Mature street trees line the roads surrounding the proposed 8-story, 700 unit downtown Chelsea project. These street trees have grown into beautiful significant trees, but unfortunately their roots are buckling and cracking the sidewalks. Before Council holds their Hearing on this development, I hope they will encourage Mayor Birney to design wide enough sidewalks for planting replacement street trees. We are losing urban canopy.
The wide six-foot sidewalk on 164th and 14-foot sidewalk on 83rd Ave. is threatened by this project. The city acknowledges the "level of traffic stress" for bicyclists and pedestrians increase when sidewalk widths are reduced. Wide sidewalks promote bicycle/scooter/wheelchair mobility, make room for street trees and raise the level for safety for all.
Redmond, Wash. – The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors named a new President, Vice President and Legislative Representative during their regular board meeting on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
Leah Choi (Director, District Three) will now serve as the Board President, replacing Siri Bliesner who has been the President for the past year.
Eric Laliberte (Director, District One) will now serve as the Board Vice President, replacing Leah Choi, Vice President for the past year.
Mark Stuart (Director, District Four) will continue serving as the Legislative Representative.
The city environment planner, Cathy Beam, reached out to the community yesterday with a poster session on the pending Critical Area Update soon to be reviewed by the Planning Commission.
Attendees learned the Evans Creek Relocation project was held up by King County permitting and the trenching to relocate the creek to the north hasn't started. Trenching was supposed to begin last year.
A large swath of invasive reed canary grass is being removed by mowing and applying Roundup. It's a big project. It's anticipated the relocation project will re-start sometime next year.
Critical seismic areas didn't appear to be of deep concern with staff since entire Puget Sound area is subject. They referred to building codes as protecting the city structures in the event of an earthquake.
The council-approved tree regulations are still not in effect owing to prolonged negotiations with the Master Builders. Thus, current projects are vested under the old, more lenient regulations.
Questions and concerns about the city's shallow aquifer was noted.
The Chelsea Square Master Plan site is approximately 172,989 sf (4 acre) and is located at the northwest corner of the
intersection of NE 83rd St and 164th Ave NE. The site is located in the vicinity of the Redmond Fire Department building, the Skate Board Park, the transit center and the Redmond City 8-story twin tower complex currently under construction.
A 3-story multifamily development with 6 residential buildings, a clubhouse, carports,
and surface parking will be torn down to make room for the project.
The proposed Chelsea Square Master Plan is an 8-story mixed-use development with ground floor commercial uses and one
level of below-grade parking. The proposed development includes 20% public open space to allow 8 stories.
The project consists of two phases. Phase 1 includes approximately 400 apartments and 350 parking stalls.
Phase 2 includes approximately 300 apartments and 300 parking stalls.
Chelsea Square apartments are in the "Town Square Zone." This zone is intended as an area for the densest employment
and residential uses in the Downtown.
This project is currently under review by the Design Review Board and I'm sure they would appreciate your feedback. Email: dlee@redmond.gov
-- posted by Bob Yoder, 6/21/2023, updated 7/17/23
I write this blog post with deep concern and a solid commitment to our community's well-being and using LinkedIn for broader reach. Recently, a decision was made to open the gate on the 172nd Avenue corridor, and it has ignited significant unease among residents, myself included. As a resident of Parkridge at the Woodlands in the Education Hill area, I felt compelled to raise awareness about the concerns surrounding this decision and advocate for a safer, more sustainable, and inclusive approach. The city is proceeding with removing this barrier in order to improve traffic flow. Once removed, the corridor will be bi-directional. Up-to-date information is now located on the City’s webpage.
Safety Concerns for Our Neighborhood: The potential increase of 5,000 vehicles passing through our neighborhood per day has raised serious safety concerns, especially with the recent establishment of Clara Barton Elementary School nearby. Our area already experiences high traffic volumes, and the proposed opening of 172nd Avenue would create yet another shortcut for traffic, adding to the existing congestion on 116th Street. Just days ago, a car speeding through the crosswalk hit the crossing guard's flag with children present. This is simply unacceptable. We have witnessed tragic incidents where black bear cubs were hit by speeding cars, emphasizing the urgent need to address road safety and protect our wildlife.
