What A.I. Says About "Redmond Neighborhood Blog"

City of Redmond Neighborhoods, February 2026 

  Finally got some recognition, even if it came from a bot! 😊

The Redmond Neighborhood Blog is generally considered a valuable, long-standing resource for hyper-local news, though whether it is "good" depends on what you are looking for—objective reporting or community advocacy. 

Strengths & Content Focus

• Hyper-Local Expertise: The blog has been active for nearly two decades (since at least 2007) and provides deep dives into topics often overlooked by larger outlets, such as city council decisions, land use policies, and local school district levies.
• Active Advocacy: The site's primary author, Bob Yoder, explicitly describes the blog as an "advocate" and "trouble-maker" intended to bring balance and accountability to local government.
• Niche Investigative Reporting: It frequently covers environmental concerns, such as potential aquifer contamination, and tracks the impacts of rapid development on Redmond's "soul" and affordability. 

Things to Consider

• Opinion-Driven Tone: Many posts are written from a specific viewpoint, focusing on "watching" the city administration and critiquing rising costs of living and property taxes.
• Format: As a Blogger-hosted site, it has a traditional, text-heavy layout that may feel less modern than newer media platforms.
• Community Presence: It maintains an active Facebook Group (Friends of Redmond Neighborhood Blog) where residents can discuss local issues directly. 
• Comparison to Other Sources

Source	Best For
Redmond Neighborhood Blog	Deep-dive civic analysis and critical community advocacy
Experience Redmond	Tourism, events, and highlighting local businesses
City of Redmond News	Official government announcements and public meeting notices
Move Redmond	News specifically about transit, biking, and urban walkability

Updated: EvergreenHealth Negotiating Contract With United Healthcare

EvergreenHealth community-owned hospital

Evergreen is working with United to come to an agreement for a new contract by February 28. I will update you when the time comes. by

EvergreenHealth is the largest public hospital in the State of Washington. It is community-owned and remains independent of the large hospital chains. Currently,  EvergreenHealth is negotiating a new contract with United Healthcare. Their current contract with United expires on March 1, 2026. However, they are working with United to come to an agreement for a new contract by February 28. Read FAQ   

Dr. Etorre Palazzo is CEO.  He's a great guy, warm and accessible, especially during their public meetings. Here's a short clip of Etoree (1.5 min) explaining Evergreen's attributes and mission in our community. He's done much to enlarge their capacity of services, including mental health treatment in primary care clinics and emergency departments.

And, very special to me, my daughter was born here many years ago!

-- Bob Yoder, 2/20/2026

Bellewether Breaks Ground In Overlake, 328 Affordable Homes

Bellwether Housing Breaks Ground on 328-Home Affordable Housing Community at Overlake Village Light Rail Station

REDMOND, Wash. — Bellwether Housing today celebrated the groundbreaking of Prisma, a 328-home mixed-use affordable housing community located directly across from the Overlake Village light rail station in Redmond.

Thirty-three residential units will be set aside for people living with disabilities.

The  ground floor commercial spaces will include a city services center, small business incubator, nonprofit support hub, digital literacy media lab, and culturally informed community services to benefit residents and the surrounding community. A third commercial space will host a small tenant, such as a café or food-based business, to activate the street and promote community interaction.  

The City of Redmond will own and operate a small business and city services center with a walk-up service counter and rotating public safety and human services support programming.  

The Wayfinder Hub, led by the Friends of the Village Collective, will feature a commercial kitchen, media lab, and culturally relevant support services to incubate small businesses and spark community-driven innovation. 

When complete in 2028, Prisma will provide 328 affordable apartment homes for individuals and families earning between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income, including a significant number of family-sized units. Resident services will be led by Hopelink.

