YOUTH BOARD: As a Redmond Councilmember, one of my main goals has been to engage more youth in the political process. That is why I'm excited to announce the launch of my Youth Board, a chance to participate in advocacy, policy initiatives, community events, and more! If you are a middle school or high school student (or if you know of someone who may be interested), this is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in the field and allow you to be a voice for youth all across the eastside! Applications are due on Wednesday, October 16th at 11:59 PM. Apply here: https://bit.ly/os-youthboard,
Unlike its neighboring cities, such as Mercer Island, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, Bothell, and Sammamish, which ALL have a council-manager form of government, City of Redmond has a strong mayor-council form of government.Under the strong mayor form of government, mayor has too much power: while the council has legislative power, the mayor has veto power; the mayor is the chief executive officer, centralizing executive power. We have all witnessed the damages done allowing downtown homeless housing in Redmond and the entire Eastside when the mayor has too much power yet free from checks and balances.
The Washington Constitution states, “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.” When the Redmond City Council, deprived people of their rights to give input and rushed to give away public land to Plymouth Housing for developing a low-barrier homeless building in downtown Redmond, they failed to comply with the Washington Constitution.
Facts about the Plymouth homeless building in downtown Redmond:
Located across the street from Anderson Park, only 0.5 miles from Redmond Elementary School;
This is a 5-story, 100-unit, single adult only homeless building;
No drug testing will be conducted. Drugs will be allowed in the building;
Other than lifetime registered sex offenders, all other sex offenders are eligible;
Other than meth producers who were convicted in the past 5 years, all other drug producers and drug dealers are eligible;
The city made falsely claim and secretly plans to limit eligibility to people with disabilities. According to state law and the common practices of the state, county, and city, mental illness and substance use disorder are all considered disabilities. The city and Plymouth Housing want to secretly limit eligibility for this building to people with mental illness and drug addiction ;
Homeless people from outside of Redmond are eligible;
The City of Kenmore started this project via RFP in 2022 and rejected it in 2024 after three public hearings. The City of Redmond approved this project in 7 days with no public input period at all;
The city is now withholding critical information and refuse to hold any public hearings;
We, the people, must remind elected officials that they are elected by the people and for the people.
To support many city activities, including traffic safety, signal timing, and operational improvements, city staff are conducting the annual fall traffic and pedestrian counts. This work will be ongoing through early December. Learn more about this work https://redmond.gov/863/Traffic-Co
Redmond's pollution truck advertises their pollution hot line: 425-556-2868 photo by Yoder
We live two houses up from the intersection of NE 100th Street and 169th Ave. NE. City public works had two trucks there working on a major drain to "clear up stormwater pollution." Comcast is planning a downhill dig into 169th Ave. to install new cable that's eroded. Comcast must have notified the city of a possible pollution problem since there was no "salmon sticker" near the drain. A sewer line parallels the stormwater pipe making things more complicated.
Copper residue from vehicular tires and/or fertilizers, car-washing soaps, and lawn mower oils may all have contributed to the pollution. My guess is the stormwater pollution may have been caused by corrosion from Comcast's aging cable, tire contaminants, a sewer line leak or all three. This particular drain is in a prime location for stormwater run-off; collecting stormwater from two long residential roads. One could say the subject drain services a mini-stormwater watershed.
While Public Works was there they cleaned out a drain above the house from ours. Fortunately, there are two nearby "wet-vaults" just downhill from the subject drain. Vaults treat the stormwater before it eventually enters the Sammamish River where salmon are migrating. The supervisor said the vaults were fully operational containing only 20% sediment and didn't need to be vacuumed.
If you have concerns about possible pollution in your neighborhood call the city hotline at 425-556-2868. I asked the city for a "salmon sticker" for this drain.