Environmental Impact and Ecological Preservation: Preserving our natural environment is a shared priority for our community. The decision to open the gate on 172nd Avenue also raises concerns about the potential environmental consequences, particularly in relation to our wildlife and community parks such as the Smith Wood. Conducting a comprehensive ecological study will enable us to understand the potential effects on our local animal population and make informed decisions that align with our commitment to environmental preservation. Moreover, it is vital to assess the capacity of our existing road infrastructure to handle the ecological impacts of the significant increase in traffic, ensuring the protection of our valuable wildlife and water sources.
Of course, we know construction in our downtown, Overlake and Marymoor village is extremely active. The city taxes this construction and revenues are significant as seen below. The city classifies this a "one-time money" since growth will eventually normalize and this "bonus" revenue can't be relied on forever.
The city clerk accounts for this one-time construction money, as follows:
2018 $11,584,950
2019 $9,325,885
2020 $11,066,344
2021 $16,814,029
2022 $17,756,725
My question: Besides the new Senior & Community Center where has this money been going?
Public Records Officer response: One-time dollars are only used to fund one-time programs, such as in 2023-2024 budget, these dollars are being used but limited to fund irrigation for community and neighborhood parks, sports field design and Police emergency response.
It seems the clerk's response is somewhat confusing and appears to contradict the Mayor's statement as found in her Council Salary Commission letter. Excerpt:
"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." -- Mayor Birney. 5/26/23
Should, or shouldn't these lay-offs be funded through the General Fund rather than one-time construction money?
EvergreenHealth's current levy is ~2% of King County's property tax. A levy lid-lift may be proposed November of 2024.
EvergreenHealth's Board of Seven Commissioners have the final say on the distribution of levy funds each year, with recommendations of a standing levy committee.
30% of the Levy is allocated to "programs." The remaining 70% is allocated to "capital expenditures." Many of the levy-supported programs specifically address the special needs of under-served and high-risk community members, most of the programs are for use by the entire community. Capital expenditures often go towards funding instruments, labs, EPIC "My Chart," infrastructure and the like.
2023 Levy Program Directory:
Supporting Students in Crisis
EvergreenHealth provides social workers to Lake Washington School District high schools to assess students with high-risk behaviors and mental health concerns for free. The EvergreenHealth social workers meet with students 1:1, conduct groups, provide support to parents, and coordinate with school officials to keep students safe and connected to community providers. In 2021, our social workers helped 401 high school students during mental health crises.
High School Mental Health Therapists
Community funds also help the Northshore School District provide students access to mental health counselors. They meet individually and in small groups to address student needs. Supportive resources are also made available to students grieving the loss of a loved one. In 2021, our therapists served 1,264 students and responded to 47 crisis visits.
Youth Mental Health First Aid
EvergreenHealth's free Youth Mental Health First Aid training provides educators, coaches and other volunteers who work with students the tools to help adolescents experiencing a mental health crisis or addiction challenge.
Participants are taught how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and crises, what to say and how to talk with someone, and how to refer to professional resources for help.
[NAMI Eastside and LWSD also provide free Youth Mental Health First Aid training. I took it - great program]
STEM Global Health Education Partnership
EvergreenHealth partners with our local school districts to give students the opportunity to learn about global health initiatives through job shadowing, attending Grand Rounds and hearing from guest speakers. These kinds of partnerships give students the opportunity to immerse themselves early on in learning about careers in science, health care and so many other industries.
Community Health Needs
EvergreenHealth Nurse Navigator & Healthline
In 2021, our 24/7 Nurse Navigator & Healthline served more than 108,000 calls from our community for free, helping you with scheduling, referrals and answering those health-related questions even Google can't help with.
