OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting – August 5, 2026: Utility Rates, Tool Library, Housing, and Policy Actions

City Council — Wednesday, August 5, 2026
BodyKirkland, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, August 5, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:18:27

Transcript — Verbatim
3:15

We are open to the public.

3:17

Thank you.

3:18

Let's ensure that Mike has gone live.

3:20

Stand by.

3:24

Okay, we're live.

3:26

Thank you.

3:36

Due to critical maintenance and upgrades underway in council chambers.

3:41

During the meeting, we may take brief breaks as needed to address any technical issues and help ensure the meeting proceeds as smoothly as possible.

3:50

And council, um, thank you so much.

3:53

Please give me a little grace as we start out as I get the lay of the landscape here.

3:58

I'm very appreciative to uh former mayor's suite having done this for quite a long time, but we'll get through it.

4:04

So City Clerk, will you please call the role?

4:08

Councilmember Tim Chison?

4:09

Here.

4:10

Councilmember Arnold.

4:12

Here.

4:12

Councilmember Prem.

4:14

Here.

4:15

Councilmember Falcone.

4:17

Here.

4:18

Councilmember Pascal.

4:20

Here.

4:21

Deputy Mayor Black.

4:22

Here.

4:23

Mayor Curtis.

4:25

Here.

4:26

All right.

4:27

Our study session tonight is on two items.

4:29

First, we'll have an update on the two thousand twenty-seven, two thousand twenty-eight utility rates.

4:34

Second, we will have an update on the Kirkland Care's Low Income Support Program.

4:40

We expect to reconvene our regular meeting at seven thirty.

4:48

So we have the whole ninety minutes of the study session set up for these two topics related topics.

5:00

I wanted to give a huge thanks to folks at Public Works and Finance to put together a lot of really complicated information.

5:03

And also our consultant team are going to hear from, who has done a fabulous job.

5:08

But it's all going to be led by Jenny Galls, our Surface Water Strategic Advisor.

5:12

And she has lots of help who people will check in when needed.

5:16

And Tracy Dunlap is also here at Deputy City Manager to chime in as needed, or she is in the Tri-Cities.

5:21

So with that, I'll turn over to Jenny.

5:25

Great.

5:25

Thank you very much.

5:26

Good evening, Madam Mayor and members of the council.

5:30

Again, I'm Jenny Gauz, Surface Water Strategic Advisor, and I'm managing the utility rate process for 2027-2028.

5:38

And Brooke is kindly running the slides for me for now.

5:41

Next slide.

5:56

The FCS team and myself will be the main presenters, but we do have many other folks standing by as questions arise.

6:03

Next slide.

6:05

And before we launch into sort of the meat of the presentation, wanted to just highlight some of the process improvements that have happened since the last rate sitting process.

6:15

We're doing more forecasting of revenues.

6:19

Staff is reviewing and reporting on revenue trends each month so that we have the most up-to-date information.

6:25

Water and sewer utilities have been split apart so that we can better see how each is faring financially.

6:33

The utility policy supervisor is now allocated to water sewer and solid waste.

6:41

And then we are really working on prioritizing water and sewer engineering and planning.

6:46

And so those things are really going to help with the transparency and accountability in the process.

6:52

Next slide.

6:54

And so tonight is the first of three meetings where we're going to discuss utility rates updates.

7:01

We'll be returning on September 15th with our proposed rates and again on October 20th with our final rates.

7:08

Tonight we have our consultant team here to provide background on the rate models and to present the preliminary rates.

7:16

These are rates that meet our current fiscal policies.

7:25

And we'll seek council guidance on the preferred rate scenario.

