Wednesday, February 14, 2024
UPDATED: Redmond Locals Wary of Controversial Plymouth Housing Project
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
Mayor Birney Visits a Cool, New Plant Store
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Opening Day of the Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge
City of Redmond and Sound Transit Celebrate Opening of Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge
REDMOND, WA - The City of Redmond celebrated the opening of the Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge with a ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday. This vital link connects the light rail station at Overlake Village to the 520 Bike Trail across SR 520. The $10.4 million project enhances accessibility and fosters connectivity between key transit points in Redmond.
"The Overlake Pedestrian Bridge exemplifies the successful partnership between the City of Redmond and Sound Transit,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “This project creates an important connection for our community to access transit and demonstrate our commitment to sustainable and accessible transportation.”
Sunday, November 5, 2023
Mayor Birney Proclaims October 28th "Green Redmond Day" at Heron Rookery
Mayor Birney with parks staff She's giving her Green Redmond speech and proclamation in front of the Heron Rookery |
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Redmond Mayoral Contenders, BIO and Priorities
City of Redmond Mayoral contenders:
Saturday, September 16, 2023
UPDATED: OneRedmond 2023 Mayoral Forum
This clip captures the introductory remarks of Mayor Angela Birney and Councilmember Jeralee Anderson at the "OneRedmond Mayoral Forum," sponsored by NELSON Legacy, Meta, and Microsoft. The forum was held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 9/15.
Sunday, July 16, 2023
City MONSTER Truck
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Mayor Birney Disbands Salary Commission
Mayor Angela Birney |
My decision is based on the Salary Commission members demonstrating their inability to follow the required guidelines and processes. The Salary Commission members have attempted to proceed via special meetings with short notice to staff and the community and without considering the following:
- Complete analysis of Council salaries in comparable cities
- Information concerning the fiscal impact of the proposed salary increases on the City’s adopted budget
- Information concerning whether and how many staff would be required to be laid off to pay for the extraordinary 600% increase in Councilmember compensation
- Allowing sufficient time to notify the community and receive your input
In March of this year, per Ordinance No. 2111, I appointed an independent Salary Commission to review the City Council’s annual salary. At a special meeting held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, the Salary Commission proposed to raise Councilmember’s annual salaries from $18,648 to $115,294 ($142,965 including benefits). The figure they proposed stemmed from individual commissioners' suggestions and was based on the average number of hours that some current members of the Council stated they work on a weekly basis.
The commission had planned to vote on their recommendation at their next meeting, previously scheduled for next week. Per state law, with a majority vote, the Salary Commission decision would be final and go into effect 30 days from receipt by the City Clerk’s Office if no referendum is filed by the community.
State statutes creating City Councils in cities like Redmond do not make Council positions full-time, and members can devote as many or few hours as they deem appropriate. Raising Council salaries to a full-time wage of $115,294, plus benefits, will require revenue increases or expenditure reductions of $870,216 annually.
To put this in perspective, the City of Redmond’s biennial budget totals approximately $1 billion for 2023-2024, of which 23% or $233 million consists of General Fund discretionary dollars (excluding reserves and fund balances). Annually the General Fund budget equals approximately $116 million. All other funds that comprise the City’s budget are earmarked by state statute or Council policy for specific uses. The General Fund, however, can be used for general city purposes.
The 2023-2024 budget creation relied on one-time money to restore a small portion of the 17.63 full-time equivalent employees laid off, and programs and services sharply reduced during the pandemic years. City revenues are slowly recovering, but are not up to pre-pandemic levels. In addition, all economic indicators point to a recession on the horizon.
Thank you to the community members who have shared their thoughts on this topic with me, Councilmembers, and the now-disbanded Salary Commission. Your feedback directly informed my decision, and your continued input will be equally important as I determine the next steps, of which I will keep you informed.
Sincerely,
Mayor Angela Birney
MayorCouncil@redmond.gov
Opinion: The City rakes in millions of dollars from construction and development taxes. B.Y.
Sunday, March 26, 2023
UPDATED, 3/27: Green Rooftop Camouflages House, Contributes To Sustainability
This neighborhood home is tucked away from all the commotion. Note how this living, green rooftop camouflages the house and contributes to sustainability. (click picture to enlarge) |
Walking around the Education Hill neighborhood this Spring day we noticed this house had a green and grey roof. It seems to be holding up quite well. Council Member Jessica Forsythe and others constantly ask the Mayor for green rooftops on new buildings. A tiny green rooftop is planned for the Senior & Community Center. The city compensates developers for Landmark Trees by "Exceptions." The same should be done for green rooftops, perhaps as a small amenity.
-- B. Yoder, opinion, 3/25/2023 by
- Compost amended soil. - Green roof. - Tree preservation. 172nd Ave NE, Summer 2010, -The City's first rain garden in the 172nd Avenue right-of-way.