Downtown Park COUNCIL CONVERSATIONS, The Safety Table / photo Yoder
I sat in at three tables conversing with councilmembers and residents at the busy Safety table, Environmental Sustainablity table and Miscellaneous table. Council V.P. Jessica Forsythe presided over the Safety Table. Feedback from a resident/family living in a downtown apartment was especially interesting. He wanted stop signs placed on Cleveland Street intersections and other downtown intersections -- said he saw pedestrians getting mildly brushed. He said Uber drivers were the worst; always looking at their cell phones. Another guy complained about gangs that prey on residents for their belongings. He thought only 4 - 6 police officers patrolled the whole city and asked for 16 more officers. I think Jessica said the department had over 140 officers (traffic, patrol, detective, drone, criminal, crime etc.) with plans for 4 more. CM (councilmember) Fields asked why the need for 16 more officers? I questioned the need for council taxing their city utilities and raising the business tax to fund a $6 million dollar public safety gap. IMO, the .25% city excise tax on construction was funding enough.
I briefly sat in at CM Stuart's Environmental Sustainablity Table. Trees were a topic of great interest. One resident said low income housing developments "lit up the heat map" owing to significant tree loss. Ms. Stuart said our canopy goal was 40%. We're at about 38% canopy now. Ms. Stuart alluded to the Master Builders lawsuit against Kirkland. The city has kept our old 2018 Tree Regulations as is for 16 years (!) and now the new, approved Update has been delayed for two years longerbecause of the lawsuit, with no end is sight. So, 40% goal seems out of reach. I suggested focusing on park and street trees like we have in the Downtown Park. Ms. Stuart lives in Overlake and I think she knows about the green roof installations on many of the buildings there. My feedback was the city needs code for encouragement of "green roofs" in all downtown construction projects. At least three developments (villages) are planned for Redmond by 2050 and we need green roofs and wall gardens in those buildings,
CM Stuart took this opportunity to update us on Sound Transit's light rail progress to our downtown. It was very interesting. I believe she said it will reach our downtown by mid-2025 and cross the bridge by late 2026. I'm not sure this has something to do with our environment, but maybe in part. I met Council President Vanessa Kritzer after the event; she spoke of a green vegetative - tree ring around the City one day.
Conversations didn't stop after the event was formally over. I chatted with two on-duty police officers about "speed cameras." It re-enforced my belief `they would consistently slow my "speed" around schools, but the ramifications to traffic congestion are unknown. I had a 25-minute talk with Andrew Villeneuve about our "news desert." He wants to start an online newspaper and I plan to help him.
Councilmember Fields has been pushing for neighborhood Conversations for years. This one was a total winner and weather permitting, I hope we have many more! Thank you Steve.
-- Bob Yoder, 10/1/2024
[All the councilmembers participated except for Angie. Retired councilmembers Pat Vache' and Hank Myers were present. Sue Stewart, Kiwanis Secretary and Siri Bliesner retired LWSD Director, and active member of Civic Genius were present.
[Siri is starting a Civic Genius roundtable on affordable housing. "Deliberative Democracy" is at their core. If you would like to join Siri please email her at: siri@ourcivicgenious.org]
Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration in the new Senior & Community Center
President John Oftebroof the Redmond Historical Society (RHS) did a fabulous job producing, directing and emceeing the Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration and Social. The event was held on Saturday, October 28 at the new Redmond Senior and Community Center. John's an excellent fund-raiser and superlative jack-of-all trades.
Laura-Lee Bennett, the Executive V.P. oversaw the event. RHS Co-founder Miguel Llanos flew up from Los Angeles and gave a 30-minute interactive slide show. John Couch, Redmond's Park & Rec. Director of 30 years dressed-up as Mayor Bill Brown. Chris "Hurricane" Himes, Redmond's first Strong Mayor gave a charming, short speech. Former Mayor Rosemary Ives was on Block Island attending to her family.
Board member Deborah Oftebro assembled lead-members to work the coffee cake and cookie table: Judy Lang, Jo Ann Potter, Deb Akerstrom and a Morelli? My wife Pam and I got to sit with good friends, John Reinke, Gary Smith and Terry Lavender. John Reinke gave the entire audience a holler as he sang along.