7:29

A note that I have some slides available after Brooke's presentation.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████25%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████████16%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Economic Development██████████10%
Procedural███████7%
Fiscal Sustainability██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Public Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Kirkland City Council Regular Meeting – August 5, 2026

The Kirkland City Council met on August 5, 2026, beginning with a study session on 2027-2028 utility rates and the Kirkland Cares low-income support program, followed by a regular business meeting. Key actions included approval of a progressive design build for the Peter Kirk Pool project, authorization to negotiate a tool library implementation plan, and discussions on affordable housing agreements and land use policies. Three legislative request memos were also approved.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes of July 21, 2026 regular meeting.
  • Audit of accounts: payroll $10,432,835.26 and bills $12,978,410.94.
  • Approved claims for damages, award of bids (2026 Annual Replacement of Aging and Failing Infrastructure Project and 108th Avenue NE Pipe Installation Project), and other routine items including Resolution R-5742 for unopened rights-of-way.
  • Carried 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Christy Drackett (resident near South Reservoir) requested preservation of a grove of western red cedars slated for removal during the water tower project; she noted the city's arborist report did not assess these trees.
  • Jerry Knott (Mariner Condominiums) raised concerns about late-night noise, loud boat music, and lack of dock rule enforcement at Marina Park; requested police walk-throughs and rule enforcement.
  • Alicia Ramirez urged swift implementation of Resolution 5729 to protect community members from ICE abductions, citing recent incidents.
  • Aaron Ross Powell complained about unsafe construction practices at a deck and catch basin, alleging city inaction and unanswered questions.
  • Brady Nordstrom (Housing Development Consortium) spoke in support of the proposed code amendments for housing on faith-owned land, emphasizing flexible standards and expedited review.
  • Alex Zimmerman criticized King County Housing Authority and Deputy Mayor Black, alleging trespass and lack of assistance for low-income seniors.
  • Lilith Winkler Shore (former Kirkland Youth Council member) announced the Matthew Dahl Kirkland Youth Council Memorial Scholarship Award to Leanne Satut, who then gave an acceptance speech praising KYC's impact.
  • Aaron Hamilton thanked Kirkland Police Department for hosting a transgender community interaction training; highlighted positive engagement.
  • Alicia Bruis (Habitat for Humanity) supported faith-owned land housing code amendments.
  • Sean Hornbrook urged a no vote on the Arete Apartments affordable housing agreement, arguing the property already received tax benefits and the new agreement offers no new affordable units.
  • Joe Kunzler criticized the council for not speaking up against a previous speaker's inflammatory comments; encouraged stronger council rules.