Healthline played a pivotal role in 2021, connecting thousands of neighbors with accurate information on COVID-19 and pandemic resources. More than 50,000 callers received nursing triage advice, getting help with home remedies for common ailments as well as diagnostic support for various illnesses.
EvergreenHealth's Community Health Education Services provided more than 790 community-funded classes and programs in 2021. Roughly 4,300 community members participated, taking the opportunity to enrich their lives with the kind of lessons only we can teach. As a community-owned health system, our curriculum and programs look to address the diverse needs of our region while building a sense of community for you and your neighbors around common interests.
The Gene & Irene Wockner freestanding hospice center has 15 beds and serves hospice patients in King and Snohomish counties. It is the only hospice center in both counties and provides you or your loved ones with short-term acute care, with the goal of discharging home once symptoms have been stabilized.
Last Council meeting, Roger Trepanier, a past Redmond City councilmember, spoke of our serious need for a city newspaper. The "Woodinville Weekly" has made great strides since I last brought it to their attention. Small businesses are flocking to advertise with them. The PRIDE Month was highlighted with a colorful front page story. A focus article on Molbaks' redevelopment project was of great interest. The Council and Mayor Birney have the publisher's contact information; he is interested in us!
My simple ask of Mayor Birney is: 1) *buy a subscription and 2) augment her popular "Focus" newsletter to broaden our community news with a paper of Woodinville's format.
*The Woodinville Weekly Volume 47 Issue 35 (PE 23150) is published weekly for $45 per year by Eastside Media Corp, PO Box 98005, Lakewood, WA 98496. Periodicals postage paid at Woodinville, Wash. Post Office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Woodinville Weekly, PO Box 98005, Lakewood, WA 98496 MAIL: PO Box 98005, Lakewood, WA 98496 Phone: 425-483-0606 www.woodinville.com
And, I suggest anyone interested in knowing what's going on in Woodinville subscribe! Both print and on-line publications are available!
Planners are updating the "Bicycle Design Guide Manual" to include "The Level of Traffic Stress" felt by bicyclists. Few bicyclist ride through Avondale, Redmond Way, and Cleveland Street and other downtown roads. The "comfort level" is poor in our downtown core; thus few bikes are seen. Is there any road space for adding bike lane facilities?
Council member David Carson brought attention to the Redmond Way/Eastlake Sammamish intersection as being challenging. President Forsythe said she very rarely passes through there owing to her high level of stress.
Bear Creek Parkway Trail will be an excellent gateway for bikers commuting to Redmond Town Center.
President Forsythe asked for data on bike crashes in bike lanes, at intersections and with pedestrians. Staff didn't have the data. Mayor Birney was present and had nothing to say.
Councilmember Steve Fields was once a strong advocate for better bicycle facilities in Redmond; he had nothing to add, other than thanking the planners for the great job they are doing.
Redmond is the "Bicycle Capital of the Northwest" during Derby Days only? Population: 75,200.
A trunkline of NW Lake Sammamish sewer pipe has been serving Redmond and Bellevue for 50 years, carrying wastewater to Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville for treatment. King County will soon start working on a project to upgrade 4.5 miles of this sewer pipe to meet the growing needs of the community. King County will build the new pipe in trails, roads, and parks in along West Lake Sammamish Blvd. in Redmond. Completion is expected by 2027. Once complete, the new pipe will provide sewer service for 50 years or more.
Open-cut trenching will begin at City Hall in 2024. From there, it will cross the Sammamish River at Leary Way, impinge on Marymoor Park and West Lake Sammamish River apartments and condos, trench around Audubon Elementary and Idylwood Park, with completion at Bellevue's NE 24th Street.
King County needs to locate a portion of the line on City property on the east side of the Sammamish
River within the Sammamish River Trail between Redmond Way and the Redmond Central Connector and has offered to
pay the City $10,358.00 for a 2,734 sq. ft. utility easement. Council must approve.
