Redmond City Council Study Session: Budget Overviews, Land Use Amendment, and Zoning Code Updates - April 28, 2026
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Redmond City Council Study Session: Budget Overviews, Land Use Amendment, and Zoning Code Updates - April 28, 2026
The Redmond City Council held a study session on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, commencing at 7:01 p.m. All council members were present, with Mayor Birney absent. The meeting covered four agenda items: the 2027-2028 budget process with departmental overviews for Fire and Public Works, a land use and zoning map amendment for 6900 188th Avenue NE, the 2025 legislative conformance, business improvement, and fences zoning code amendments, and council talk time. The meeting concluded after 10:30 p.m.
Discussion Items
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2027-2028 Budget Process: Fire Department Overview
- Fire Chief Adrian Shepherd presented the Redmond Fire Department's proposed baseline budget of $92.1 million for 168.5 FTEs, a 6% increase over the current adopted budget. Key highlights included a new emergency preparedness and recovery budget plan, a 10% increase in fire and medical operations to $77.2 million reflecting four FTEs added in the last cycle, and a 22% decrease in administration due to realignment. Performance measures included a fire confinement rate target of 80% (down from 95-96% due to increasing complexity), a cardiac arrest survival target of 60% (actual 53% in 2023 and 2024, preliminary 51% for 2025), and zero civilian fire fatalities in 2023, 2024, and preliminary 2025. The department placed the first electric fire engine in Washington State into service in January 2025 and secured a second $1.5 million grant in early 2026. Challenges included rising apparatus costs, vacancies, and capital investment needs, particularly Fire Station 11.
- Council members asked about the new emergency management budget plan, quantification of vacancy impacts, apparatus replacement plans, the mobile integrated health (MIH) program's implications for the alternative crisis response subcommittee, and digital transformation budgets. Chief Shepherd noted that a comprehensive community response program update is being prepared across all departments.
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2027-2028 Budget Process: Public Works Overview
- Public Works Director Aaron Burt presented the department's baseline budget for 143.6 FTEs. Key increases included a 12% increase in safe and reliable drinking water (due to PFOS monitoring and additional staff) and a 16% increase in wastewater management (forecasted pass-through costs from the county and lift station costs). Enhancement packages included transportation ADA transition plan, mobile security barriers (26 additional purchased), curbside management plan, language access support, and monument system assessment. Performance measures included groundwater monitoring wells meeting quality standards at 37% (target 57% due to PFOS standard changes), solid waste diversion at 47% (target 50%), and pavement condition index at 68 (target above 70). Challenges included aging infrastructure, capital delivery cost increases (40-60% over older estimates), and changing federal/state regulations.
- Council members discussed adaptive traffic signal issues (downtown system malfunctioning, turned off, on hold for Overlake expansion), the septic-to-sewer conversion program, middle housing infrastructure costs, asset management team structure, and the paving crew funding via Transportation Benefit District.
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Land Use Map and Zoning Map Amendments – 6900 188th Ave NE
- Deputy Director of Planning Serafy Allen introduced the item. The applicant requests redesignation of 4.2 acres from Business Park to Citywide Mixed Use to align with the adjacent 1-acre Mixed Use designation, and rezone to Corridor Mixed Use. The Planning Commission recommended denial (5-2 vote) after a year-long docket process. Chair Susan Weston explained the commission's rationale: preserving Business Park land as a small business incubator (only 1/20th of Redmond's land), protecting Redmond 2050's vision, and separating land use from project considerations. The property owner cited market changes and inability to attract a tenant for the previously approved flex development.
- Council discussion focused on job loss estimates (58 jobs based on acreage, up to 240 based on previous master plan), the impact of new state law SB 6026 (which may allow housing in Business Park zones), the need for a comprehensive approach rather than spot zoning, and the balance between housing and employment lands. Council members expressed uncertainty and requested additional time.
- Key outcome: The council decided to add a 10-minute discussion item to the May 5, 2026 Committee of the Whole – Planning and Public Works agenda to further deliberate, with formal action scheduled for June 2, 2026.
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2025 Legislative Conformance, Business Improvement, and Fences Zoning Code Amendments
- Senior Planner Lauren Alpert presented three code amendment packages: (1) 2025 legislative conformance (state law updates on subdivision, child care, parking, permitting timelines, building conversions, etc.), (2) business code improvements (ensuring commercial floor area in mixed-use, sidewalk closure signage, food truck/pop-up court clarifications, updated business definitions), and (3) fences and retaining walls (clarifying height and visibility standards, replacing neighborhood-specific rules with citywide standards). The Planning Commission recommended approval.
- Council questions focused on fence height changes (4 feet front/side, 6 feet rear) and non-conforming fences, the administrative lot split process and community voice, historic structure preservation, and child care in manufacturing zones. No objections were raised to the package.
- Key outcome: The council directed staff to place the ordinance on the consent agenda for the June 2, 2026 business meeting, with the 21-day notice issued accordingly.