Technique | Points Awarded – Residential Development | Points Awarde... |
---|---|---|
2. Drought‑tolerant landscaping | 1 | 1 |
• 20 percent | 1 | 1 |
• 30 percent | 2 | 2 |
- A landscaped roof is distinguished from a green roof by not incorporating a bioretention facility as part of its structure. Effective on: 4/16/2011. Landslide .
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Mayor Birney Working to Identify Housing Solutions
Redmond Mayor Angela Birney/ Komo News |
Angela Birney Joins the Housing Supply Accelerator Partnership
REDMOND, WA - Redmond Mayor Angela Birney is participating on the steering committee of the Housing Supply Accelerator, a partnership between the National League of Cities (NLC) and the American Planning Association (APA) to bring together local governments, community planners, builders, financial institutions, housing policy associations, and state and federal partners to develop, align, and advance solutions for housing supply challenges at the local level.
There is simply not enough housing in our country, including in Redmond, the eastside, and our state,” said Mayor Birney. “I’m excited to work with others across the nation to help guide actions that will improve housing capacity, identify critical solutions, and accelerate our efforts to ensure quality housing for all.
This solutions-oriented campaign aims to develop model practices, ordinances, and resources to accelerate and incentivize local approaches to land use, housing development, and preservation.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
REDMOND BLOG EDITORIAL: Carol Helland, Redmond's Urban Planner Extraordinaire
Carol Helland, Director of Planning & Community Development |
For the Director Helland's job description....
Monday, January 9, 2023
UPDATED: Mayor Angela Birney's 2022 Year-In-Review
Mayor Birney / credit Hopelink |
Hello Residents,
Different cultures celebrate the start of a new year in very distinct ways. For most, it's a time to rejoice, pause, and reflect on the past and future. A sense of normalcy returned in 2022 and provided an opportunity to build upon the lessons learned over the past few years. We have so much to be thankful for in Redmond, and I'd like to share some of the City’s accomplishments this past year:
Environmental Sustainability: In the area of environmental sustainability, we worked with the community to preserve and enhance our natural environment. And now it’s easier than ever to see that progress through our new Environmental Sustainability Data Dashboard. We completed a Climate Vulnerability Assessment to advise our long-range environmental planning efforts. And we partnered on programs and challenges to bring resources to you, such as the Redmond Climate Action Challenge and Energy Smart Eastside. Together, we planted trees, shrubs, and ground cover to expand and enrich Redmond's natural environment.
Connected Community: Creating connections and opportunities in our community continues to be an ongoing priority. Thousands enjoyed the return of Derby Days and the new elements to Redmond Lights. The City awarded lodging tax funds to over 22 Redmond events, and the Parks and Recreation Department returned to full in-person programming last year. We broke ground and are making tremendous progress on the new Redmond Senior & Community Center, which will soon offer arts, events, and recreational options for residents of all ages.
Infrastructure: City staff continued to work with and support Sound Transit’s light rail project in Redmond, bringing dependable access and connection to the region. And we continued to invest in our infrastructure by completing current projects and being awarded nearly $4.5 million in grant funds to leverage other transportation projects.
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
UPDATED 1/11/2023: The Unsung Heroes of Redmond City Hall
These executives are the unsung heroes who run our government and implement Council policy. Mayor Birney does a little bit of both.
I'm sad to say Chip Corder left the City of Redmond. In my 16 years of following Redmond government, I've never seen a better Director of Finance. He did a fabulous job managing the finances of the Senior & Community Center re-development and this year's bi-annual budget. He was very kind to me. No doubt municipalities and other jurisdictions desired him. Thanks and KUDOS Mr. Corder!
-- Bob Yoder, opinion, 12/14/2022
Friday, June 3, 2022
UPDATED, 6/26/22: Redmond's Heritage Oak Tree
The Oak Heritage Tree Chris Weber, Arts Administrator next to trunk (click to enlarge) |
Opinion: Mayor Angela Birney's "Senior & Community Center" groundbreaking ceremony yesterday was fabulous. After the ceremony, we walked to City Hall for a poster session and to meet *city staff, our elected and city leaders.
We were asked to "vote with stones" for a building name we liked best. I recommended "Red Oak Senior Center" on one side and "Redmond Community Center" on the other side. I really hope it's the peoples' choice. So, what's so special about "Northern Red Oaks" Quercus Rubra?
- They grow 300+ years and have been in existence 400 years.
- Excellent shade trees, beautiful fall colors.
- Tolerant to urban conditions, powerful winds, drought.
- They originated in England. Not native to the NW. "Easy and comfortable to transplant."
- Fast growing, 2 feet/year, the first 10 years
- Top off at 70 feet - 88 feet, round shape
- Diameter: 47 inches.