Richard Morris and his dog stand on the spillway and two children holding a sign "This Place Matters." (click pic to enlarge)
THIS PLACE MATTERS - PERRIGO SPRINGS
Perrigo Springs was Redmond's first "watering hole." Indians and early settlers first used the spring. "Daughters of the American Colonists" placed a 2004 rock marker and planted a Corkscrew tree near the spring.
Perrigo Springs was purchased by the Redmond Water Department in 1914 and was the first water supply for the newly incorporated town of Redmond. A dam (spillway) was originally constructed to impound the water for storage, with the transmission main a 4” to 8” wood stave pipe. This site was Redmond’s only water supply until 1927 and served as a major source of supply until 1962. Ref: Nao Hardy, 6/07.
The spring's water source is the Perrigo Creek wetland watershed. Perrigo Creek drains the Hartman wetland watershed. Its cooled water "springs up" into a shallow pond filled with natural stones. From there the spring water flows over a small concrete spillway into the creek below and continues downstream. Upper Perrigo Creek is a dry stream bed much of the time but the spring is active all year.
It's a quiet place. Children and small dogs playing on the spillway These children were floating cork boats. Musicians softly play their guitars while meditating by the Spring. Small families picnic nearby. The city monitors and maintains the Spring site.
This picture and story was submitted to the "National Trust for Historic Preservation contest named **THIS PLACE MATTERS."
Miguel Llanos is seen orchestrating a "Redmond Historical Society (RHS) Speaker series" event / photo Yoder
I first met Miguel Llanos during the 2008 Perrigo Woodland (Ashford) Trail neighborhood demonstration march through the Perrigo Heights preliminary plat to save its woodlands from development. Council was inspecting the safety of the 40% steep slope sewer line at the time. Miguel set up an exhibit to educate citizens on the history of the woodlands.
Llanos is an extraordinary Redmond community member. Among his many roles, he was a co-founder of the Redmond Historical Society, editor of the Redmond Recorder newsletter, a commissioner of Redmond's Landmarks and Heritage Commission, on the Design Review Board, and the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. He played a big part in the founding of the Redmond Library.
Miguel was sworn into the Landmarks and Heritage Commission after Rep. Ross Hunter's Town Hall meeting. The commission meets when an owner of one of the 16 properties listed as historic by the city wants to make a change. or when a property owner wants to have their property added to list.
Miguel was a strong advocate for preserving Old Town and its 2-block row of historic "Perrigo Plat" Craftsman bungalow houses on 164th Street. The old Brown Bag Cafe bungalow on 164th was once owned by long-time Mayor Bill Brown (1913-1948) and did not meet the commission's historic criteria. [Same for the E.A. Walcher House, a 102+ year Craftsman-style bungalow on 8117-166th Ave. NE, also once owned by Bill Brown.]
Miguel currently lives in Los Angeles with his family. He's in town for the Redmond Historical Society's 25th Anniversary Celebration and Social where he will give a 30-minute slide show. The Celebration is Saturday, September 28 at the newSenior & Community Center, 3:30 - 5:00. Check it out! Come one, come all!
Bob Yoder
Updated 9/27/2024
See a Video of city attorney Jim Haney swearing in Miguel to the Landmarks & Heritage Commission. 🙂
Since 1989, Americans have observedNational Recovery Monthto increase public awareness of mental health and addiction recovery; draw attention to new evidence-based treatment; celebrate the recovery community; and acknowledge the dedication of service providers and communities that enable recovery.
There is evidence that stigma-related bias among clinicians can contribute to a treatment-averse mindset and to flawed clinical care. However, EvergreenHealth's organizational mission, vision and values inform and support the care we provide. We demonstrate a shared commitment to providing humane, evidence-based, patient-centered care.
