Community Indicator Trend data will be used to help prioritize the budget.

(See a correction in red)

Staffer Jeff Churchill presented fascinating "Community Indicator" trend data at the 2/26 joint council-planning commission meeting. This trend data helps council and the administration -

• track the progress towards goals


• prioritize budgetary needs


• is a tool the Chamber of Commerce uses in working with businesses.

Planning Commissioner Parnell found the trend data very valuable and interesting. Most of the housing indicator trends can be used to help prioritize our budget; to open access to affordable housing -- especially for Seniors and adult children looking for their first apartment or home.

Trends showed the housing price / income ratio increased from 4.9 in 1997 to 7.7 today. That's a 36% increase in housing costs over 11 years with income constant! Indicator trends also demonstrate a 6.2% rise in the price of a home in 2007 AND four consecutive 6% annual increases in years prior. Any citizen involved in the "Results Team" for prioritizing our budget would have to look hard at these skyrocketing housing trends and the abilitiy of working citizens to make housing payments.

At the March 4th Council Meeting "Consent Agenda", council will be approving funding to facilitate several families with housing assistance. Council will allocate $40,000 to "Friends of Youth" in Kirkland to build transitional housing for young adults leaving foster care, between 18-25. A case manager will be on site full time. (detail here) Council will also be asked to allocate $25,000 to build six transitional family housing units in Kirkland. Council will consent approval (details here) of $55,000 for our annual share of ARCH's budgetary needs. ( 13 other cities make proportionate contributions to ARCH - our Eastside Housing Dept.). Over the years ARCH has built 0ver 710 affordable housing units in Redmond city limits. All cities combined received 2300 units - Redmond has fared well. Finally, a 'document recording fee" will raise $3M county-wide for primarily capital costs of housing assistance.

Stream Water Quality trends are measured every year to indicate the health of our environment. Surveys taken between 2004 and 2005 showed "marginal" quality readings of 40 (out of 100). In 2006-2007 measurements were sporadically better in a few places but no stormwater outfall measurements were taken. Stormwater contains the most contaminated water. From a budgetary standpoint, I would hope the Results Team will budget for tertiary bio-filtration treatment at the new Bear Creek regional outfall and at the main trunk outfall at Luke McRedmond Park. Will swirl, media and wetland filtration alone keep water quality readings above 40? Copper and oil run-off from the 520 eight lane widening project will stress water quality measurements even further.

The commerce indicator measurements trended good. Our share of regional employment dipped to 81,844 in 2006 but we were still above forecast. Regional employment in 2005 was 82,073.

Mary, an arts staffer prepared an indicator measurement for "cultural and performance arts" which showed a dramatic increase in attendance to Art Commission sponsored events.

The final "community indicator" document will be published in April and available to the public.