Council considers renaming a Hartman Park sports field

Credit:  Redmond Reporter

Les Dow, a long time Redmond baseball coach and supporter passed away August 22, 2018. Les spent 46 years as a coach, sponsor, and administrator in the Redmond baseball community. He was instrumental in many improvement projects at Hartman Park and made substantial impacts through his volunteer work.

A community group led by Redmond resident, John DeVore, has made a formal request to name a sports field at Hartman Park after Les Dow. The renaming request was presented to the Parks and Trails Commission on December 6, 2018. A motion was passed by the Parks and Trails Commission recommending renaming the sports at Hartman Park to Les Dow Field pending proper due diligence, and to waive the two-year waiting period. Due diligence has been completed.

Les Dow’s contributions in Redmond span 46 years of service as a coach, sponsor and administrator. Mr. Dow was Redmond Little League (RLL) Adult Little Leaguer of the Year in 1980, Regional Director of National Amateur Baseball Federation (NABF) and NABF Man of the Year in 1988, City of Redmond Park and Recreation Person of the Year in 2010, and the NW Baseball Umpires Association (NBUA) Customer of the Year in 2006. Next year the NBUA will recognize Les with a Lifetime Customer Appreciation Award. The request letter details additional contributions made by Mr. Dow.

Source:  Council Parks and Human Services Committee
              5/9/2019
              Redmond Reporter, by Andy Nystrom, 9/5/18

Letter to the Editor of the "Redmond Reporter"

Looming taxes continue to burden property owners | Letter

• "Redmond Reporter" Friday, November 2, 2018 11:30am 
• LETTERS TO THE EDITOROPINION

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Looming taxes continue to burden property owners

In the City Council’s committee meeting on Oct. 23 Melisa Files, director of finance, reported:

1) Revenues were up by 5 percent of target and

2) Expenditures were 4 percent below target

So “we are in a nice place to be” says Ms. Files.

Yes we are, many thanks to the “surge in permitting fees” from development and a “one-time construction tax,” according to Files.

Historically, the city has assessed property owners the state’s maximum allowable 1 percent property tax. But times have changed and the city is swimming in revenue like never before from the massive development of our downtown and Overlake urban centers.

Owing to this unprecedented growth the city of Redmond should change their practices and forgo the 1 percent property tax this year. Residents are already burdened by looming school district taxes and an April King County Public Hospital District 2 tax initiative, among other taxes.

It’s time the city tightens their belt.

Bob Yoder

[The City went ahead and implemented the 1% tax. A $125M school district "Capital Projects Levy" measure will be on the April ballot.  King County Public Hospital District 2 is EvergreenHealth.  Evergreen's April $325M bond measure is for seismic retrofits.]

Superintendent, parents discuss Rosa Parks Elementary School overcrowding

Superintendent, parents discuss Rosa Parks Elementary School overcrowding

By ANDY NYSTROM
Redmond Reporter Editor
October 5, 2012 · Updated 1:01 PM

Dr. Traci Pierce had barely put the microphone down and stepped off the stage when a group of parents surrounded the new Lake Washington School District superintendent to discuss overcrowding at Rosa Parks Elementary School.

It was feedback time at last Thursday night’s community meeting that drew about 150 people to Rosa Parks, and it was as if Pierce was a coach and the parents were players asking the superintendent about her game plan.

Presently, the Redmond Ridge school is 11 percent over capacity at 793 students, the highest number in the district. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a long-range plan for Rosa Parks and seek feedback on some potential short-term solutions that could be implemented beginning in the 2013-14 school year.  Read More >>

REPUBLISHED: Redmond teens and Mayor Marchione spreading awareness about diabetes

From left, Erin Saunderson, Emma Calvert, Jessica Tramp, Redmond Mayor John Marchione, Andrew Sundene, Julie Tramp and Christoph Myer visit with the mayor Tuesday afternoon. Marchione signed a proclamation to make November to be National Diabetes Month in Redmond. All of the teens were diagnosed with diabetes — most since before they turned 7. In addition, Marchione, 45, was diagnosed at age 38
Bill Christianson, Redmond Reporter

Redmond teens spreading awareness about diabetes - Redmond Reporter:

REPUBLISHED FROM 2010:  "Marchione, 45, who was diagnosed with diabetes at 38, readily agreed. On Tuesday, the mayor met with the six teens to sign a proclamation declaring next month National Diabetes Month. In addition to being diabetic, Marchione had one more thing in common with the youths. He is a Ben Rush alum as well.

