OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Redmond City Council Business Meeting - January 6, 2026: Leadership Elections and 2026 Pay Plans Approved

City Council — Tuesday, January 6, 2026
BodyRedmond, Washington
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, January 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

I'm calling this meeting to order.

0:07

This is a regular business meeting of the Redmond City Council held on Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, commencing at 7 o'clock PM.

0:14

I will call roll starting with council member.

0:18

I'm gonna go in alphabetical order.

0:20

Councilmember Forsythe.

0:22

Here.

0:22

Councilmember Kritzer.

0:24

Here.

0:24

Councilmember Nueva Camina.

0:26

Here.

0:26

Councilmember Procria.

0:29

Here.

0:30

Councilmember Sony.

0:32

Here.

0:33

And Councilmember Stewart.

0:34

Here.

0:35

Great.

0:35

Thank you all.

0:36

The first item on the agenda is a special orders of the day for the nomination and appointment of council leadership.

0:43

This is the process.

0:45

We will start with the position of council president.

0:48

All nominations will be accepted prior to voting.

0:50

No second is needed.

0:52

I will announce each name as that is nominated.

0:55

Debate on the qualifications of the nominees, if any, takes place.

0:59

When nominations and debate are done, I will close nominations immediately following the close of nominations.

1:04

Voting will commence in the order the members were nominated.

1:07

The first person to receive a majority vote will become the council president.

1:11

And then we'll go through the same process for vice president.

1:14

So with that, I will open up the floor for nominations.

1:17

Councilmember Kritzer.

1:20

I nominate Councilmember Melissa Stewart for president.

1:28

Are there other nominations?

1:32

I see no other nominations going once, going twice.

1:36

Nominations are closed.

1:39

Would you like to have any debate on the nomination?

1:41

Would anyone like to say a few words?

1:44

Council Member Stewart.

1:47

Well, thank you so much for the nomination and happy new year, everyone.

1:51

We have a lot of new faces here as well.

1:52

Thank you for being here.

2:02

Thanks to you, you navigated the return to this chamber as the pandemic loosened its grip.

2:08

You advanced our team's priorities and refined systems to ensure Team Redmond is delivering on our community's most pressing priorities.

2:16

And I have personally learned so much from the two of you, and I'm just deeply grateful for your leadership.

2:22

I have three guiding principles as a council member, and I have shared these publicly before.

2:27

I did prepare a couple of remarks just for my colleagues about how I would intend for these to apply as your council president, your team captain, your project manager.

2:39

I think these are all synonyms.

2:41

So the first is accessibility.

2:43

I'll continue to champion accessible government in my individual service.

2:47

And as your council president, I extend that same commitment to you.

2:51

You will know how to reach me.

2:53

And if you get my voicemail, I will call you back.

2:56

And I want to offer a new practice for anyone who would like, and this is just based on the wisdom of our neighbors and some neighboring councils.

3:04

For anyone who would like to set up a recurring check-in with council leadership, I'm offering to do that on a cadence that is most meaningful to you because I want your accessibility to your council leadership to be on the terms that are best for you.

3:19

When it comes to preparedness, which is my second core value as a council member, I'll continue to show up prepared for the business of the day and work deeply with the council vice president and the mayor to ensure that agenda setting best matches the needs of our city.

3:34

I'm also passionate about making sure that each council member has the tools and resources they need to serve our city.

3:41

And this includes helping our committee chairs succeed in their role as subject matter experts and efficient facilitators of our council business.

3:49

From my perspective, council leadership is a team sport, and I'm really eager to build on what was achieved in the last couple of terms.

3:57

And my third uh value as your council member is consistency.

4:01

So I'm committed to showing up for Redmond's values.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████18%
Community Engagement██████████████14%
Governance████████████12%
Public Safety████████████12%
Noise Ordinance███████████11%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Affordable Housing████████8%
Personnel Matters███3%
Youth Programs██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Redmond City Council Business Meeting - January 6, 2026

The Redmond City Council held its regular business meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM in City Hall, with remote access options. The meeting included the election of a new council president and vice president, a lengthy public comment period covering multiple topics, approval of the consent agenda including a collective bargaining agreement, and a single new business item approving 2026 non-represented pay plans. The meeting concluded with two executive sessions.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the December 2, 2025 regular meeting.
  • Approved payroll/direct deposit and claims checks for October 31, 2025, November 25, 2025, December 10, 2025, and January 6, 2026.
  • Approved final contract with Technical Systems Inc. (TSI) for $3,721,377 for Control Systems and Telemetry Upgrades Phase 2 and 3 (Public Works).
  • Approved a consultant agreement with DKS Associates for $152,207 for the Citywide Safe Speed Study and Audit Project (Public Works).
  • Approved the HSO Contract for $603,071 to support the D365 Financial System (Technology and Information Services).
  • Approved Ordinance No. 3245 amending the 2026 "LT" Pay Plan for employees represented by Teamsters Local No. 117 (Police Lieutenants) via a roll-call vote of 6-0. This item was read into the record and approved as part of the consent agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

Fifteen people signed up to speak in person and two online. Key topics and positions:

  • Noise Ordinance & Interlake Sporting Association (ISA): Nine speakers (Nathan Gibbs, John Duncan, Becca Silva, Casey Gillam, Peter Jarvis, Brian Rowe, and others) opposed the proposed changes to the noise ordinance, arguing that reducing operating hours for shooting ranges would paradoxically increase noise due to sound compression and reduce access for diverse members (including women, minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and religious groups). They advocated for sound abatement technology (e.g., berms, walls) and collaboration with the city. Several speakers emphasized the club's community role, including youth programs, safety training, and support for vulnerable groups. Peter Jarvis noted that the city had refused to meet with the club for a year and warned of potential litigation.
  • Starbucks Union Workers: Two speakers (Sam Spinrad and Cordero Taberas) shared experiences of wage struggles, lack of affordable housing, and police presence during picket lines. They requested the city respect workers' rights and consider establishing a local minimum wage.
  • Old Firehouse Teen Center (OFH): Two speakers (Wolf Adriatico and Max Rollman) criticized the abrupt March 2025 closure of the teen center, lack of community engagement, and fencing off of the property. They urged the council to follow through on a November motion to rebuild at the same location with teen input, music space, and a recording studio.
  • Affordable Housing: One speaker (Aaron Hamilton) described a 43% rent increase since 2021 at ARCH (A Regional Coalition for Housing) units, paying 50% of income for a one-bedroom. He argued that affordability efforts are insufficient, with only 7 out of ~300 units in his building being ARCH-designated.
  • Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP): One speaker (David Morton) expressed support for the 2025 ESAP but called for increased funding for heat pumps (target: 4,051 by 2030), improved equity metrics, and priority for bike network and parking management.
  • Miscellaneous: One speaker advocated for calisthenics parks (Tara Farahui), one requested focus on gas-powered leaf blowers (Bob Yoder), and one raised concerns about crime and executive authority (Alex Zimmerman, who was ruled out of order for non-city business). Joe Kunzler (online) praised the council for adopting open government rules.

Discussion Items

  • 2026 Non-Represented Pay Plans (AM No. 26-005): The council considered three ordinances (No. 3246, 3247, 3248) setting salaries for Executive, Non-Represented, and General Supplemental employees. Councilmember Kritzer thanked the mayor for committing to report back on the new Deputy Executive Department Director position to ensure diversity, equity, inclusion, and strategy goals. The item passed unanimously on a voice vote.

Key Outcomes

  • Election of Council President: Councilmember Melissa Stewart was nominated by Councilmember Kritzer and elected 6-0. Stewart outlined three guiding principles: accessibility, preparedness, and consistency. Councilmember Angie Nuevacamina was then nominated by Councilmember Forsythe and elected 6-0 as Council Vice President. A seat selection process followed based on seniority.
  • Consent Agenda Approved: All items, including the Teamsters collective bargaining agreement, were approved by voice vote (6-0).
  • 2026 Pay Plans Approved: Three ordinances amending the Executive, Non-Represented, and General Supplemental pay plans passed unanimously.
  • Executive Sessions: The council scheduled a 15-minute closed session to discuss real estate acquisition (RCW 42.30.110(1)(b)) and a 20-minute closed session on potential litigation (RCW 42.30.110(1)(i)). No action was taken following the sessions.
  • Future Schedule: A council retreat was set for January 31, 2026, with facilitator Una McElinden. Committee assignments will be finalized in coming weeks.

Ombudsperson & Committee Reports

  • Ombudsperson Reports: Council Vice President Nuevacamina (December) reported on immigration concerns, Redmond Lights feedback, flood response, flock cameras, and the launch of a printed "Redmond Moments" magazine. Councilmember Kritzer (January) noted resident questions on executive pay, the new Recology service, police de-escalation, and gas leaf blowers. Councilmember Forsythe reported conversations with gun club members, striking Starbucks workers, and flood response.
  • Committee Reports: Several councilmembers reported on regional committee work including Sound Cities Association (SCA) board actions, the Eastside Transportation Partnership's federal policy agenda, and the Planning and Public Works Committee preview of the quarterly CIP study session. Council President Stewart was elected PIC Vice Chair again and will serve on the Sound Cities Association board and as Cascade Water Alliance chair.

Meeting Transcript

I'm calling this meeting to order. This is a regular business meeting of the Redmond City Council held on Tuesday, January 6th, 2026, commencing at 7 o'clock PM. I will call roll starting with council member. I'm gonna go in alphabetical order. Councilmember Forsythe. Here. Councilmember Kritzer. Here. Councilmember Nueva Camina. Here. Councilmember Procria. Here. Councilmember Sony. Here. And Councilmember Stewart. Here. Great. Thank you all. The first item on the agenda is a special orders of the day for the nomination and appointment of council leadership. This is the process. We will start with the position of council president. All nominations will be accepted prior to voting. No second is needed. I will announce each name as that is nominated. Debate on the qualifications of the nominees, if any, takes place. When nominations and debate are done, I will close nominations immediately following the close of nominations. Voting will commence in the order the members were nominated. The first person to receive a majority vote will become the council president. And then we'll go through the same process for vice president. So with that, I will open up the floor for nominations. Councilmember Kritzer. I nominate Councilmember Melissa Stewart for president. Are there other nominations? I see no other nominations going once, going twice. Nominations are closed. Would you like to have any debate on the nomination? Would anyone like to say a few words? Council Member Stewart. Well, thank you so much for the nomination and happy new year, everyone. We have a lot of new faces here as well. Thank you for being here. Thanks to you, you navigated the return to this chamber as the pandemic loosened its grip. You advanced our team's priorities and refined systems to ensure Team Redmond is delivering on our community's most pressing priorities. And I have personally learned so much from the two of you, and I'm just deeply grateful for your leadership. I have three guiding principles as a council member, and I have shared these publicly before. I did prepare a couple of remarks just for my colleagues about how I would intend for these to apply as your council president, your team captain, your project manager. I think these are all synonyms. So the first is accessibility. I'll continue to champion accessible government in my individual service. And as your council president, I extend that same commitment to you.

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