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Council Talk Time
- Tenant Protections Subcommittee Update: Councilmember Kritzer reported that the subcommittee (now chaired by Councilmember Prakriya) will study additional tenant protections including fees, right of first refusal/continued tenancy, right to move, retaliation protections, strengthening tenant rights information, and a housing ombuds position. Councilmember Parsi suggested adding regulation of rate of increase, legal fee allocation, and domestic violence early exit provisions. The subcommittee will develop a community engagement process and bring recommendations back to council.
- Eastside Transportation Partnership (ETP): Councilmember Soni reported that a letter supporting Sound Transit expansion in East King County is being finalized. The letter does not require individual city signatures; Redmond's ETP representatives will vote on it at the May 8 meeting. Councilmembers expressed general support, with no objections.
- Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR): Council Vice President Nuevacamina updated that legal risk of litigation has been eliminated, and staff will schedule an executive session for further contract review, with open deliberation planned for May 12, 2026.
- Retreat Follow-up: Council leadership reviewed the tier-one priority matrix from the council retreat. Members noted that the spreadsheet format was challenging and requested a simplified bulleted list. Council President Stewart and Vice President Nuevacamina will refine the list and bring a path forward to a future meeting.
Key Outcomes
- Fire Department Budget: No formal action; baseline budget overview presented for discussion. Council requested a future update on the Comprehensive Community Response Program.
- Public Works Budget: No formal action; baseline budget overview presented. Council noted adaptive traffic signal issues and requested further information on pavement condition strategy.
- Land Use Amendment (6900 188th Ave NE): Council deferred decision to June 2, 2026, with an additional 10-minute discussion at the May 5 Committee of the Whole – Planning and Public Works meeting.
- Zoning Code Amendments: Approved for consent agenda on June 2, 2026.
- Tenant Protections: Subcommittee will continue study and return with recommendations; council will provide written scope.
- ALPR: Executive session to be scheduled; open deliberation set for May 12.
- Retreat Priorities: Council leadership will prepare a simplified list for further discussion.
Meeting Transcript
City Council study session held on Tuesday, April 28th, 2026, commencing at 7.01 p.m. All council members are in attendance. Mayor Bernie will not be joining us tonight. We have four items on the agenda. The 2027-2028 budget process. Departmental budget overviews continue. We will begin with fire and then have public works tonight. We will have a land use and zoning map amendments for 6900 188th Avenue Northeast. The 2025 legislative conformance business improvement and fences zoning code amendments and council talk time. So for the first item, the budget process, departmental overviews. We have tonight fire and then public works. Deputy Director of our Finance Department, Haritha Nara will get us kicked off. Thank you so much. Good evening, Council. Um Councilmember Stewart, you have already said whatever I wanted to say. So thank you. So today we have so this is our third session, our third group of departments who is going to do the department overview presentation. So the fullest one we have is fire. So I'm gonna hand it over to them. Okay, thank you, Haretha, and good evening, Council. Again, I'm Fire Chief Adrian Shepherd, and I'm joined this evening by Deputy Chiefs. Ami Varrell and Chief Jim Whitney. We're pleased to present the Redman Fire Department 2027-2028 budget overview. Our goal this evening is to outline our recent progress, key accomplishments, and our future direction. As we review the details, let me see. There we go. As we review the details, our mission remains central to compassionately, proactively and professionally protect life, property, and the environment. Actually, we're not still on the same slide. Yep. Every dollar in this budget supports our commitment to the residents of Redmond and Fire District 34. The members of the department live this mission every day. Whether they're responded to an emergency, conducting a fire inspection, educate in the classroom of students, or showing up at a community event to connect with the neighborhoods they serve. This budget reflects that commitment. We operate in six key divisions. Fire operations, emergency medical services, including our basic life support, advanced life support, and our mobile integrated health, emergency management, fire prevention, support services, and the fire administration. This scope highlights that you're not just funding a fire department, you're funding a comprehensive public safety system. Our proposed baseline budget is $92.1 million, and that covers 165, 168.5 FTEs. This is a 6% increase over the current adopted budget. Fire and medical operations is our largest area with 150 FTEs, which increases 10% to 77.2 million, reflecting the full impact of four FTEs added in the last cycle and the consolidation of ALS overtime and supplies for transparency. The 22% decrease in administration reflects a realignment, not a reduction in capacity. Those resources have been shifted to our emergency operations and a new recover uh emergency preparedness and recovery budget plan offered that you'll see in the new budget, which formalizes emergency management as its own standalone function with its two FTEs and 977,870 dollars. Next slide. Thank you. Package five is the comprehensive community response program, a collaboration among fire police planning for fire. The administrative assistant position is filled and fully integrated into our department. And the four firefighters that I just mentioned were positions at station 17, and that is complete. The total ongoing commitment across all departments was 3.7 million, with 919,000 spent to date, as several items are still being implemented, as you can see from the matrix. For the one time items, fire completed the training and the PPE and their fire consulting services costs, spending 190,000 of the 240,000 that we had budgeted. The fire impact fee update is still ongoing and will be completed in this year in 2026. The total one-time spending across all of the departments in this package was 344,000 of the 1.1 million dollar budget, reflecting the timing on several of the other initiatives.
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