Committee of the Whole - Parks and Environmental Sustainability Meeting Summary - June 23, 2026

The Parks and Environmental Sustainability (PES) Committee of the Whole met on June 23, 2026, at 4:30 PM at Redmond City Hall. Council Vice President Angie Nuevacamina served as presiding officer in place of Councilmember Menka Soni, who attended online. Councilmembers Jessica Forsythe and Sayna Parsi attended in person; Councilmembers Vivek Prakriya and Melissa Stuart attended online; Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer was excused by a vote of 6–0. The meeting covered four agenda items: a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Eastrail Regional Advisory Council, an update on Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP) partnerships, a second discussion on grant thresholds, and a technology services update from the Technology and Information Services (TIS) department.

Consent Calendar

• Memorandum of Understanding with Eastrail Regional Advisory Council (CM 26-399): The proposed MOU update is administrative, reflecting the departure of the East Side Greenway Alliance from the RAC, as agreed by consensus in October 2025. Council directed staff to place this item on the consent agenda for the July 7, 2026 business meeting for approval.
• Grant Threshold Resolution (CM 26-403): After discussion, council agreed to send the amended resolution (amending Resolution No. 1503) to the consent agenda for the July 7 business meeting, contingent on settling the notification procedure (see Key Outcomes).

Discussion Items

Environmental Sustainability Action Plan Partnerships Overview (Informational, CM 26-394)

Sustainability Manager Jenny Leibeck and Coordinator Valeria Costgrove presented a partnership strategy to connect climate programs to the community. Key points:

• The ESAP refresh revealed that residents wanted trusted, community-led ways to participate in climate action.
• The city allocated approximately $40,000 in grant funding and $5,000 in city funding to paid nonprofit partnerships, plus dedicated staff capacity.
• Partners include El Centro Cultural Mexicano, United Hub, and the Redmond Library.
• Outcomes include translated e-news, Spanish radio episodes, upcycling workshops, e-bike safety classes, the Redmond Climate Action Group, and the Green Redmond park restoration event.
• Survey data from events: 75% of attendees came because of their connection to partner organizations, not initial interest in sustainability, and 75% reported feeling that individual actions can make a difference.
• Future plans: second annual Thrift & Threads Festival, an emergency preparedness fair, and youth engagement through the Youth Climate Action Fund.
• Councilmember Forsythe expressed appreciation for the Eastside Greenway Alliance’s long-term commitment. Councilmembers Stewart, Parsi, Sony, and Nuevacamina praised the approach and asked about expanding partnerships to businesses, schools, and wealthier demographics, as well as budget sustainability and measurable metrics. Staff noted that behavior change is hard to measure but they track workshop attendance and conduct pre/post surveys. They confirmed baseline funding exists to continue partnerships if grants are not renewed.

Grant Threshold (Second Touch, CM 26-403)

Lauren Thompson, Grant Supervisor, presented the draft amendment to Resolution No. 1503, which adds a $50,000 contract threshold for grants that meet exception criteria (no matching funds beyond appropriations, no new ongoing staffing or operating costs, no new programs/technology/policy, and no council acceptance required). Staff proposed quarterly summaries to the FAC (Finance, Administration, and Communications) chair. Council discussed whether the FAC chair alone should review or the full council.

• Councilmember Forsythe raised concerns about checks and balances, noting quarterly reports may be too late to flag issues.
• Councilmember Prakriya asked if any council member could flag a grant; staff affirmed that any council member could bring concerns.
• Councilmember Parsi suggested emailing the entire council instead of just the FAC chair, to ensure transparency and avoid OPMA concerns.
• Council President Stewart supported the legislation and noted that the notification procedure should not be in the legislation itself but agreed emailing the full council is acceptable.
• Councilmember Sony noted a discrepancy in staff time cost estimates ($3,411.95 vs $3,759); staff clarified the final number is $3,411.95 based on updated finance calculations.
• Consensus: Staff will notify the entire council via email before executing grants under the threshold, and any council member can raise concerns. The item will proceed to consent on July 7.

2026 TIS Infrastructure and Operations Update (Informational, CM 26-372)

Jose May, TIS Infrastructure and Operations Manager, presented an overview. Key points:

• IO manages the city’s technology backbone: over 1,000 computers, 500 mobile devices, 200 servers, and 5.2 petabytes of data traversing the private network each quarter.
• Recent project: rollout of Microsoft Copilot Chat after reviewing security, privacy, and governance.
• Resilience investments: Starlink proof of concept at fire stations, expanded mobile operations.
• Councilmember Parsi requested written materials in future packets for better preparation. Councilmember Forsythe asked about other low‑earth orbit (LEO) options beyond Starlink; staff said Starlink is most mature but they stay informed of alternatives. Councilmember Prakriya asked about regional cooperation; staff noted collaboration with Kirkland and Bellevue and a fiber link project, but shared cloud resources are less feasible due to usage-based costs. Councilmember Parsi inquired about AI policy; staff explained that an internal acceptable use policy for AI is in development and has undergone legal review.
• The presentation was informational; no action requested.

Key Outcomes

• Councilmember Kritzer Excused: Motion passed 6–0 (one absent).
• Eastrail MOU: Placed on consent for July 7 business meeting.
• Grant Threshold Resolution: Placed on consent for July 7 business meeting, with the understanding that staff will email the full council quarterly with summaries of grants executed under delegated authority, and any council member may flag a grant for discussion.
• ESAP Partnerships & TIS Updates: Received as information; no votes taken.