Councilmember-elect Jeralee Anderson asks for feedback on infrastructure projects

The following is a letter from Dr. Jeralee Anderson, Redmond Councilmember-elect demonstrating the thorough community engagement process her company, Greenroads, requires to achieve sustainable certification on infrastructure projects like the King County Sewer Update project.  After reading her Letter it's quite clear Dr. Anderson should be looked upon as a key Redmond community engagement expert and leader for ALL aspects of city government.

Jeralee Anderson

LETTER:  I'm including an excerpt from Greenroads (my company's recipe book for sustainable infrastructure projects) about community engagement, which is a required practice in order for projects to qualify to achieve certification for sustainability performance in our program. I thought you [and others] might find it helpful when framing feedback to council. What specific areas (the four bullets) noted below need work, in your opinion? If it's "all of them," what is the priority you would place on making improvements in each area? It will be helpful information for me to bring your perspective on the system in place with me Jan 1. Based on what I heard from a number of people and other candidates, this is a major issue. 

I'll ask Councilmember-elect Steve Fields if he can schedule a public coffee time to study Jeralee's needs. BY

Goal

Promote active participation from community, agency, and business stakeholders in Project decision-making.

Instructions

Create a Community Engagement Plan (CEP) and implement it at the beginning of the Project’s initial scoping, land acquisition, and design development activities. The CEP should extend for the duration of project planning through completion of design.

The primary components of the CEP are:

2018 Redmond Citizen Police Academy

REDMOND, WA -Redmond Police Department is accepting applications for our 2018 Citizen Police Academy, where community members are given a hands-on opportunity to learn about police procedures and investigation techniques.

Internet photo "ride-along"

The behind-the-scenes look into the Police Department will include demonstrations, presentations and field trips at a weekly meeting that will be held Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., and will conclude with a graduation reception on Thursday, April 5th, 2018.

Some of the activities may include going on a ride-along, learning about SWAT, meeting our K-9 team, learning crime scene processing, and taking a tour of the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Interested candidates must be at least 21 years old and have no felony convictions. Priority will be given to people who live or work in the City of Redmond. Space is limited to 25 people and will fill up quickly.

Information about the course and the application can be found on our website here.

For questions regarding the Citizen’s Academy, please contact crimeprevention@redmond.govor 425-556-2632.

                                                                                                                         Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us. -From The Catholic Prayer Book

UPDATED, 11/13, LWSD parents comment on the Re-Boundary Proposal

Minute 35 -- John Muir overcrowding comments

 Minute 41.10 -- Public Comments on Proposed  Re-Boundary

Hour 1:09  -- Superintendent Dr. Pierce's Boundary comments

***Hour 1:36:15 -- Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen's Boundary presentation and Board President Dr. Chris Carlson's input.

***Hour 3:11:20 -- Superintendent - Director talk time.

Source:  November 6th School Board Meeting

The Boundary Committee is composed of 10 Principals and 8 Administrators -- no parents.

November 7th local election results

KING COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS

STEVE FIELDS
55.63%  3501 ballots
Byron Shutz
43.47%  2792 ballots

TANIKA PADHYE
61.07%  3893 ballots
Eugene Zakhareev
24.73% 2473 ballots

JERALEE ANDERSON
65.67%  4113 ballots
Jason Antonelli
34.33%  2150 ballot

CASSANDRA SAGE, LWSD #3

KATHY LAMBERT, King County Commisioner

Results as of 8:15 pm November 7th.  
Now, as a community, let's get all those campaign signs removed!

Candidate Jason Antonelli Speaks Out About Lack of Redmond City Council Accountability

Sammamish AM policy breach from Sammamish on Vimeo.

"Love this video -- Sammamish Council members actually holding City staff accountable. All I ever hear watching the Redmond City Council study sessions is how wonderful and peachy everything is and what a fantastic job everybody is doing." - Jason Antonelli

Source:  JasonForCouncil facebook site, October 26th

Council Candidate Steve Fields Addresses Emergency Preparedness

Steve is active in the City of Redmond CERT Neighborhood Program.