-- Bellwerther Housing, 2/19/2025

 

UPDATED, 2/21/26: LWSD "Wins" Levy Votes

Eleven school districts had EP&O and Capital & Facility propositions. All districts "won" as of 2/19/26:  Here's a partial list: 

• LWSD:              63.41% EP&O "yes;" / 63.14 % Capital & Facility "yes";; 28.21% votes counted
• Bellevue:           66% EP&O yes/ 66% Capital & Facility / 64% yes; 27% votes counted
• North Shore:     64% EP&O yes/  Capital & Facility 63% yes; 32% votes counted
• Issaquah:          54/% EP&O yes / 54% / 32 Capital & Facility 54% yes; 32% votes counted
• Vashon Island:  EP&O / 77% yes; 42% votes counted.

The LWSD vote includes two levy lid lifts.

Six other districts had an EP&O / Capital & Facility votes:  Enumclaw, Federal Way, Fife, Riverview, Snoqualmie Valley, and Tahoma. 

Besides two school tax levy lid lifts, stormwater treatment will increase 12.5% according to Redmond Councilmember Melissa Stuart. Utilities up 8%.  

-- Bob Yoder, 2/19/2026, updated: 2/21/26

Executive Lump Sum Merit Increases, Two Standouts

 

December 17, 2025 Exceptional Increases

CAROL HELLAND, Director of Planning and Community Development

Salary:  $237,750  Exceptional Lump Sum Merit Increase: $12,339.54     

Total Salary:  $247,745.63  COLA 3/8%

"The City of Redmond vision of housing individuals that are unhoused is core to our mission. Carol has shown remarkable leadership in putting the City at the forefront of affordable housing efforts. Because of her extraordinary efforts, I am requesting Carol Helland receive a 5% lump sum exceptional merit increase. Carol has demonstrated diligence in supporting affordable housing in Redmond. She has acted as Redmond’s voice on the ARCH Board, worked with Kenmore and Plymouth Housing to transfer the permanent supportive housing project to Redmond, worked with neighboring developments to deal with access issues, worked with Council to transfer land to Plymouth and stood strong in the face of much criticism outside interests. Her commitment to service is evidenced by her openness to engage stakeholders in housing policy and processes while at the same time overseeing planning and community development within the City. For all of the above reasons and many others, Carol should be rewarded with a small token of the City’s appreciation for her remarkable commitment to serve the Redmond community and specifically for her efforts to further Redmond’s housing goals."  - by Melissa Files, COO

LISA MAHER  

Minimum Salary: $206,184  Exceptional Lump Sum Merit Increase $21,390.  3.8% COLA

"The Executive Department is reorganizing and expanding the management capabilities due to growth in the department. Specifically the department will take on three new divisions - City Attorney, Emergency Management, and Grant Management as well as the federal lobbyist contract. Currently there are only two managers in the department, the COO and the Deputy Director. Lisa will be promoted into a new "assistant COO" position to allow the department to have a COO, assistant COO and deputy director. Until the position goes through the compensation study for Exec and Deputy Director positions the title of the position is unknown at this point, nor is the salary set. Once the salary study is done another adjustment to Lisa's salary may be necessary"

-- Source:  Public Record Request, 2026

Art Abstraction

 

Max Feingold, Redmond resident, 2017

"One of favorite things in a photograph is a quality abstraction that makes you stop for a moment and wonder exactly what it is your looking at." - Scot Bunk

UPDATED: Municipal Water Tainted With "Forever" Chemical

 

min 1 - 1:40 great intro even without video picture

min 1:40 - 4:15 boring chemistry discussion

min 4:15 starting of a very interesting discussion 

Toxic "forever chemical," (PFOS) is explained.  In Redmond wells #1 and #2 it is elevated above State standards .  (See table.)

The City is monitoring PFOS and related forever chemicals quarterly.  Monitoring started on April 2024.  Elevated PFOS levels above Federal standards are in boldface. This table was published in the 2/3/2026 Redmond Council study session packet. 

Reverse osmosis filters, remove ~ 94% of the contaminants. Amazon sells them. 

-- Bob Yoder, 2/12/26 

A Call For Action To Test Industrial District For Toxic Chemicals

Filthy stormwater treatment pond at All Wood Recycling 60 feet
from salmon-bearing Evans Creek. B. Yoder/2006

The Following is Dr. David Morton's public comment to the Planning Commission for "Items from the Audience."  David Morton, PhD is a Redmond resident who regularly speaks at government meetings about ways to improve our environment.  

