Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting – January 6, 2026

The Kirkland City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and adjourning at 12:16 a.m. on January 7. Key actions included the swearing-in of councilmembers, election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, approval of a temporary water pressure boost for the Upper Highlands, direction on multiple school zone safety enhancements, progress on the Green Loop Implementation Plan, and approval of Seattle Police Department's entry into the Independent Force Investigation Team (IFIT-KC) with a 4–3 vote.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes: Minutes from the December 9, 2025 Special Meeting were approved. Minutes from the December 9, 2025 Regular Meeting were deferred to the next meeting for revision.
• Audit of Accounts: Payroll ($9,158,698.56) and bills ($9,858,483.84) acknowledged.
• Claims for Damages: Claims from seven individuals acknowledged.
• Other Items: Resolution R-5711 (relinquishing city interest in unopened right-of-way), November 2025 Investment Report, November 2025 Sales Tax Report, and Procurement Report all approved via consent calendar. Motion carried 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Paul Quinn (Sammamish resident) urged the city to implement a “Smart Disposal” pilot program to weigh refuse and charge based on actual disposal, arguing the current flat-rate container fee is unfair and does not incentivize diversion.
• Ingrid Salmon (Kirkland resident) questioned the fairness of spending millions to address low water pressure for a small number of households in the Highlands, calling it a “pedestrian topic” but noting the high cost relative to the number of affected connections.
• David Haynes (Juanita Beach resident) raised concerns about construction disruptions at the Park Shore senior living site, unsafe crosswalks, noise from a manhole cover, and neglected public access paths at Juanita Beach Park.
• Murray McKinney (50-year Highlands resident) expressed support for Alternative 4 (temporary booster pump), stating it will restore pressure by mid-June and is preferable to continued low pressure. He criticized the city’s prior management of the issue.
• Scott Morris (Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance board) endorsed the Green Loop Implementation Plan and urged the city to prioritize property acquisition for trails, noting the availability of funding.
• Heidi Schor (Juanita resident, chair of Eastern Green Loop subcommittee) urged the council to prioritize the eastern portion of the Green Loop to provide underserved Juanita residents access to green space. She stressed the importance of acquiring properties now and called for moving the Billy Goat Trail extension into phase one.
• Jessie Brown (Juanita resident) voiced support for prioritizing the eastern portion of the Green Loop Trail.
• Jennie Jaeger (chair, Juanita Neighborhood Association) asked the council to include an extension of the Billy Goat Trail through Juanita Heights Park in phase one of the Green Loop Plan to address inequitable park access for Juanita residents.

Discussion Items

• Upper Highlands Water Pressure – Alternative 4 Update: Senior Project Engineer I-Wen Yang presented the 30% design for a Temporary Regional Booster Pump Station (TRBPS) costing an estimated $1.45 million. The temporary solution would raise hydraulic gradient from 450 to 510, using a pump station and two check valves. The schedule is aggressive (deployment before summer 2026), using two contract packages and pre-approval requests. Sunk costs depend on the permanent solution chosen (Alternative 1 would reuse check valves; Alternative 2 would not). Staff noted the solution is not designed for long-term use (no seismic design, reduced reliability). Council members praised staff creativity and asked about parallel construction risks. A motion to include the TRBPS in the Capital Improvement Program and authorize final design and project delivery passed 7-0.
• School Zone Signing Safety Enhancement Options: Transportation Engineering Supervisor Jennifer Palmer and Engineer Ed Wang presented seven optional safety enhancements. Council voted on each:
  • Option 1 (School Speed Limit Signs): Approved staff recommendation to use “20 mph all the time” on local streets and “7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days” on collectors. Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 2 (School Flashing Beacons): Approved targeted installation on higher-speed, higher-volume roads based on proposed thresholds, with staff to return with an implementation plan. Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 3 (Dual Beacon Heads): Approved installation of dual flashing beacon heads at all locations citywide. Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 4 (Remote Connectivity): Approved citywide remote connectivity for all school flashing beacons (option 3). Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 5 (In-Street Signs): Approved staff recommendation to install in-street signs at school crosswalks where feasible (option 2). Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 6 (Gated Signage): Approved installation of gated signage at all school crossings (option 2). Motion carried 7-0.
  • Option 7 (School Zone Stubs): Approved adding school zone stubs on perpendicular roads near schools (option 2). Motion carried 5-2 (Councilmember Arnold and Mayor Curtis dissented).
• Briefing on Green Loop Implementation Plan: Parks Planning Manager Mariah Murphy and Green Kirkland Supervisor Jodie Galvan presented the plan. Phase one uses public lands only; phase two would involve private property partnerships. Community outreach included nearly 900 survey responses and strong support for connecting parks, preserving green space, and providing equitable access for Juanita residents. Staff recommended option 1: send customized letters to ~70 landowners within hatched areas, then hold a public meeting on February 25, 2026. Council discussed concerns about property owner reactions, feasibility, and the need for flexibility. A motion to adopt staff recommendation with communication plan 1 and flexibility to hold the forum by April 1, 2026, passed 7-0.
• Independent Force Investigation Team (IFIT) Update and Proposed ILA Modification: Police Chief Michel St Jean and Deputy Chief Philip Goguen presented the need to add the Seattle Police Department as a member agency of IFIT-KC, following the termination of SPD’s federal consent decree. They noted that Kirkland PD has been a disproportionate contributor (lead investigator in 7 of 14 call-outs). Adding Seattle would bring resources but likely increase workload. Council expressed concerns about resource imbalance and Seattle becoming dominant. An amendment by Councilmember Pascal required the City Manager and Police Chief to report back by December 31, 2026, on activations and resource impacts (amended from 2027 via a 5-2 vote). Resolution R-5712, as amended, passed 4-3 (Councilmembers Arnold, Black, Pascal, Prem in favor; Curtis, Falcone, Tymczyszyn opposed).

Key Outcomes

• Mayor and Deputy Mayor: Re-elected Kelli Curtis as Mayor and elected Neal Black as Deputy Mayor, both 7-0 votes.
• Upper Highlands Water Pressure: Approved moving forward with the Temporary Regional Booster Pump Station (Alternative 4) at an estimated $1.45 million. Staff authorized to proceed with final design and project delivery.
• School Zone Safety Enhancements: Directed staff to implement all seven options (five by 7-0, one by 7-0, one by 5-2) and return with an implementation plan and funding proposal.
• Green Loop Implementation Plan: Approved staff’s communication plan 1 with a public meeting to be held by April 1, 2026; staff will continue design work and property owner outreach.
• IFIT-KC Modification: Approved Resolution R-5712 adding Seattle Police Department to IFIT-KC, with a requirement for a resource impact report by December 31, 2026. Vote: 4-3.
• Boards and Commissions Recruitment: Approved Option 2: extend expiring terms through June 2026, implement retreat changes, start recruitment in March 2026 with new terms starting July 2026. Motion carried 7-0.
• Executive Session: Postponed to a future meeting due to time.