* SEEN: Hank Myers, Hank Margeson, Vanessa Kritzer, Angela Birney, Pat Vache', Arnie Tomac, Laura Lee Bennett, John Oftebro, Cherl Strong Magnuson, Rosemarie Ives, John Couch, Jessica Forsythe, Eric Dawson (project manager,) Zach Houvener, Loreen Hamilton (parks director.) Jim Kalelage (architect,) John Marchione, Sue Stewart, Chris Weber, Marty Boggs, David and Chip.
Source: https://localtreeestimates.com/northern-red-oak/
-- Bob Yoder, opinion, photo, 6/3/2022
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Redmond Celebrates Land Donation, Develops Smith Woods Park
Don and Elaine Smith always had the idea of turning their 10 acres of diverse natural land into a public park and wanted to keep it natural for the enjoyment of others in the community. Don died in 2009 at age 94, Elaine now lives in Emerald Heights. She turned 97 on New Years Day, 2022.
(Click on pictures to enlarge)
Forest Steward LeAnne Ludwig, Rosemarie Ives and Gary Smith, Chair Parks and Trails Commission and Project manager. Gary made it all happen. Donors Don and Elaine Smith's memorial bench. Photo credit / Kerry Smith |
Rosemarie Ives with John Couch, Parks and Recreation Director of ~ 30 years Photo Credit / Kerry Smith |
r-l, Leanne Ludwig,Smith Woods Forest Steward, John Couch, Rosemarie Ives, Jon Ives,Gary Smith, Gary's daughter Kim with dogs, Gary's granddaughter Sabrina. Celebrating the new memorial Ginkgo tree. Photo credit / Kerry Smith |
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Mayor Birney Requires Roll Calls To Squelch Absenteeism
Internet |
By Yoder: All across the State of Washington and world it's a no-brainer the pandemic has striked hell in our lives: death, hospitalization, declining mental health, social and family isolation, low worker productivity, absenteeism in schools and workplaces, and the list goes on. My battle was (and is) declining mental health, and social isolation. The forever masking and lengthened bombardment of variants kindled fear, the root of anxiety. Had I not taken walks in the woods and pumped iron at the gym I'd probably be on medication today.
I'm retired and absenteeism isn't a problem for me. I cried when children couldn't be out with their friends at school and teacher absenteeism spiked. Especially for children, mental health declined precipitously; anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation were more common.
I feel no pain for employees working in a hybrid environment. Many actually benefit. However, absentee accountability can be a problem in a virtual - in person setting.
I report on City Council meetings weekly for government transparency and to shed light. Unfortunately, the Council, the public, even democracy aches when a public servant is chronically absent from the peoples' work. Last week, the Mayor, City attorney and City Clerk finally confronted their problem.
The fix was easy. Identify and define "regular meetings" and take roll call at the top of each regular meeting. Yes, accountability! The State of Washington gives Council authority to remove Members if they have three consecutive unexcused absences from regular meetings. The Council ultimately decides what constitutes an unexcused absence.
Requiring roll calls at regular City meetings could be historically significant. We can "thank" the pandemic for that.
-- Bob Yoder, Opinion, 2/12/2022
Thursday, February 3, 2022
City Council Makes Final Decision On "Homeless Hotel" And Similar Low Income Housing Accommodations
Redmond's Silver Cloud Homeless Hotel (Komo) |
In their Business meeting on February 1st, Council deliberated and voted on regulation issues of the Silver Cloud "homeless hotel," and similar *types of low income housing.
The Redmond hotel borders Bellevue neighborhoods, a pre-school and small businesses. Bellevue's George B. emerged as the spokesman-activist for the protesters. They were highly organized.
Last Tuesday George B. spoke, with Mayor Birney giving him extra time. Apparently, roughly 85% of the homeless residents will be from outside Redmond.
Throughout this painful months-long drama rarely did I hear of Councilmembers visiting the Bellevue businesses other than CM Fields and possibly CM Forsythe.
However, last night Councilmember Jeralee Anderson was the star. CM Anderson met with George B. the day previous. She was all ears as he explained his expectations for "no negative outcomes." George complimented Jeralee as "astute and thoughtful." He called her "a gifted politician." CM Anderson's connection with George should be vital to the success of this social experiment.
CM Anderson verified permanent that homeless housing doesn't have to be located in hotels alone. The housing can go where hotels are permitted, not necessarily built.
CM Steve Fields was bothered by feelings of lack of trust between Council and the Executive branch. Time and again he asks for greater Council oversight powers. CM David Carson asked Planning Director Carol Helland to add context to the amendment to help Mr. Fields. Ms. Helland, with her depth of knowledge addressed all the questions; she's brilliant.