"Community Emergency Response Team"  

King County 2017 General Election Guide

King County 2017 General Election Guide

Redmond City Council Candidate Websites:

Steve Fields, Position 2: 

Byron Shutz, Position 2

Jeralee Anderson, Position 6

Jason Antonelli, Position 6 

Tanika Padhye, Position 4 

Eugene Zakhareev, Position 4

VOTE BY NOVEMBER 7TH (TUESDAY) BY MAIL OR DROP BOX!

Happy Halloween!

In the spirit of Halloween my neighbor celebrates the City's approval of his City Tree Permit  :)

(The city required a photo of this tree to prove it was not over 30 inches in diameter...seriously)  

TIME TO VOTE! ALMOST DONE!

Entrance to the Abby Road and Emerald Heights neighborhoods (click to enlarge)

A compilation of candidate blog reports, stories and opinions is posted at this link.  I hope you find some of this information helpful.

 I support Steve Fields for City Council Position #2.  Mr. Fields is endorsed by - the Eastside Business Alliance, "Friends of Osama Hamdan," King County Democrats (unanimous,) Washington Bikes, former Mayor Rosemarie Ives, among others.  

I endorse Kathy Lambert for County Council, Cassandra Sage for LWSD Director District #3 and Vandana Slatter for the 48th LD. -- B. Yoder

Click "Comment" below-left to read candidate comments 

Seattle Mayoral Debate

Seattle Mayoral Debate between Cary Moon and Jenny Durkan --  both Progressives.
Jenny Durkan is a former U.S. attorney / Cary Moon is an engineer and urban planner

Cary and Jenny have some really good ideas for addressing Redmond's affordable housing crisis, homelessness, and pace of growth issues.

UPDATED: Extensive, disruptive King County Sewer Project Planned For Redmond

King County is upgrading nearly 4.5 miles of sewer pipe in Redmond to meet the needs of your growing community. Construction is expected to begin in 2020. While the sewer pipe is under construction, King County will also install 1.5 miles of pipe to carry recycled water. When complete, the new pipes will provide reliable sewer service and an important connection for the potential future use of recycled water in the area. Segment 1: New sewer and recycled water pipes will be installed along the Sammamish River Trail. There will be temporary trail closures during construction. We are committed to safe detour routes for all trail users.

Segment 2: The existing sewer line runs under the Sammamish River north of Leary Way. We will replace this line with a larger pipe. A recycled water pipe will also be added in the same location under the river. To reduce our impact to fish and wildlife, we are considering underground construction methods that won't require us to dig a trench across the river.

Segment 3: A new sewer line will installed north of NE 50th Way. South of NE 50th Way, a second pipe will be added along the existing pipe to hold more flows. The new recycled water line will stop just north of the West Lake Sammamish Parkway Marymoor Park entrance. We recognize that Marymoor Park is widely used for recreation and events, particularly during the summer. We will maintain park access and try to work around major events, when possible.

Segment 4: Two pipes that currently run under West Lake Sammamish Parkway will be replaced. A third pipe will be added to hold additional flows. Delays and detour routes are expected. We are working closely with the City of Redmond to understand traffic patterns and identify ways to minimize disruptions.

Segment 5: The existing sewer in the Idylwood neighborhood will be replaced. While the sewer route follows roadways as much as possible, it does run along some private property, including Audubon Elementary. To the extent possible, we will conduct work adjacent the school during the summer months, outside of the normal school year.  In my opinion, the city will benefit with Steve Fields on Council during  this 3-year project.  Steve's work experience and connections with the county could be useful towards completing this  project on time and  with fewer mistakes.  Dr. Jeralee Anderson with her civil engineering road sustainability expertise will also be a big asset on council. - B. Yoder Learn more at: kingcounty.gov/KCRedmondSewer

EvergreenHealth Named One of America's 100 Best Hospitals in Five Specialties

Of note EvergreenHealth doesn't have a mental health care specialty. 

Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth today announced it has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best™ hospitals in five specialties: stroke care, pulmonary care, gastrointestinal care, general surgery and critical care. These achievements are part of findings released this week in the Healthgrades 2018 Report to the Nation, which studies clinical performance indicators nationwide to illuminate differences in care between high- and low-performing hospitals.

This is the fifth consecutive year EvergreenHealth ranks among Healthgrades’ 100 Best™ hospitals for pulmonary care and for gastrointestinal care, and the fourth straight year of recognition for general surgery. It is also the third year in a row the health system earned the distinction for both critical care and stroke care.

LWSD to place bond, two levies on February 13th ballot

Bond, levies and Building on Success

Redmond, Wash. – Lake Washington School District is planning three ballot measures for the February 13, 2018 election. The measures are a bond (the second of four planned bonds) a replacement Capital Projects Levy and a replacement Educational Programs and Operations (EP&O) levy. A recommendation was presented to the Board of Directors on October 2, and they formally approved the bond and levies at last night’s board meeting (October 16).

King County Council to Decide on Ballot Measure to Address Opioid Epidemic

Council to Decide on Ballot Measure to Address Opioid Epidemic

Posted on October 12, 2017 by claudiabalducci

You may have seen press reports about a new King County proposal to have a public vote on drug safe consumption or safe injection sites – called “CHELs” for “Community Health Engagement Locations.”  I support the proposal being placed on the ballot for public vote, so that voters will have a full range of options for consideration, in the face of an unprecedented and tragic epidemic of opioid overdoses. If this proposal appears on the ballot in February, 2018, voters will have an opportunity to fully and finally answer the question whether these CHEL sites should be tested as a possible way to connect drug users to treatment and save lives.

This new proposal responds to Initiative 27 (I-27), a measure sent to the King County Council in July, which will ask voters whether safe consumption sites should be banned.  The new proposal, introduced Monday, asks whether a limited number of safe consumption sites should be allowed as a pilot.  A few key points about the new proposal:

This sidewalk meanders behind the Redmond library, November 11, 2011 / CREDIT John Reinke

LETTER : LWSD is behind neighboring school districts in SAT and ACT scores.

LWSD issued a press release on October 4th celebrating LWSD's SAT and ACT scores--touting that they were above state and national average.  With a closer look, LWSD actually scored below Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Issaquah....not too impressive in my book.  

Bellevue:  610 (Reading/Writing)  623 (Math)
Issaquah 608 (Reading/Writing)  610 (Math)
Mercer Island 641 (Reading/Writing)  652 (Math)
LWSD 600 (Reading/Writing 598 (Math)
Northshore 590 (Reading/Writing)  597 (Math)

 -- This letter was submitted by a reader wishing to remain 
anonymous.  

UPDATED: Ramiro Valderrama brings growth and traffic into perspective

City of Sammamish councilmember Ramiro Valderramo is interviewed and touches on concerns with the growth management act, pace of growth, impact fees, 3 new high schools within a mile of each other, lose of tree canopy....

Our Redmond council candidates, electeds and voters need to listen to Ramiro's interview..  He is a wise man with a good sense of humor; they could learn a lot from him.  Though Duvall may have wiggle room it's almost too late for Redmond to adjust to our growth cycle. This is a must listen for Redmond City Council and Mayor Marchione. I'm sure the council candidates are listening.

B. Yoder

"King County Assessor Wilson says tonight at a [Sammamish] city council meeting we should expect average Home in Sammamish will pay $1,400 more for McCleary Tax alone -add ST3 property tax, car tabs and sales tax and he says “we are precariously close to pricing people out of homes” and encouraging having a CA proposition 13."

-- Quote from Ramiro Valderrama, City of Sammamish councilmember.