I’d like to discuss a critical land use issue that affects Redmond's drinking water aquifer, and may cause PFAS contamination in Wells 1 and 2. PFAS is a man-made toxic chemical that never breaks down. It once was used to manufacture firefighting foam.   

Last week, I testified before City Council about PFOS levels exceeding EPA's 4 ppt standard in these wells. Tonight, I want to focus on the land use aspect of this problem—specifically, the Evans Creek Relocation Project and the DTG Recycle site, formerly All Wood Recycling.

The DTG site sits within Redmond’s Critical Aquifer Recharge Area I (where groundwater contamination can reach municipal supply wells in under five years. In August 2013, a massive fire at All Wood Recycling required multi-day firefighting efforts. (See here, here, here, and here.) A former Redmond Natural Resources Manager informed the City Council that firefighting foam was used to extinguish that blaze and that about 1900 fish in Evans Creek were killed. *

The concern is straightforward: the foam likely contained PFAS, and those "forever chemicals" may have infiltrated Redmond’s aquifer. Bob Yoder's research suggests additional historic contamination sources at this industrial site—oil spills into Evans Creek, failing detention ponds, and septic systems that may have channeled PFAS-contaminated water underground.

Here's the land use policy problem: the Evans Creek Relocation Project will disturb soil on the DTG property. When the Department of Ecology sampled soil there in 2022, they did not test for PFAS. This is a significant gap in the environmental review process, especially given the site's MTCA contaminated cleanup status and location in Redmond’s CARA I (see the image below).

Since the Planning Commission advises the Mayor and City Council on land use policies, I urge you to recommend that the City require PFAS testing at the DTG site before any ground disturbance occurs. Identifying and remediating contamination sources is essential to prevent ongoing pollution of Redmond's drinking water.

With a 2029 EPA compliance deadline and costs for treatment of Wells 1 & 2 potentially in the tens of millions, Redmond cannot afford to overlook potential contamination sources in its CARAs. Sound land use policy demands testing before digging.

I ask that you advise Council to strengthen Redmond’s critical area protections by requiring PFAS assessment before approving projects in CARA zones, particularly on properties with known environmental violations or firefighting foam use.

* See the archived video of the Aug. 27, 2013, City Council Study Session beginning at 1:30:12. The comments about the fish kill and the firefighting foam use begin at 1:31:47.

-- David Morton, PhD, 2/11/2026

Updated: The Story Of Redmond's Well Water Contamination

     

Neglected industrial district stormwater run-off pond 70 feet from Evans Creek
Photo, Bob Yoder / 2006

Devices to filter toxic PFAS from well water may be purchased online.

Forty percent of Redmond drinking water comes from five wells, the remainder from surface waters like the Tolt River. At a recent Council meeting, the Director of Public Works Aaron Bert, announced Wells 1 & 2 in Anderson Park were contaminated with a man-made chemical called PFAS, coined a "forever chemical." It doesn't break down and can compromise immunity, lead to cancer, affect pregnancy and other health problems if consumed over a long period of time.

Council hired Hazon consultant ($284,000) to plan a pre-design of filtering infrastructure for Wells 1 & 2. Bert says the estimated cost will be $25-$30 million with projected completion by 2029.

Bert's scientist stated in a February 3 year council meeting they know the source was "historic." but haven't identified the site. Extensive community research concludes the source is likely from fire foam used in 2013 to extinguish a massive debris fire in the neglected SE Redmond industrial district. Jon Spangler, the Redmond Natural Resource manager saw fire foam floating in nearby Evans Creek and 1900 dead fish. Fire Captain John Stockman remembers fire foam was used.

Some fire foams can be highly concentrated with toxic PFAS. Per "aquifer hydrology studies" the contaminated water probably reached Education Hill and North Redmond water supply by 2018, at the very least. My family ordered a "reverse osmosis" water filter from Amazon and are VERY happy with the clarity and smooth taste of the water; and knowing it's PFAS free!