It's important to know the County will require additional "homeless hotels," possibly as frequent as every two years. Thus, separation of permanent supportive housing and other types of emergency low income housing need spacing for density issues. The Planning Commission recommended half mile (2641') separation between "homeless hotel" housing types. Vice President Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer recommended separation of no less than 1,500 feet. The vote was YES for 1,500 feet (Kritzer, Forsythe, Kahn, Stewart.)
An amendment fixes the hotel occupancy to 100. CM Anderson suggested greater latitude. Council voted YES 7-0.
HB 1220 required amendments to Redmond Code, thus, Council's deliberations. Although *permanent supportive housing, *transitional housing, *indoor emergency housing, and *indoor emergency shelters are allowed under our Redmond Zoning Code, it does not define nor clarify the provisions through which are mandated consistent with HB 1220 requiring amendments to current Redmond regulations.
Bob Yoder, OPINION, 2/3/2022
Read More on HB 1220
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Monday, October 18, 2021
"Safe Eastside" - Activists Fighting Off The Homeless.
"Safe Eastside's" relentless attacks on Mayor Birney are unconscionable. Kudos to CM David Carson for his efforts to defend the Mayor and the City. Anderson, Fields, Forsythe, Kahn and Kritzer should defend the Mayor and City, as well. They have the same voice as the Mayor in representation of the public. Councilmembers, please actively stand up and defend the Mayor and City tomorrow. B. Yoder, 10/18/2021
KAN QIU'S MESSAGE TO "SAFE EASTSIDE" VOLUNTEERS:
Please come to public comment Tuesday 10/19 to demand amendment of Ordinance No. 3059 at City Hall, 15670 N.E. 85th Street, Redmond, Washington, 6:30 PM, the last public comment opportunity before the council's study session 10/26 on this matter. We have all witnessed, in the public hearing nearly two weeks ago, Mayor shamefully staged her out of area supporters to call in before many of us who showed up physically since as early as 6:30. But we are more determined than what she could ever have imagined. We need to pack the room again, speakers make sure you sign up in advance on the sheet outside the chamber room. To help us track attendee numbers, please register at https://www.eventbrite.
What's even more outrageous after the shameful display of public hearing is that Mayor Birney's puppet in the council David Carson had to go the extra mile and filed a frivolous PDC complaint on October 14 against us in an apparent attempt to suppress public voices. Sadly as an elected official, puppet CM David Carson obviously forgot that this is America and people's rights express themselves are fully protected by the constitution, particularly on matters that are lack of government transparency. Since when citizens setting up and running a website to inform the public becomes an issue ? It's appalling that such despicable scare tactics have being used against average citizens who simply fill in the vacuum due to the very lack of information from the government!
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Highlights From The City's New "Homeless Hotel" Website
One of my wishes is the Operator use the homeless hotel's whirlpool for rehabilitation and therapy. Internet |
No, the City did not seek out the Silver Cloud facility in Redmond.
City Council was made aware of the new legislation supporting this type of program through a variety of 2020 and 2021 legislative updates by the City’s lobbyist. **Mayor Birney called each of Redmond’s seven City Council members on Tuesday, July 6, to notify them of the County’s purchase and intended use of the Silver Cloud Inn in Redmond.
In spring 2021, King County informed the City that they were actively exploring locations in Redmond and in late May 2021, Redmond was made aware of the County’s intent to purchase the Silver Cloud Inn. **As this was a private real estate transaction, it was kept confidential, as requested. Redmond first became aware of this potential type of program early in the 2020 legislative session. The City has continued to follow this since the State Legislature passed House Bill 1590 in 2020, which allowed jurisdictions to enact a 0.1% sales tax to finance construction of affordable housing and behavioral health facilities and operations or services supportive of affordable housing residents. In 2020, Executive Constantine proposed, and the County Council approved, this dedicated sales tax. In 2021, the State Legislature passed House Bill 1070, which clarified acquisition of property as an eligible use of these funds.
The City passed ordinance 2911 in 2018 which prohibits camping and storage of personal property in parks, public spaces, and on publicly-owned property when overnight shelter space is available.
The City will provide the same policing and uphold the same safety protocols regarding drugs and alcohol as is provided throughout the community. HTH residents will be considered tenants under Washington State landlord/tenant law and as such will have specific rights with regards to their leased space, which are consistent with the rights all tenants have throughout the city. King County will provide a code of conduct that residents must agree upon to remain housed at the facility.
Yes. ***The City will participate in the evaluation and selection of the facility operators.
Source: Redmond.gov/hth (City's homeless hotel website)
** CM Forsythe and Fields griped in last night's Study session they were notified too late so couldn't participate in the decision-making.** I'm not so sure about that.
*** CM David Carson said his energy will be put into finding a suitable operator. Thank you David. One of my wishes is the operator use the whirlpool for rehabilitation and therapy.
CM Varisha Kahn was not at either meeting to comment.
-- Bob Yoder 9/29/2021