Light rail crosses a mere 6-feet over Bear Creek, keeping low to pass under the SR 520 ramp.
Denuded riparian trees and vegetation will be enhanced and fully restored.
Photos by Yoder, 5/14/2022
Council discussed human services programs at their Committee of the Whole meeting on May 17, 2022
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Community court participants must not have any violent felony convictions in the last five years; any pending violent felony charges; or a sex offender history.
A community court is an alternative problem-solving court. It differs from traditional court in that it seeks to identify and address the underlying challenges of court participants that may contribute to further criminal activity. Its goal is to build stronger and safer neighborhoods and reduce recidivism.
Having court hearings in a safe, neutral and community-centered location (such as the Redmond library encourages the participants to stay engaged and removes the stigma associated with the courthouse.
A community resource center is an integral component of community court. The specific services available at each community resource center vary by city. Examples of services available to court participants and all other community members, include:
Tomorrow, Wednesday May 18, construction will begin in the westbound lanes of Redmond Way. One westbound lane will be closed for approximately one month. Expect major delays – alternate routes are highly recommended. https://www.redmond.gov/1526 (Facebook)
Regional growth over the last ten years has caused increased traffic demand on Redmond Way and East Lake Sammamish Parkway. The signalized intersection of these two arterials experiences high traffic volumes, long queues, and delays during the peak hours. To address this, the City of Redmond is redesigning this intersection in order to improve vehicle operations, add pedestrian and bicycle connectivity to each approach, and enhance safety for all modes.
The project will realign the travel lanes around this intersection to allow better bicycle connectivity and more functional phasing operations, rebuild the traffic signal to provide better visibility to all users, and allow large trucks to have the room to turn through the intersection without traveling over adjacent lanes.
Work will include:
It includes a dog park, a community bike repair, community co-work area, and wi-fi plaza open to the public. The design features a terraced residential courtyard with seating areas, seat steps for gathering, a barbeque area and yoga lawn.
Do you think an 8-story building should be shoe-horned into a 5-story neighborhood? A water feature in the plaza a tiny "dog park" and other public spaces provided "benefit" for a height bonus of two levels. The architect was inspired by the historic Nokomis library. The park is towards the end of the video.
The maximum height is five stories in this district without the use of the Green Building Incentive Program (GBP).
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| Looking south towards Leary Way 164th Avenue is left |
Citywide overtime costs are 130.3% of budget versus a 62.5% target for the biennium largely due to unanticipated overtime related to the Fire and Police response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Excluding unbudgeted costs that are fully reimbursable (i.e., related to the pandemic and development agreements), citywide overtime costs are 117.6% of budget.
Fire Department Overtime costs are 145.1% of budget versus a 62.5% target for the biennium primarily due to the following:
Extraordinary or Unanticipated Events:
o COVID-19 Pandemic: $561,903 in unbudgeted overtime costs related to the staffing of vaccination programs and testing sites. These costs are fully reimbursable by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Washington State Patrol, King County Public Health, and Microsoft.
o February 2021 Snow Event: $12,809 in unbudgeted overtime costs.
o December 2021 Snow Event: $37,860 in unbudgeted overtime costs.
o Vaccination Mandate: An estimated $1,308,150 in unbudgeted overtime costs to backfill for 9 positions that opted to not get vaccinated.
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| coronavirus.wa.gov |
COVID-19 Dashboard: May, 9, 2022:
74.4% of 5-year-olds-and-up in Washington State have completed the "primary series." (fully vaccinated, not boosted.)
81.8% of 5-year-olds-and-up in Washington State received at least one dose.
Vaccination Data Summary, May 11, 2022
Unvaccinated 12-34 year-olds in Washington are:
• 1.5 times more likely to get COVID-19 compared with 12-34 year-olds who have completed the primary series. (fully vaccinated, not boosted.)
• 4.2 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 compared with 12-34 year-olds who have completed the primary series. (fully vaccinated, no boost.)
