Approval of minutes from October 8 (special) and October 15 (regular) meetings.
Audit of accounts: Payroll $5,785,897.86; Bills $14,181,594.80.
Claims for damages acknowledged.
Stormwater Awareness Week Proclamation.
Resignation acceptance and appointment of alternates: Transportation Commission (Sophia Stull) and Park Board (Paul Stull).
Ordinance O-4888 (business licensing late fees) and O-4891 (telecommunications rights-of-way) approved.
Resolution R-5650 (reallocation of ARCH housing funds from Kenmore to Redmond), R-5652 (RCR budget), R-5653 (NORCOM budget), R-5654 (vehicle donation to RCR) approved.
Kirkland Cares Low-Income Support Program Update, September 2024 Sales Tax Report, and Procurement Report acknowledged.

Business Items

Draft Transportation Strategic Plan (TSP)

Transportation Planner Kimberly Scrivner presented the draft TSP, summarizing goals and implementation plans. Council provided feedback and direction. No action was taken on draft Resolution R-5656; adoption is scheduled for November 19.

Appointment of Interview Selection Committee (ISC) for Cultural Arts Commission

Three councilmembers were drawn by lot: Councilmembers Sweet, Falcone, and Tymczyszyn.

Approval of Additional Funding for Winterfest (Kirkland Downtown Association)

Deputy City Manager James Lopez presented the request for one-time funding to cover increased holiday lighting costs.
Council suspended its policies and procedures (motion by Councilmember Sweet, second by Deputy Mayor Arnold; passed 7-0) and then approved Option 1: up to $40,000 from the City Council Special Projects Reserve for downtown holiday lighting (motion by Councilmember Sweet, second by Deputy Mayor Arnold; passed 7-0).

Potential Public/Private Partnership – Areté Apartments Affordable Housing Conversion

Planning and Building Director Adam Weinstein and Planning Manager Dawn Nelson presented a proposal to convert all 290 units to affordable housing with a 99-year covenant. The city’s contribution would be $500,000 (already budgeted for another project). The partnership includes SRM Development, American Opportunity Foundation/Pacific Affordable Foundation, and Sustainable Kirkland, LLC.
Council directed staff to bring back a resolution and fiscal note at the November 15 meeting (motion by Deputy Mayor Arnold, second by Councilmember Tymczyszyn; passed 7-0).

Reports

City Council Regional and Committee Reports

Councilmembers reported on various events and meetings, including: Veterans Assembly at Lakeview Elementary, Washington State Supreme Court argument, King County Regional Transit Committee, Eastside Transportation Partnership, legislative work group, AED installation at Crestwoods Park, RCR Principals Assembly, King County Board of Health restaurant rating review, Cascade Water Alliance, Metropolitan Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Sound Cities Association Legislative Committee, King County Affordable Housing Committee, Washington State Affordable Housing Advisory Board, Kirkland Police swearing-in, Lake Washington vs. Juanita football game, tour of Plymouth Housing permanent supportive housing facility, Master Builder Association Housing Solutions breakfast, Eastside Mayors panel with Imagine Housing, meeting with King County Regional Homelessness Authority CEO, Kirkland Arbor Day, Día de Los Muertos, Leadership Symposium, and Elevate Kirkland fundraiser.