“I was in the first kindergarten class when the school opened,” he told the teens during the proclamation signing. “So getting an e-mail from some Ben Rush kids was cool.”"

Read More >>

The Redmond retail post office on 85th St has moved. What are your options?

Autumn photo of "fallen" post office

Many residents still don't know that the Redmond postal service has moved their retail operations on 85th Street to their parcel drop-off distribution center in Southeast Redmond at *7241 185th Ave. NE.   They moved July 28.

The Redmond Reporter (RR) published two good stories on this.

In the Reporter's first story,  Mayor Marchione said "for the USPS to leave downtown at a time when the downtown core is growing makes no sense."   According to the RR, The USPS left mostly for financial reasons. 

The Redmond postmaster has attended multiple Chamber of Commerce meetings over the years and their financial constraints and relocation options were available.  The City Council is a Member of the Chamber with Councilmembers Cole and Vache' held Trustee positions during the Postmaster's participation. 

Here is a list of retail post offices in or close to Redmond where you can mail insured letters, returned receipts, buy stamps, etc.  Some grocery stores also sell stamps.  USPS Parcel pick-up remains exclusively in the SE Redmond post office.  (Find map and my story here.)

One reader recommends the Post office at Bartell's in Bridle Trails Shopping Center.  (see comments). Bella Bottega shopping center in the QFC lot has drop box for letters.

Name	Address	Phone
*Southeast Redmond Post Office	7241 185th Ave. NE	425-885-1057
Mailbox & Shipping Center	8040 161st Ave. NE	425-869-1448
The UPS Store	16625 Redmond Way	425-869-7447
FedEx	16815 Redmond Way	425-882-1949
Bellevue (Crossroads) Post Office	15731 NE 8th St.	425-401-0892

WHY WE SHOULDN'T RAISE PROPERTY TAXES IN REDMOND NEXT BUDGET: "REDMOND REPORTER : LETTERS"

This Letter from Redmond Councilmember Hank Myers (truncated by Yoder) was published in the Redmond Reporter's July 20th edition (this weekend).  The Letter wasn't published in Reporter's online edition:  www.Redmond-Reporter.com.  To read the entire Letter which includes a compliment to the Marchione Administration, please read the newspaper edition delivered to your home.  The Redmond Reporter is available from newspaper dispensors at bus stops, apartments, Redmond Town Center, the post office, at select businesses, the Redmond library, City Hall and Old Redmond School House Community Center.

WHY WE SHOULDN’T RAISE PROPERTY TAXES IN REDMOND NEXT BUDGET, By Councilmember Hank Myers,  Redmond Reporter, 7/21/2012

At Tuesday night’s City Council Meeting, Finance Director Mike Bailey outlined the state of the current Redmond budget as we passed the 75% mark of the biennial period. The highlights are that Redmond’s cash on hand position is $9.5 million better than projected for this point in time. Even excluding a $4.0 million sales tax special payment from the State, we are still well over $5.0 ahead of our own projections. This strong cash position is due to our recovering sales tax revenue, as well as property tax collections that are about $1.5 million better than projected. On the expenditure side, Mayor Marchione and his Director team are under-spending the budget by 7.63% (compared to 7.08% last quarter). The City Council is the most frugal department, under-spending its budget by over 23.5%.

Last week Mr. Bailey presented an analysis of overall economic trends which show a strengthening recovery, particularly locally. If sales taxes follow the economic trends, we should see significant improvement in our single largest revenue source. Unlike other cities in our area, Redmond continued to raise property taxes in each of the last four years of the great recession. In dollar terms it is not a big amount, but it is not the only tax increases our residents have had to pay, and it came during a time when real income was declining.