Thursday, May 12, 2022
| Contact: | Public Information Desk doh-pio@doh.wa.gov |
Newest numbers. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 1,524,078 confirmed cases as of 11:59 p.m. on May 10. There have been 12,724 COVID-19 deaths in Washington.
Data note (Wednesday, May 11): Due to a technical issue in our data systems, the Hospital Use data may be incomplete.
For the most recent number of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard.
[7-day count of hospital admissions in King County is 514. (4/28 - 5/4) Trend is up.]
[Cumulative cases in King County are: 40,736 cases, 11,712 hospitalizations, 2,754 deaths.] 5% hospital beds occupied by COVID patients; case trend is up.]
REDMOND, WA – The City of Redmond invites community members to celebrate the commencement of the construction for the new Redmond Senior & Community Center during a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, June 2. Brief remarks from Mayor Angela Birney and Parks and Recreation Interim Director Loreen Hamilton will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the site of the new center, 8703 160th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052, followed by an open house inside the lobby of City Hall.
“We are excited to see all of the planning and community engagement coming to fruition during the construction phase,” said Interim Director Hamilton. “A new community center with dedicated space for seniors, as well as additional recreational opportunities is the culmination of years of work and collaboration across the City, including input from a wide variety of stakeholders and Redmond seniors.”
The new Redmond Senior & Community Center will be a 52,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility, with a total project budget of *$48 million. The building will utilize LEED-certified materials, efficient energy-conserving systems, and rooftop solar panels which will provide 50% of the building’s electricity. The City of Redmond began outreach for the project in 2020, which confirmed Redmond’s need for a larger center to serve the senior population while also serving the entire community with cultural arts, events, and multigenerational recreation experiences and gathering space.
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| Carnation City Hall / photo "Woodinville Weekly" |
By Madysen McClain, "Woodinville Weekly," 5/4/22
Residents and city officials in Carnation are brainstorming ways to preserve the city’s small-town feel, while also encouraging economic growth.
Ricardo Noguera, an expert in economic development, was hired by the city as a consultant in April 2022. According to the city, he was brought on board to provide administrative support and guidance for using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
For over two decades, Noguera has helped communities with economic development in cities like Tacoma and Los Angeles, Calif.
Noguera visited Carnation in April 2022 for a “fact-finding mission,” he said. He toured the city and spoke to stakeholders such as the Carnation Chamber of Commerce and business leaders. From there, he compiled notes and recommendations for the city to pursue economic development.
He shared his findings during a council meeting on April 19. Residents and business owners showed overwhelming support to preserve and enhance the small-town character of Carnation, he said.
He said constituents also want to increase tourism dollars spent in the city by developing an inviting space for visitors to experience local farms, parks, restaurants and shops.
“You do not want to be Duvall. You do not want to be a bigger city,” he said.
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| Photo / "Woodinville Weekly" |
"Gardens District," a 20-acre downtown Woodinville development. "A city within a garden." Phase One (of three) will include 250,000 sf commercial space, 220 unit apartment, and structured parking. Molbak's Garden to occupy part of the commercial space. Built green, Breaking ground ~ late 2022.
Molbak’s Garden + Home plans to transform its 20-acre property in downtown Woodinville into a “city within a garden,” according to CEO Julie Kouhia.
The company will break ground on the new development, aptly named the Gardens District, in less than a year.
Molbak’s unveiled its vision for the project during a Woodinville Chamber of Commerce luncheon at 21 Acres on Thursday, April 21.
“We have a current location that we love, but we recognize that it's getting old and it's going to need improvement,” Kouhia said. “We decided we didn't want to just rebuild.”
The construction site will be located between Northeast 171st Street and Northeast 175th Street. Construction is expected to begin in late 2022 or early 2023, depending on permitting.
Molbak’s is expected to celebrate the grand openings of its new store in 2025, Kouhia said. Until then, the original store will remain open.
Message from Chief Lowe on Settlement with Churna Family
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| Chief Darrell Lowe Internet |
At a special meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, Redmond City Council approved a $7.5 million settlement to the family of Andrea Thomas Churna, who was shot and killed by a Redmond Police officer on Sept. 20, 2020.
