Redmond City Council Study Session - October 27, 2026

The Redmond City Council held a study session on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, beginning at 7:00 PM at City Hall (15670 NE 85th St). All council members and Mayor Angela Birney were in attendance. The three agenda items were: the 2027-28 Human Services Funding Recommendations, the Preliminary 2027-2028 Biennial Budget Council Deliberations #2, and Council Talk Time. No meeting minutes were available for this session. The meeting was extended to 10:45 PM by unanimous motion to complete the budget revenue discussion.

Human Services Funding Recommendations (Agenda Item 1)

• The Human Services Commission presented its 2027-28 funding recommendations. Redmond partners with 16 other cities (17 total) through the Human Services Funding Collaborative, established in 2010, which uses a single application and shared reporting requirements. The item was referred from the September 15, 2026 Committee of the Whole.
• The application period opened March 2, 2026. Over six months, commissioners met twice monthly and reviewed all 121 applications, with every commissioner reading every application. Commissioners dedicated over 900 hours to the review, excluding individual reading time. Two youth advisors, Anya and Aditi, reviewed every application and attended every meeting.
• Funding requests grew from $5.4 million in the prior cycle to $8.1 million this cycle. The Mayor's proposed 2027-28 budget would raise the city's human services investment to approximately $40 per resident - nearly a 40% increase over the prior biennium (the 2021 budget was approximately $1.6 million, or $19 per resident).
• Four funding priorities guided decisions: housing stability and shelter; food security and basic needs; behavioral health (including youth mental health); and community-based programs that reflect the people they serve, especially those relying heavily on city funding.
• An equity rating tool developed with Communities Rise was used to reduce bias and standardize evaluations. The commission also weighed program costs, outcomes, accessibility, other funding sources, duplication of services, and service to Redmond residents.
• The funding framework included: a 25% increase (or full request if smaller) for housing and homelessness set-aside programs, bringing that area to about 24% of available funds; a 5% cost-of-living adjustment (or full request) for existing programs; a 50% increase (or full request) for existing priority-area programs; and partial or full requests for new programs depending on priority status and reliance on city funds. Sixteen new programs were recommended, including nine for culturally specific services.
• Opiate abatement dollars are incorporated into the overall human services budget; staff intentionally limited the number of programs receiving opiate funding because of rigorous reporting requirements. Previously funded programs will continue to receive general fund dollars. Councilmember Forsythe expressed surprise that all opiate abatement dollars were directed to a single agency.
• Councilmember Prakriya observed that proposed annual awards of about $3.7 million represent a greater than 20% increase over the prior column of about $3 million, and asked how the city communicates long-term sustainability expectations to major recipients such as Hopelink.
• In response to council questions, staff and commissioners explained: each program is evaluated on its own merit, including cost per service unit; outcome data from prior cycles is reviewed, and some programs were not funded due to weak outcome measures; administrative costs are proportionally allocated across programs; CDBG-funded programs are monitored on a schedule aligned with county and HUD requirements; and unfunded applicants receive offers to meet with staff for feedback.
• Councilmember Prakriya asked about the unfunded LifeWire housing stability program, then corrected himself; staff confirmed LifeWire received funding for survivor advocacy services but not the housing stability program. That program expended roughly half of its prior-year funds and only about 30% of its annual contracted amount by the third quarter.
• When asked about a 'next tier' of funding, commissioners identified rental assistance and housing stability, food insecurity and basic needs, youth-focused behavioral health services, and community-based programs that rely heavily on city funding.
• Mayor Birney and multiple council members expressed deep gratitude for the commission's work.

Preliminary 2027-2028 Biennial Budget: Council Deliberations #2 (Agenda Item 2)

Budget Chair Councilmember Kritzer led the second night of budget deliberations. The council reviewed service enhancement packages under the 'Strategic and Responsive' and 'Vibrant and Connected' priorities, followed by new revenue options.

Strategic and Responsive Enhancements

• Ongoing positions: a community outreach coordinator (to lead community engagement, manage a reconstituted Redmond 101 program, and coordinate citywide engagement); conversion of a limited-duration communications position to full time (communications workload increased almost 39% from 2003 to YTD 2026); and a graphics/design position.
• One-time items: an equity-centered citywide code review; parks website improvement implementation ($50,000); pre-approved accessory dwelling unit (ADU) and middle housing plans ($100,000); funding to compensate community-based organizations for engagement partnerships; and a low-income travel subsidy pilot (e.g., car-share or micromobility gift cards, mobility hubs).
• Financial sustainability and regulation: business license compliance positions and a fee study (an audit found 30 to 40 percent of businesses operating in Redmond are not licensed); a utility tax audit; regional fire authority analysis; public records support (nearly 3,300 public records requests in 2025); and continued federal lobbyist funding (about $200,000). Councilmember Soni noted a 30% decline in grants and asked about oversight and grant-writing expectations; several council members requested a written accounting of outcomes and a timeline for a council federal agenda.
• Technology: a GIS strategy and architecture update; aerial photography and LIDAR data (council members asked staff to confirm this is distinct from the May 2026 tree-canopy LIDAR study and does not duplicate prior work); a centralized real property and easement database; and an all-city connectivity study ($415,000) to evaluate a city-owned private LTE network versus a managed carrier model, including potential free or low-cost internet access for underserved communities.

