Committee of the Whole - Parks & Environmental Sustainability - May 26, 2026
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Committee of the Whole - Parks and Environmental Sustainability Meeting Summary - May 26, 2026
The Committee of the Whole met on May 26, 2026 at 4:31 PM to discuss several action items, a study session preview, and informational updates. Key topics included grant applications for park turf replacement and youth climate action, the Public Art Master Plan, environmental sustainability progress, the Derby Days festival, and a contract amendment for the Maintenance and Operations Center (MOC) redevelopment. Several items were moved to the consent agenda for June 2, while the MOC contract amendment was moved to new business for further discussion.
Consent Calendar
- Perrigo Park Turf Replacement Youth Athletic Facility Grant Resolution (CM 26-258): Council authorized moving this resolution to the consent agenda for June 2. The resolution allows the city to apply for a $1.5 million state grant (RCO YAF) toward a $3.2 million project to replace two synthetic turf fields at Perrigo Park. The existing turf is nearing end of life with safety concerns from cork infill freezing. Replacement is planned for 2028, with design in 2027 and construction in summer 2028, reopening spring 2029. The grant would offset about half the project cost; if not awarded, the CIP request continues at full amount. The new turf will use TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) infill, considered the most sustainable and safe option.
- Acceptance of Bloomberg Philanthropies Youth Climate Action Fund Grant (CM 26-315): Council moved this item to the consent agenda. Redmond is one of 300 cities selected for a $50,000 grant to fund microgrants ($1,000–$5,000) for youth-led climate projects. Successful completion qualifies Redmond for a second $50,000 round in 2027. The city will open a call for projects later in summer 2026. Outreach will involve schools, NGOs, and existing partnerships. Council members expressed support and requested broadening outreach to diverse community organizations.
Discussion Items
- Public Art Master Plan (CM 26-031): Staff presented a preview of the 2026 Public Art Master Plan update, scheduled for a study session on June 9. The plan is based on extensive community engagement (461 questionnaire responses, 26+ stakeholder interviews, 15 staff meetings). 91% of respondents agreed public art is important. The plan has three framework goals: citywide public art network, arts ecosystem support for local artists, and city systems for governance and funding. 82% of respondents prefer art by local artists. Council members provided feedback: strengthen connection to the Comprehensive Plan, include performing arts and busker programs, ensure alignment with existing cultural district policies (e.g., Overlake), consider reserving funds for ambitious signature works, create art infrastructure for artists (e.g., woodworking given Redmond's timber history), and provide a timeline of short/medium/long-term implementation. Staff will address these at the June 9 study session.
- Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP) Implementation Update – May 2026 (CM 26-316): The quarterly update highlighted progress on three fronts: (1) Municipal energy efficiency: Through PSE’s Commercial Strategic Energy Management program, City Hall achieved a 16% reduction in electricity and 11% in natural gas, reducing energy use intensity from 70 to 60, on track for compliance with Washington’s Clean Building Performance Standard by 2027. (2) Greenhouse gas inventories: The 2024 community-wide inventory showed an 18% reduction from 2023 and 24% from 2011 baseline, driven by green power purchases, reduced building energy, and reduced vehicle miles traveled. City operations inventory (0.5% of community total) showed a 5% decrease from 2023 and 58% from 2011, due to natural gas reductions, fleet electrification, and alternative commutes. (3) Electric grid capacity study: Completed in partnership with Bellevue, results will be presented at the June 23 study session. Council requested a full status update on all ESAP initiatives (including delays) and a public dashboard for community emissions. The annual report in November will provide an action-by-action update.
- Derby Days 2026 Overview (CM 26-323): The festival will take place July 24–25 (adjusted due to World Cup) at City Hall and the Jerry Baker Velodrome, expecting 35,000 attendees. Highlights include a craft market (70+ artists), live performances, Grand Parade and Kids Bike Parade, beer and wine garden, inflatables and water slides (replacing the carnival, which returns in 2027), silent disco, photo booth, and a drone show. The budget is $234,000, with funding from $50,000 LTAC grant, $26,000 event revenue, $96,500 in sponsorships (Amazon, Microsoft, Evergreen Health, Redmond Town Center), and a $61,000 gap covered by previous savings. The event aligns with park plan goals: building community, expanding access, and protecting the environment (e.g., reusable cups diverted 3,851 items and 185 pounds of waste in 2025). The Criterium bike race did not return due to cost barriers; council expressed interest in a community bike ride or dash in future years. Council members asked about increasing parade participation and long-term cost trends.