Eugene Zakhareyev, Council Candidate Position 4

Eugene Zakharevev

POSITIONS:

Balance Urban Growth

The Eastside is growing, and Redmond must accept its share of growth. Yet, this growth does not have to change our city into Seattle. In the last few years, we have seen family businesses in Downtown Redmond give way to rental apartment buildings; the majority of capital investment projects are also located it this area. The cost of Downtown two-way conversion project is over $20 million, total cost for the two-acre park in Downtown Redmond is over $40 million - but all the while, the needs of our city are not limited to Downtown and Overlake neighborhoods.

It is time to review current policies to balance development in designated urban centers with the needs of other neighborhoods, as we all are affected by growth in Downtown and Overlake. We need a proactive approach to address traffic congestion and population growth across the city, with solutions implemented before the approval process of development projects and not afterwards.

Empower Community in Land Use Development

Tanyika Padhya, Council Candidate Position 4

Tanika Padyha

POSITIONS:  

Ensuring balanced growth

I believe that while our city is growing, Redmond has the heart of a small town.  Its unique neighborhoods, parks and trails and thriving economy, have made it the number one city to live in Washington. 

However, our city is on the cusp of change with record growth in the region that requires smart planning that preserves our residential neighborhoods, protect rural areas, and safeguards our natural resources.  This growth poses many challenges and opportunities.  I am committed to continuing my work on:  

• Low impact development that preserves our natural resources
• Supporting both small and large businesses so they can thrive
• Revitalizing our aging community centers
• Maintaining our parks and trails
• Complying with the Growth Management Act to ensure transportation and infrastructure funding for Redmond
• Promoting multi-modal transportation options such biking, carpooling, increased bus service and light rail
• Monitoring transportation projects in order to ease traffic congestion

Safeguarding Affordable housing

SCHOOLS: Candidate Forum for 45th Legislative District and LWSD.

Candidate Forum for the 45^th Legislative District and LWSD School Board

Wednesday, October 11, 7:00-8:30pm, Redmond High School Performing Arts Center

Co-sponsored by the Lake Washington PTSA Council and the Redmond High School PTSA

As a voter in the 45th Legislative District the future of the Washington State Senate rests in your hands, as the political party (Democrat or Republican) that wins the election in November will hold the majority in the State Senate. What that really means is that you hold the power, and there is no better time to learn about the candidates and how their positions will impact our schools and our community.

Lake Washington School District is the third largest school district in Washington, serving nearly 30,000 students. That number is growing every year. Do you know your candidates? Do you know their goals for our students and our schools? Lake Washington PTSA Council and Redmond High School PTSA are sponsoring a candidate forum so we can all get to know our candidates better before the voting deadline. This is a neutral, nonpartisan event to which all candidates have been invited.

Candidate Forum Participants

45^th Legislative District:
Manka Dhingra
Jinyoung Lee Englund

LWSD School Board:

District 3
Anita Damjanovic
Cassandra Sage

UPDATED: Redmond Candidate Forum

Steve Fields, Position 2: 

Byon Shutz, Position 2

Jeralee Anderson, Position 6

Jason Antonelli, Position 6 

Tanika Padhye, Position 4 

Eugene Zakhareev, Position 4

A Candidate Forum was held at the First Baptist Chruch on Education Hill last week.  The first up were school board candidates.  Besides the Voter's Pamphlet, this forum probably gives you the best information on the candidates you can find.  

Paige Norman, the founder of "Educatiion Hill Neighborhood Association" (EdNHA) organized and moderated the forum.  Miki Mullor, a City of Sammamish resident and entrepreneur will speak about their moratorium at the EdNHA meeting on November 2nd, 7 pm. 

Thank you Paige!

UPDATED: Redmond's vanishing forested views

Three stories up, and three to go (click to enlarge)

A view from 166th showing Redmond's somewhat dwindling hill of evergreens. It's worse as you drive down the hill, though you sure can't complain Redmond's lush natural surroundings.  Notice the cranes?  I counted 4 from the top floor of the Evergreen medical building yesterday.

Have a nice weekend.

B. Yoder

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