In my role as COO of Post Acute Care with system responsibilities for Behavioral Health, I have had the honor of working with the executive team for the Recovery Center at EvergreenHealth Monroe. They have a Medical Detox Unit, a Residential Treatment program, a program for Substance Using Pregnant Persons (SUPP) as well as an After Care and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). The dedicated teams work 24/7/365 to make sure that those struggling with addiction recovery in our area have a place to go for help. I am pleased to work at EvergreenHealth, which continues to support patients in recovery. I have spoken with several EvergreenHealth employees in Monroe and Kirkland, and this resource is so important for their friends and family in recovery.
"Not all people who are panhandling are homeless. And not all people who are experiencing homelessness ask for money. Learn what the City is doing to address the issue, and how you can be a part of the solution." redmond.gov
Feel free to call Tisza at 425-802-2523 if you have any questions about the panhandling or homeless individuals you think need help. Tisza's email is trutherford@redmond.gov. She's a tremendous asset for our city and very kind!
Breaking news! The folksy Redmond Mayor of 30-years Bill Brown is introduced and chats with the audience! He may be attending the Society's 25th Anniversary party at the Senior Center on Saturday, 28th 3-5:30. Have a beverage with him afterwards at a local tavern! haha!
Saturday Speaker Series Walking with History:
Elise Farrel-McWhirter (16:20 m)
"Born an heiress in the Age of Industry, Elise Farrel-McWhirter led the life of one of the most intriguing socialites in New England in the early 20th century. Follow the incredible life journey of a woman who was independent and bold before it was in vogue. Before the Women’s Suffrage Movement, before Women’s right to vote,
Elise Farrel-McWhirter lived a remarkable life on her own terms and traded the glamour of society for a small farming community in rural Washington—a community named Redmond that she chose to live in over all the other places she had traveled in North America, Asia, and Europe.
We can walk with history today, because she donated her beloved home upon her death that became Farrel- McWhirter Park. Learn about one of Redmond’s early leading ladies, who loved children, horses, nature, and left us all a legacy that helped foster Redmond’s modern-day Parks Department."
Speaker bio:
Ali Maynard is the Farm Program Coordinator at Farrel-McWhirter Park and has been employed with the City of Redmond since 2007.
Suzanne Greathouse, a community professional who brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience, has been selected to fill the vacant Position #2 on EvergreenHealth's Board of Commissioners.
Suzanne Greathouse
KIRKLAND, Wash. - The EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners has selected Suzanne Greathouse to serve in Position #2, representing the Kenmore/Kirkland community and all residents of King County Public Hospital District #2. Greathouse was sworn into the position on Sept. 17 and will serve through Dec. 31, 2025.
Greathouse is a dedicated community professional who brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience to support EvergreenHealth's ongoing mission to advance the health of the community.
"We are excited to have Suzanne join the Board, and we look forward to her contributions in supporting the health and well-being of our community," said Board Chair Virgil Snyder. "Like every other commissioner, Suzanne is dedicated to ensuring our community has access to high-quality, safe, compassionate and cost-effective health care."
As the CEO and Co-Founder of REPSVR, a virtual reality skills training platform, Greathouse's diverse experience spans being a business owner, educator/trainer, executive, and consultant. Throughout her career, she has developed and led multicultural and virtual teams and managed complex business environments. She is an expert at applying industry best practices and emerging research to address specific challenges, fostering success, and enhancing performance, motivation, and job satisfaction.
Greathouse's career also includes nearly 20 years at AT&T, where she led efforts in various areas, including construction and engineering, research and development, emergency preparedness/disaster recovery, network security, network operations and IT product development and support. In 2017, after experiencing a family tragedy, Greathouse shifted her focus to serving the community. She has since held roles on the Kenmore City Council, the Northshore Fire District's Board of Commissioners, the City of Kenmore Planning Commission and the Northshore Senior Center Board of Directors.
Currently, Suzanne serves as a Northshore Utility District Commissioner and actively participates in various community organizations, including the Kenmore Heritage Society, Bothell/Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, Kenmore Business Alliance, and the EvergreenHealth Foundation. She is also the founder and president of the Alex Greathouse Foundation, which provides oral cancer support and funding for treatment, research, and other essential needs.