- Approval of Progressive Design-Build (PDB) Contract Amendment No. 1 with Lease Crutcher Lewis WA, LLC for the MOC Campus Redevelopment Project (CM 26-332): This item was moved to new business for the June 2 business meeting after council requested additional time for questions. The amendment requests three actions: (1) a two-month extension of the validation process to incorporate the newly purchased Heidelberg property into the site plan; (2) approval to move into Phase 1 design (design and permitting) to develop a guaranteed maximum price (GMP); (3) authorization to front-load funding for early purchase of long-lead items (steel, mass timber, elevators, switchgear, generators) to avoid delays and cost escalation. The project budget is approximately $268.5 million, with $40 million for land acquisition, leaving about $225 million for construction and soft costs. Council members expressed concerns about the accuracy of budget figures and the need for clear success criteria. Staff clarified that the early procurement is a standard PDB practice to save time and money, and that they will bring back programmatic goals for council alignment.
Key Outcomes
- Perrigo Park Turf Grant and Bloomberg Youth Climate Action Fund Grant will be placed on the consent agenda for the June 2 business meeting.
- Public Art Master Plan will be presented at a study session on June 9, with staff incorporating council feedback.
- MOC Contract Amendment will be moved to new business on June 2 for further discussion and vote; council members were encouraged to send questions by email.
- No formal votes were taken during the committee meeting; all decisions were procedural (moving items to consent or new business).
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. I'm calling to order May 26, 2026 at 4 31 p.m. Committee of the whole for Fox and Environment Sustainability. In uh attendance are council members. I'll start with Council President Stewart, Council Vice President Wakamina, Councilmember Kritzer, Councilmember Forsyth, Councilmember Prakriya, Councilmember Parsi, and Myself, Presiding Officer, Menka Sony. We have six items on the agenda that has been already shared with all council members in their agenda packet. And please note that one of the council uh one of the agenda items has been pulled out and will be presented later in uh other committee. So our first agenda item uh for approval is the Perigo Park Turf Replacement Youth Ethletic Facility Grant Resolution. And we have with us Parks Director Lorreen Hamilton and Lindsay Falkenberg, our parks planning manager. Good afternoon, City Council. Whoa, that's a hot mic. Um good afternoon, City. I mean, I say way back. Uh good afternoon, City Council. I'm Lorreen Hamilton, the parks director. I'm joined by our planning manager Lindsay Falkenberg. Today we're bringing through a resolution for um the application of to a state grant. Um I'll hand it over to Lindsay for the background and details on this item. Good afternoon, Council President Stewart, Council Vice President Noiva Kamina, and Council members. Today I'm here to request Council authorization to move our RCO Youth Athletic Facilities or YAF grant resolution to consent on June 2nd. This would allow the city to accept the grant if we are awarded funding. Very briefly, this grant application is for the replacement of two synthetic turf fields at Perigo Park. Perigo is one of our most heavily used athletic field complexes and serves as a major recreation hub for Southeast Redmond and Bear Creek area. These fields support soccer, lacrosse, softball, baseball, cricket, and other activities, and they provide over 3,000 scheduled hours of use annually. The reason we're pursuing this grant is that the existing turf is nearing the end of its useful life. We're seeing declining performance, user reported safety concerns, and winter closures related to the current Cork infill freezing and creating slit conditions. Based on our lifecycle planning, these fields will need to be replaced in 2028 to maintain safe and reliable play. The YAF grant is a state recreation and conservation office grant focused specifically on youth athletic facilities. We applied for the maximum request amount of 1.5 million toward a project estimated at about 3.2 million total. The RCO YAF grant does require matching funds, which the city should be able to provide with the remainder of the CIP funding requested for this project. Both CIP and grant funding would support design, removal of the existing turf, any needed base remediation, and installation of new synthetic turf and infill materials. The project would stay entirely within the existing field footprint as this is a replacement project, not an expansion. Council had asked what happens if we do not receive the grant. The answer is straightforward. The Paraguay turf replacement project is already included in a current capital investment program need. If we are not awarded funding, the CIP request would continue at the full amount needed to deliver the project. If we are successful, the grant would effectively offset about half of the project cost and reduce the city's financial burden. Council also asked about timing. We anticipate beginning design work in 2027, completing design in early 2028, and starting construction in late summer of 2028 to avoid peak field season uses. The goal would be to complete construction and reopen the fields by spring of 2029 in time for the 2029 season. Again, today's request is simply for authorization language required by the state so that if we are awarded the grant, the city can formally accept it. I'm happy to take questions and answer what I can. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Lindsay, for uh reporting out on that. Um, and also thank you to staff for keeping an eye out for where can we leverage grants? Um where this is already in the budget, it's already moving, it's in in process, uh, and this way we can reallocate those funds. So thank you for keeping an eye out now. Fingers crossed that we get the grant. Uh Councilmember Kritzer. Yeah, thank you.
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