Vibrant and Connected Enhancements

• Proposed items included: Seattle Sports Commission membership; a business district and placemaking program manager; an artist space feasibility study; business district organization seed funding; a manufacturing/business park/industrial market study responding to Senate Bill 6026; a destination marketing organization study; and Greater Seattle Partnership investment.
• Planning-related items: transit-oriented development (TOD) law compliance under House Bill 1491; master planning for the 0.3-acre Bellwether parcel B adjacent to the Prisma development in Overlake Village; and an urban mixed-use zone sub-area plan.

Council Proposals on Enhancements

• Councilmember Parsi proposed up to $250,000 for an evaluation and modernization of the city's ethics framework. The council placed it on the deliberations matrix (five to six thumbs in favor). Councilmember Forsythe expressed support; Council President Stuart questioned the budget size but agreed to further deliberation.
• Councilmember Kritzer raised the future of the community-based events innovation fund and suggested a council sponsorship program for community events. The council agreed to revisit the item (seven thumbs in favor).
• Councilmember Soni proposed a $250,000 'home to storefront' seed grant to help small businesses move from home-based operations into commercial storefronts, with eligibility requirements such as a minimum two-year lease. The council placed it on the deliberations matrix (seven thumbs in favor) with staff feedback requested on alignment with existing economic development programs (e.g., One Redmond).
• Councilmember Forsythe proposed public bike storage lockers at city buildings, noting the current bike locker in the City Hall parking garage is staff-only. The council placed it on the deliberations matrix (five thumbs in favor).
• Councilmember Kritzer raised the Derby Days criterium/community bike ride, which has not returned since COVID. The council asked parks staff to bring back funding alternatives (seven thumbs in favor).

New Revenue Options

• House Bill 2442 (children and family services sales tax): King County passed an ordinance on October 6, 2026, to collect the additional 1/100 of a percent sales tax if the city does not act. The council directed staff to move forward with a city ordinance to keep the estimated $550,000 per year in Redmond (seven thumbs in favor). The tax is time-limited, cannot be used for staffing, and the earliest collection would begin April 1, 2027. Councilmembers expressed interest in directing funds to child care, before- and after-school programs, and in exploring distribution through existing city programs (e.g., Redmond Senior and Community Center child care, recreation programs, Boys and Girls Clubs). Councilmember Prakriya asked staff to report on the revenue gap between January and April 2027.
• House Bill 2015 (criminal justice sales tax): An additional 1/10 of 1 percent sales tax would raise an estimated $5.5 million per year. Proposed uses included additional police officers, a bicycle unit, additional mental health professionals, a domestic violence co-response program (Project Be Free), and supplanting existing criminal justice costs to free general fund dollars for other priorities (including GIS, facilities maintenance, Bellwether campus customer service, e-mobility coordination, external data sources, and increased fire apparatus funding). The state's $100 million grant fund associated with the bill was reported as already spoken for. Councilmembers sought clarification on the number of funded and proposed mental health professional positions; staff agreed to provide an organizational chart and position matrix. Councilmember Parsi asked how jail services figures ($1 million last year, $2.56 million proposed this year, and $3.1 million in the new table) connected; staff explained that the table showed a portion of the biennial jail costs eligible for the sales tax. Councilmember Nuevacamina and Council President Stuart opposed the tax as regressive; Councilmember Prakriya requested data on household impacts and police effectiveness before deciding. Mayor Birney noted the legislature expects cities to use the revenue tools it provides. The council did not place HB 2015 on the deliberations matrix (one thumb for further deliberation). Council President Stuart noted the city has until June 2028 to adopt this tool if desired.

Council Talk Time (Agenda Item 3)

• Mayor Birney reminded council members that Sound Cities Association position applications are due November 6, 2026, with many openings and few applicants.
• Council Vice President Nuevacamina cautioned that two council members from the same city applying for the same position would both be disqualified.
• Council President Stuart welcomed new staff member Hazel, encouraged scheduling, and announced end-of-year check-ins with council leadership after budget adoption.

Key Outcomes

• The 2027-28 Human Services Funding Recommendations will be considered as part of the council's adoption of the 2027-28 budget; funded services are scheduled to begin January 1, 2027.
• Budget deliberations will continue on Thursday, October 29, 2026, using the deliberations matrix. Staff committed to posting responses by Wednesday evening, with any carryover posted by Thursday noon.
• Council leadership will meet with finance staff to consolidate items raised during the session; the tenant protection subcommittee will send its proposal by Wednesday.
• The council placed the following proposals on the deliberations matrix: ethics framework evaluation/modernization; community-based events innovation fund revisit; 'home to storefront' seed grant; public bike storage lockers; and community bike ride/criterium alternatives.
• The council directed staff to prepare an ordinance for HB 2442 sales tax collection and to provide additional details on eligible uses and program distribution options.
• HB 2015 was not placed on the deliberations matrix; no further budget deliberation on the criminal justice sales tax was scheduled.