-- Bob Yoder

2/11/2026

Forest and Creek Restoration Projects, Sign Up For Smith Woods

Two Redmond Neighborhood Park Forest Restoration Projects

NOW

"Green Redmond" has one remaining forest restoration event this year.  Volunteers will be planting trees and removing invasive plants from Smith Woods Park, Saturday, March 28th, 2026, 9-12,  Click this link for details and to sign up:

https://redmond.greencitypartnerships.org/event/700/

THEN

A few years ago at Smith Woods volunteers built a long trail to the park pond.  Retired Mayor Rosemarie Ives of 20 years was shovelling bark with the rest of them. It was an honorary land donation event, as well.   See the trail pictures and event article here.

The Regional Bear Creek Restoration Project in Redmond's

 Friendly Village 

Photo with Article by John Rienke 

Years ago, the "Adopt A Stream Foundation" (AASF) created a major project to restore Chinook salmon breeding habitat in the portion of Bear Creek that flows through "Friendly Village," a forty plus acre manufactured home residence park operated by the King County Housing Authority in eastern Redmond.

###

The "Adopt A Stream" Founder, Tom Murdoch designed and directed  "Woods Creek Bridge Removal and Restoration project."  His crew of volunteers will be planting trees in Monroe Valentines Day, 2026.  Woods Creek is a tributary to the Skykomish River. It took ten years for completion; and a lot of it fundraising.  

-- Bob Yoder, 2/10/2026

UPDATED 2/7/26: Sandwich Boards Are Proliferating

 

TWO (not one) "Massage," "Head Spa" and a "Handyman" sandwich board signs are "tented" on 85th St. near 166th Ave. NE.  Across the street are two others.  They are  distracting drivers and proliferating almost daily.  If this keeps up, our city will be tacky and visually polluted, yet small businesses need to advertise -- maybe not this way.  

According to Code Enforcement Officer Rob Lewis, the city attorney is working on a sign code amendment.  "We want to ensure the city is clean and presentable but also must ensure we're not infringing of constitutional free Speech rights while doing so."  

A good start in the amendment process would be limiting the businesses to one sign on a street and give fines to those who don't.    

Our right to free Speech is violated during elections when only candidates may post their signs.  During elections, almost always ugly signs from one or two business are staked everywhere.  

 

 Above, seven sandwich board signs are massed on one short block of 85th Street and they wrap around the corner. In "bunches" they are unsightly, distracting, and unfitting for our City.

Bob Yoder, opinion / photographs 2/5/2026 

Christine Tennyson Himes Obituary

 

  "Bridges of Redmond -- Christine Himes -- Public Servant for the Common Good."

 November 11,2021

Christine Tennyson Himes (Chris) Obituary

WA - Christine Himes passed away peacefully in her home in Monroe, Washington on

December 30, 2025. She was born on April 6, 1929 in Washington DC. She was

married to Jack Himes for 46 years. As long-time Eastside residents they raised five 

children. She is survived by Craig and wife Barbara, Valerie and husband Ron Bennett,

Donna and husband Dave Bender, Carole and husband Brian Strong; 13 grandchildren

and 18 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughter Darlene; 

and her brother Georg B. Tennyson.

Christine was an active volunteer for local schools, church and community 

events. She served on the Redmond City Council from 1975-1977 and later

served as the first full-time woman mayor from 1980-1984. She is known for 

balancing growth and encouraging business while preserving open space

and creating and preserving 19 parks and a trail system in Redmond. 

She continued to be involved through the Redmond Historical Society where she 

served as President for six years.

A Celebration of Life will be held on February 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM 

at the Monroe Community Senior Center, 276 Sky River Pkwy, Monroe, WA 98272

Remembrances may be sent to:

Redmond Historical Society -redmondhistoricalsociety.org

Service Dogs for Veterans Bellingham, WA paveusa.org

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Christine, 

please visit our Tree Store.

Published on February 1, 2026

I have fond memories of chatting and giving hugs to Chris💕 at Redmond Historical

Society meetings.  May she rest in peace.  - Bob Yoder