"I am thrilled at the opportunity to join the EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners and look forward to working with fellow members on ensuring access to the hospital system's vital services in Kirkland, Kenmore and throughout the Eastside," said Greathouse.
Posted by Bob Yoder, 9/20/2024
Comments: 1) Public Notice for the interviews of the Commission nominees was poor. Navigation on their website to find this public meeting was close to impossible. Thus, my wife and I (and others) didn't attend. BY
2) Evergreen Board has the worst notice system out of any public board and they don't do well with publishing information. They don't even record their meetings and publish minutes a month after the meetings happen. Anonymous comment 9/21/2024
"Redmond is one of the first in police departments in the U.S. to implement drones as first responders to get to the scene faster. But the drones pose privacy concerns." - NBC News’ David Noreiga has the latest on the tech transforming policing.
Have you heard about the Redmond Parks and RecreationFee Assistance Program Application? Application forms are available at the Senior Center Customer Service desk.
Applicants who meet eligibility requirements can be awarded up to $1,000 per person, per year to help pay for day passes', monthly passes, punch passes, etc. So far, this program rewarded over $43,000 to ~ 345 recipients 2024.
Eligibility:
Household income of $70,000 or less qualifies for a 50% reduction in activity fees.
Household income of $47,000 or less qualifies for a 70% reduction in activity fees.
Household income of $28,800 or less qualifies for a 90% reduction in activity fees.
Proof of Eligibility: Examples of accepted documents include, but not limited to: 1) Utility billing, 2) Social Security Benefits statement, 3) most recent tax return, 4) DSHS statement or award.
Below are planting event dates and site locations. Find a site map here Email: greenredmond@redmond.gov for the times. The event usually starts at 9 AM.
Born an heiress in the Age of Industry, Elise Farrel-McWhirter led the life of one of the most intriguing socialites in New England in the early 20th century. Follow the incredible life journey of a woman who was independent and bold before it was in vogue.
Before the Women’s Suffrage Movement, before Women’s right to vote,
Elise Farrel-McWhirter lived a remarkable life on her own terms and traded the glamour of society for a small farming community in rural Washington—a community named Redmond that she chose to live in over all the other places she had traveled in North America, Asia, and Europe.
We can walk with history today, because she donated her beloved home upon her death that became Farrel- McWhirter Park. Learn about one of Redmond’s early leading ladies, who loved children, horses, nature, and left us all a legacy that helped foster Redmond’s modern-day Parks Department.
Registration is not required. Please note this is an in-person program. A recording will be available following the event.
This is my edited Letter of gripes written to the Council Ombudsperson.
Council lining up to receive the Salary Commissioners I will report their salaries, stipends and benefits when they are available.
Council,
I know you work hard and I hope the salary commission gives you what you're due, including the stipends and benefit improvements you and HR are giving yourselves.
The city is wealthy from construction income yet you are nickel and diming uswith fees: Utility fees, Park fees, Recreation fees, Senior & Community Center fees. Are fees at Perrigo, Meadows, Hartman courts next? Fees are so many and scattered all over the Community/Senior Center that I can't sum them up.
Your action of charging residents and commercial a $15 fee on automatic utility payment looks ridiculous considering our city wealth. After 40 minutes of trouble shooting with utility staff I learned "a Director" acted too soon and now the fee must be reversed "until Council makes a decision on what to do." Should COO Files get involved?
I didn't appreciate CM Stuart calling me out in public after the Hearing on Initiative 2117. Amongst your new procedural rules that limit public participation, you should look at yourselves. Vice President Jessika Foresythe gave a good report on the specifics of the Climate Commitment Act as it relates to city monies.
Finally, Council President Vanessa Kritzer's participation during King County Councilmember Perry's "Town Hall" was excessive, shortening Ms. Perry's Q&A significantly. Other's felt so too. She IS a good speaker and does a lot of it. Perry's Community Engagement manager (and city councilmember) Osman Salahuddin generated a good turnout with great speakers.
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