Looking at all this, there are three excellent reasons why we should not raise property taxes in the next budget.

First, we don’t need the added revenue. We are looking at a budget-end cash surplus approaching $12 million. This is the third cash surplus in three budgets. At the end of the last budget we added a new multi-million dollar reserve fund that puts our reserve capacity well above city averages in our state. At the end of 2008 we created an innovation fund to encourage more efficient service delivery out of that surplus. By contrast, increasing property taxes the allowed 1% raises just under a million dollars for the biennium. Our residents rate city service delivery at impressively high levels. Conservatism is a laudable virtue in budgeting, second only to accuracy.

Next, how a government considers its citizens is vital. Except for a small amount of development services, all of the general fund revenue comes from taxing the productivity of the community. There are easy rationalizations for tax increases: “it’s not a lot of money” or “other governments are raising taxes more”. The bottom line is that any government that puts its own needs ahead of those of its citizens is not worthy. Besides, the property tax is the only general tax within the direct control of the city.

Third, the budget will be structurally balanced without a tax increase. We did not need the property tax increase in the current budget to assure a six-year structurally balanced budget, nor did we need it in the previous one. The question is how do we use our current surplus to create the most sustainable benefits for our residents? We have spent the last two surpluses creating innovation funds and super-safe reserve levels. Now is the time to use our surplus outside of city hall, almost literally putting it on the streets for the benefit of everyone.

My suggestion is....(please read the newspaper edition for Mr. Myers's closing remarks). 

Hank Myers
Redmond City Councilmember
P.O. Box 7151
Bellevue, WA  98008-1151
(425) 892-4820

Op-Ed: "Next Steps on Traffic and School Safety Cameras," By Cole and Marchione

Next Steps on Traffic & School Safety Cameras

Redmond Council President Richard Cole & Mayor John Marchione

September 2011 

Pres. Richard Cole

 Op-Ed:  As many residents are aware, Redmond established a pilot traffic and school zone safety program earlier this year. The goals of this program are simple: (1) modify dangerous driver behavior and (2) prevent car-pedestrian accidents in school zones. 

Traffic safety has long been one of our community’s top concerns, and this program promised to be an effective use of technology to affect behavior, reduce the cost of enforcement and improve traffic safety. Much like the shoplifting cameras we see in so many grocery and retail stores, the cameras collect evidence of possible violations. This evidence is then reviewed by an officer to determine if an actual violation occurred. Then and only then is a ticket issued.



Mayor John Marchione

The violation does not go on one’s driving record, and the City Council has mandated that any funds remaining after court costs be dedicated to capital projects that improve traffic and pedestrian safety. By using technology in this way, the City could otherwise put its limited number of police officers to work in schools, in neighborhoods, and around town to address other public safety issues that are important to Redmond’s citizens. From the beginning, the Council and the Mayor committed to review this pilot program after a year.

We have appreciated the many residents we have heard from on both sides of the issue over two years of public process, from emails to conversations at National Night Out events in August to public testimony at Council meetings. Consistent with what we have told residents all along, next month we will review all the data and community input gathered to date to determine the future of the program.

The recent initiative petition will be another important consideration in this discussion, and represents the wishes of some who would like to vote on traffic/school safety cameras in February 2012.

It is worthwhile to note that the petition circulated in Redmond is virtually identical to one in the City of Bellingham that was recently invalidated by the Washington Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals noted in the Bellingham case that a petition to require a vote on traffic and school safety cameras “exceeds the lawful scope of the initiative power; it is not a valid ballot measure.”

Despite the court’s ruling on the petition’s validity, the Council and Mayor have heard the perspective of our residents who signed it, and will consider this along with all the data and other feedback we have received as part of our ongoing assessment.

Our evaluation will be completed by December, well before any referendum can be held. To discontinue this review at this time would be a disservice to our community, and an abdication of the City Council’s duty on an issue which the Court of Appeals has clearly affirmed is its responsibility. As we prepare for these discussions next month, we continue to welcome your thoughts at mayorcouncil@redmond.gov.

Op-Ed By Council President Richard Cole and Mayor John Marchione

September, 2011