Discussion Items

  • 2027-2028 Utility Rates Update (Study Session): Staff and FCS consultants presented preliminary rate increases: water 8.5% (2027), sewer 19.5%, surface water 7.15% (2027-2029 then 2.75%), solid waste 6.75% (2027 then 3.95%). Combined single-family bill impact approx. $29.10/month in 2027. Council discussed affordability concerns, regional rate drivers (Cascade Water Alliance, King County), and levers to mitigate increases. Next steps: September 15 proposed rates, October 20 final rates.
  • Kirkland Cares Low-Income Support Program (Study Session): Program coordinator Quinn Gleby reported over 1,000 total households served; $641,052 discounted from utility charges since 2024. Potential expansion via data sharing with property tax exemptions (700 additional households) and North Shore Utility District collaboration. Council praised outreach and discussed administrative costs.
  • Alternative Delivery of Peter Kirk Pool Project: Council authorized staff to proceed with progressive design build procurement after state approval. Staff outlined oversight milestones. Motion carried 7-0.
  • Draft Tool Library Implementation Plan: Staff recommended proceeding with negotiations with Eastside Tool Collective based on one RFP response. Council debated financial sustainability, ethics (former council member involvement), and location preference (fire station 27). Motion to proceed passed 5-2 (Councilmembers Pascal and Tim Chison opposed). Staff will return with a proposed contract for Track A or check-in for Track B.
  • Briefing on Housing on Faith-Owned Land Proposed Code Amendments: Staff presented draft code allowing density/height bonuses for affordable housing on faith-owned land, with additional height bonuses and exchange ratios for deeper affordability. Council supportive; will go to Planning Commission public hearing on August 27.
  • Briefing on Potential Affordable Housing Agreement at Arete Apartments: Proposal to provide $500,000 no-interest loan to preserve 218 eco-flat units at 60% AMI for 20-40 years. Owner Robert Pantley explained need due to rising rents and risk of conversion. Council feedback: support for exploring longer affordability, possible inclusion of larger units, and rent increase caps (e.g., mirroring HB 1217). Staff will continue negotiations.
  • Briefing on Totem Lake Southern Industrial Subarea (SIS) Visioning Collaboration with BLOXHUB: Phase 1 results presented: community ideas for wayfinding, building reuse, and CKC connections. Phase 2 (2027) will analyze land and housing expansion options. Council discussed scope: some favored broader study, others narrower focus to protect existing industrial uses. No formal decision.
  • Council Policies and Procedures Continued Discussion: Postponed to later meeting.
  • Legislative Request Memos (LRMs): Three approved:
    1. Shared Micromobility Program (e.g., Lime): Explore options for e-bikes/e-scooters with safety focus. Carried 7-0.
    2. Helmet Requirements for Micromobility Devices: Explore requiring helmets for e-bikes, e-scooters. Carried 6-1 (Councilmember Arnold opposed).
    3. Holmes Point Overlay Code Amendments: Explore tree removal flexibility and lot coverage changes to facilitate middle housing. Carried 7-0.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved progressive design build procurement for Peter Kirk Pool project (7-0).
  • Authorized staff to negotiate tool library implementation plan (5-2).
  • Continued discussion on Arete Apartments affordable housing agreement with direction to refine terms.
  • Three LRMs approved to study micromobility, helmet requirements, and Holmes Point overlay code changes.
  • Council policies and procedures item postponed.
  • Next regular meeting: September 15, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

We are open to the public. Thank you. Let's ensure that Mike has gone live. Stand by. Okay, we're live. Thank you. Due to critical maintenance and upgrades underway in council chambers. During the meeting, we may take brief breaks as needed to address any technical issues and help ensure the meeting proceeds as smoothly as possible. And council, um, thank you so much. Please give me a little grace as we start out as I get the lay of the landscape here. I'm very appreciative to uh former mayor's suite having done this for quite a long time, but we'll get through it. So City Clerk, will you please call the role? Councilmember Tim Chison? Here. Councilmember Arnold. Here. Councilmember Prem. Here. Councilmember Falcone. Here. Councilmember Pascal. Here. Deputy Mayor Black. Here. Mayor Curtis. Here. All right. Our study session tonight is on two items. First, we'll have an update on the two thousand twenty-seven, two thousand twenty-eight utility rates. Second, we will have an update on the Kirkland Care's Low Income Support Program. We expect to reconvene our regular meeting at seven thirty. So we have the whole ninety minutes of the study session set up for these two topics related topics. I wanted to give a huge thanks to folks at Public Works and Finance to put together a lot of really complicated information. And also our consultant team are going to hear from, who has done a fabulous job. But it's all going to be led by Jenny Galls, our Surface Water Strategic Advisor. And she has lots of help who people will check in when needed. And Tracy Dunlap is also here at Deputy City Manager to chime in as needed, or she is in the Tri-Cities. So with that, I'll turn over to Jenny. Great. Thank you very much. Good evening, Madam Mayor and members of the council. Again, I'm Jenny Gauz, Surface Water Strategic Advisor, and I'm managing the utility rate process for 2027-2028. And Brooke is kindly running the slides for me for now. Next slide. The FCS team and myself will be the main presenters, but we do have many other folks standing by as questions arise. Next slide. And before we launch into sort of the meat of the presentation, wanted to just highlight some of the process improvements that have happened since the last rate sitting process. We're doing more forecasting of revenues. Staff is reviewing and reporting on revenue trends each month so that we have the most up-to-date information. Water and sewer utilities have been split apart so that we can better see how each is faring financially.

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