City Manager Reports

City Manager Kurt Triplett updated on the Kirkland Performance Center (KPC) state grant, the Kraken partnership (funding and procurement breakthrough), Eastside Public Safety Communications Agency (EPSAC) transition to PCERN, and a meeting with King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
Council approved a motion (by Councilmember Black, second by Councilmember Falcone; passed 7-0) authorizing the City Manager to present a resolution at the November 19 meeting to execute a covenant ensuring KPC remains a performance venue for at least 10 years, satisfying Department of Commerce grant requirements.
A calendar update noted that the electric leaf blower demonstration with state legislators is rescheduled to the week of December 16.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar: Approved 7-0.
Winterfest Funding: Up to $40,000 approved for downtown holiday lighting (Option 1).
Areté Apartments: Staff directed to prepare a resolution and fiscal note for $500,000 city contribution to support affordable housing conversion; final action expected November 15.
Kirkland Performance Center: Council authorized staff to bring a covenant resolution for the November 19 meeting.
Transportation Strategic Plan: Will be brought back for adoption on November 19.
Interview Selection Committee: Councilmembers Sweet, Falcone, and Tymczyszyn selected.
Budget and CIP: Public hearings held; final adoption scheduled for December 10 (budget, CIP) and January 7, 2025 (TIP).
Property Tax Levy: Public hearing held; ordinance adoption set for November 19.
Unprogrammed Resources: Council discussed priorities (human services, Eastrail, Eastside Pathways, pipe threading, newsletter, etc.) and will finalize on November 19.
Neighborhood Association Insurance: City Manager will bring options to address legal exposure from insurance provision.

Meeting Transcript

I volunteer to be remote. Combination. I don't know which one to look at. Because we're not on satellite. Hello, everyone. I'd like to call to order the city council meeting of November 6, 2024. City Clerk, will you please call a roll? Councilmember Tim Chisholm. Councilmember Black. Here. Councilmember Sweet. Here. Councilmember Falcone. Here. Councilmember Pascal. Here. Deputy Mayor Arnold. Here. Mayor Curtis. Here. Our study session tonight is on the preliminary 2025-2030 capital improvement program and the preliminary 2025-2026 budget. We expect to reconvene our regular meeting at 7.30. City Manager. Okay. Thank you, Madam Mayor. So tonight is really a big check-in. We're going to start with the CIP. You've been given a lot to absorb our last couple weeks. And so what we're going to do is provide some answers to some questions you asked about the CIP and the budget process, talk about some of the few changes that we made, but we're really looking for feedback. We're going to be bringing all this back to you in December for adoption. So this is our second last chance to get your input and make any changes. So with that, I'm going to go ahead and turn it over to Kevin Pelstring, who is our interim financial planning manager. Kevin. Thank you, City Manager. Madam Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Council members of the public, thank you very much for having us tonight. I'm here with uh Jessica Clem, our senior financial analyst for the CIP, who's been helping a lot on uh the CIP, uh, and our Anterom Capital Project Manager uh George Menassian, who's gonna um answer questions on that you might have on the CIP and um just be our kind of our utility our utility player um on all things CIP. Um so we as city manager mentioned uh we have some updates tonight on uh the CIP you last heard uh the preliminary CIP at the September 3rd study session. Um so there's been a few changes and some responses to some of the questions and things that you brought up since then. Um so we'll go through that. There's about 12 slides on the CIP. Uh and then we also have about 24 uh sorry, 25 slides on the budget. Um we have a number of uh responses from your questions and comments from the October 24th work session on the 2526 uh budget uh and a few options for you all to consider um uh opportunities for for additional um things to to fund with unprogrammed resources. So uh plenty to get through tonight. Um please feel free to stop us with any questions at any point. Um and I will quickly go through kind of our timeline and then pass it off to Jessica Clem. Um so tonight is uh a few things. So we have the study session on the budget and the CIP, and then during the regular hearing, we have a public hearing on the budget, the CIP and the transportation improvement program, um, as well as a public hearing on the the preliminary 2025 property tax. Um and then in a couple weeks we'll have another public hearing on the budget, um, can bring back any final council deliberations on the budget, uh, and we'll have our our preliminary 25 uh property tax levy ordinance. And finally, on the big day, uh Tuesday, December 10th, uh we have uh final budget adjustments for the current 2324 budget um as well as adoption for the 25-26 uh operating budget and the 2530 CIP and the final 2025 property tax levy ordinance pending King County uh available data, which uh in the last couple years we've had, but uh before that we haven't had before the December 10th meeting. So with that, I will pass it off to Jessica to go through some of our um CIP updates.

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