13. Attachment E, Exhibit 1: EO Pay Plan Redline, *Councilmember salary $27,000, Council President $30,000, Full Healthcare benefit, COLA effective 11/12/24), ($37,500 Council baseline salary, $16,000 Neighborhood Events, $12,000 Council Travel and Training.) TO BE UPDATED IN 1/5.
12. Attachment E: Ordinance for 2025 Elected Official Pay Plan, Mayor salary $170,000, stipend, 2-5% COLA, Family Healthcare, travel/phone perks. effective 1/1/25. Increase from $153,700. Council decision.
3. Pay Plan B, Executive: 4.2% COLA: COO $274,956; Fire Chief $251,472; Police Chief $246,588; Deputy Fire and Police Chiefs, $237,756; Planning Director $246,588; Public Works Director, $246,588; City Attorney $246,588; DIRECTORS $237,756 (Finance, Parks, Planning, I.O. Human Resources); Deputy Directors $206,184 (Executive, Parks, Public Works, Planning and Community Development (2), Deputy Attorney, (new); Police Lieutenants $196,956 (Teamsters.)
8. Attachment C, Exhibit 1: Non-Represented Pay Plan (N), 4.2% COLA; Chief Policy Advisor, Police Support Commander, Security Compliance Manager $195,552; Police Captain $215,518; Department Managers, $173,808.
9. Attachment C, Exhibit 2: Non-Represented Supp (N-S), 11. Attachment D, Exhibit 1: 2025 - General Supp (G-S), Supplemental is a scaled hourly rate.
20. Attachment H Exhibit 1 2025 - Fire Support (FS) COLA 3.6%
-- Source: Redmond City Council, Committee of the Whole | November 12, 2024; Presided by Councilmember Steve Fields
** Council hasn't had a raise since 2019. All salaries are upper band; bonuses may be given to Directors and Executives. It appears most staff salaries increased ~4% from the last biennium not counting COLAs and benefits. Quarterly overtime was $11.3M attributed to Fire and Police and Sound Transit.
Posted by Yoder, 11/11/24, updated: 11/16/24
Commitment to bring electric vehicles to Redmond will help reduce pollution, improve public health, and boost the clean energy economy for Redmond residents
REDMOND, WA - Today, Redmond Mayor Angela Birney joined nearly 350 U.S. mayors on a new collaborative commitment to electrify at least 50% of municipal fleets by 2030 and increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure by 500% by 2035, with at least 40% of charging investments to benefit disadvantaged communities. As a member of Climate Mayors – the bipartisan network of mayors from across the United States committed to climate action – Mayor Birney is helping to deliver cleaner air, lower tax bills, and a more sustainable future for all Redmond residents.
City of Redmond and Sound Transit Celebrate Opening of Overlake Village Pedestrian Bridge
 |
| From left to right: City Council Vice President Jessica Forsythe, Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman, City Council President Vanessa Kritzer, King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Boardmember Claudia Balducci, Mayor Angela Birney, Councilmember Melissa Stuart, and Councilmember Angie Nuevacamina. |
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.”
.jpg) |
| Mayor Birney with parks staff She's giving her Green Redmond speech and proclamation in front of the Heron Rookery |
 |
| Pam is sitting in the truck very close to the street surface |
On our way to Derby Days we saw this shiny new Redmond Public Works truck blocking and re-directing traffic on 95th. Cool! It's a monster truck!!
Just what does this truck do? Do you see the yellow "buttons?"
-- Bob Yoder, picture, 7/16/23
 |
| 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:
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.
 |
| 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
 |
| Redmond Mayor Angela Birney/ Komo News |
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.
 |
| Carol Helland, Director of Planning & Community Development |
For the Director Helland's job description....
 |
| Mayor Birney / credit Hopelink |
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.
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
 |
| 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?
* 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
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 |
 | |
LAND DESCRIPTION: "The 5-acre western half is heavily vegetated on a gently sloping floodplain with multiple wetlands and a seasonal stream (and pond which is the headwaters of Monticello Creek). The 5-acre eastern half of the property has large expanses of grass and beautiful mature trees, including Sequoia, Cedar, Douglas Fir, and Ginkgo. There’s a north-south trail on each half of the property." -- Gary Smith. |