The original Redmond Police Department news release on Sept. 21, 2020, included an error, stating, "During the interaction, she confronted officers with a handgun, multiple shots were fired, and the subject was struck several times."
While Churna was armed with a handgun earlier in the encounter with Redmond officers, when she was shot and killed in the hallway just outside of her apartment, Churna was unarmed. Following the shooting, the officers found Churna’s gun on the balcony of her apartment. I apologize to Andrea Thomas Churna's family and loved ones for the inaccurate statement made regarding the circumstances surrounding her death.
The city is updating their tree regulations soon. City council is reviewing the tree permit and considering community donations to a "Tree Fund" for tree planting events.
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| Pam on Landmark tree stump in our front yard. |
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| My double-trunked fir on the left was removed after getting a permit from the city. |
An excerpt from Redmond's Environmental Sustainability Action Plan Implementation Update
• The City of Redmond and other agencies investigated 164 illicit discharge (spill) reports in 2021. Of these, 55 calls came through the City Spill Hotline.
• 46 of the spills were located within City rights-of-way. 25 of the spills we responded to were determined to “constitute a threat to human health or the environment” and were reported to the Department of Ecology. Four discharges resulted in water quality impacts to receiving waters and were also reported to the Department of Ecology.
• One City response was related to an illicit connection (associated with new construction) discovered by City staff.
• One hundred percent of the MS4 has been checked for illicit connections since the permit became effective (August 2019). These checks are integrated into biennial catch basin inspections.
-- Council Committee Of The Whole Memo, 4/27/2022
Getting vaccinated is much easier now. Our hassle-free appointment for our Modera was quicker than the first; less paperwork, shorter waits, and still time to ask questions.
-- Bob Yoder, 4/25/2022
SEATTLE — COVID cases are again on the rise in King County. It’s pushed King County from the “green” to the “yellow” zone – meaning the county is back in the CDC’s medium COVID-19 community level.
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| Wikipedia |
Tesla STEM High School in Redmond is the top school in Washington, according to a new national ranking by U.S. News and World Report. This year's list of best high schools evaluated more than 17,800 schools nationwide, including hundreds in the Evergreen State.
The 2022 ranking of best high schools is intended to show how well the nation's public schools serve all students, regardless of achievement level, by teaching them basic skills and preparing them for college-level work, according to a news release from U.S. News.
-- Lucas Combos, PATCH, 4/26 (Abridged)
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Redmond Councilmember Steve Fields sponsored a Ukrainian art fundraiser April 16 at "Down Pour Coffee Bar," a small business owned by his wife Roni. The event was a heart throb; yet so cheerful and fun! The art was created and sold by Ukrainian locals, music played, and the weather was great. On first count, the Ukrainians and their friends outnumbered the supporters when I was there.
Julia, the Ukrainian event organizer advertised, "All proceeds go directly to Ukrainian relief efforts." Good to know! So, I doubled down on my art purchases and enjoy our kitchen nook that much more.
Mr. Fields invited Margo Shiromyama, Special Projects for OneRedmond to test the waters. Steve thinks the event could be a good model for other small businesses. He remarked he's presently having good discussions with OneRedmond.
I met a lady who finds support and resources for local Ukrainians. (Her family's in this picture.) She says Ukrainian refugees have yet to arrive in numbers but it's only a matter of time. Afghans are first in line for now. Washington state has at least 6,200 Ukrainians, behind only California and New York.
The Ukrainian population in Washington State is high because their social networks and our human services are more attractive than California and other states. Redmond ranks 49th of cities with the highest percentage of Ukrainians in Washington State. When the door opens to Ukrainian refugees many will find their families here.
-- Bob Yoder, 4/24/2022
King County will temporally use Redmond's Silver Cloud Hotel to house refugees from Afghanistan and elsewhere. The county plans to welcome the first guests to the hotel by the first week of May and will host them through September.