Sources: Council Committee of the Whole, 6/12/2023; RNB post, 12/31, 2019, Opinion /Yoder
NW Restaurants, Inc. operates the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant located at 15802 Bear Creek Parkway on City
of Redmond property under a lease that will expire on June 30, 2023. NW Restaurants wishes to continue leasing the
property and has negotiated with staff for a proposed lease amendment extending the lease up to five years to June 30,
2028. Council must approve the lease extension.
NW Restaurants, Inc. has operated the KFC restaurant under a lease with the previous property owners since 1971. In
2016 the City bought the property with the intent to facilitate the preservation of land needed
to build a new street link connecting Redmond Way and 158th Ave. NE, and a new four-way intersection at Redmond
Way and Bear Creek Parkway.These planned improvements are identified in the Redmond Transportation Master Plan, an element of the Redmond Comprehensive Plan.
A multifamily property tax exemption (MFTE) program is authorized in chapter 84.14 RCW. in Redmond for the purpose of encouraging the production of affordable housing.
Redmond offers an 8-
year and 12-year property tax exemption program to developers to encourage affordable housing. The 8-year program has been very successful. As of the first quarter of 2023, there are 5
constructed and occupied market-rate projects in the 8-year MFTE program, which contain 134 affordable units.
To date,
no market-rate developer has used the 12-year exemption.
For the 12-year exemption, state statute requires that 20% of homes be affordable. Redmond requires this housing to be
affordable between 60% and 85% of area median income. A pilot program would adjust those limits to between 80% and 115%
as allowed by state statute to increase uptake of the 12-year exemption and thereby increase the supply of affordable
homes.
-- Source: Council Committee of the Whole memo, 6/12/2023
"King Countyinvested$11.5 millionof state and local dollars toward a crisis center located inKirkland. It will service five North King County cities. It's the start of what we can achieve together when it comes to community behavioral health." -- King County Executive Dow Constantine.
PHOENIX, March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Connections Health Solutions, the leading innovator of immediate access behavioral health crisis care, is proud to announce it has secured a location in the 405 Kirkland Corporate Center in Kirkland, WA, for the county's first person-focused, multi-service behavioral health crisis response center. Within a safe, dedicated space for high-quality care, the center will provide a spectrum of care services, from walk-in behavioral health urgent care to continued stabilization, to individuals experiencing all types of behavioral health or substance use crises.
GOOD: The City of Redmond's fleet is 30% EV. Redmond's Fire Department will have the first EV Fire Engine in the State. So cool for show at festive city events like Derby Days! The electric engine even comes with a diesel back-up. Wow!
BAD: Electric Vehicle batteries are very heavy. They can add 1,000 -2,000 pounds to the weight of a passenger vehicle putting wear and tear on our roads, bridges and crosswalk lines. Imagine how much the EV/diesel fire engine will weight. Re-striping faded crosswalks is more important than ever. Just look at them now.
OPINION: After listening to testimonies of three former councilmembers at last night's regular Council meeting I'm saddened the Mayor didn't clip the miss-managed council Salary Commission work in the bud, rather then let it drag on for weeks on end.
The lack of transparency throughout the process was delivered home last night in President Forsythe's statement that "council could have commented at the commission meetings." City attorney Haney didn't inform Council of this until after commission was dis-banded. The Mayor, who oversees all city employees was mum.
A flaw in the process is HR / CEO / Mayor -- through the commission -- didn't ask for input, advice and guidance from previous salary commissioners. Siri Bliesner, present LWSD Board President, was on the previous salary commission; she resides in Redmond, as well. Ms. Bliesner, previous other commissioners and Mayor Marchione could have brought valuable perspective and experience to the decision-making process.
Madame Birney has handled other major issues with alacrity. Unfortunately, she dropped the ball on this one. This management faux pas makes one seriously wonder how other critical decisions are filtered by the CEO and overlooked by the Mayor at our expense.
What are Mayor Birney's next steps? Hopefully, she will encourage commentary from Council in the process.
-- Bob Yoder, 6/7/2023, opinion
Council's present salary is $18,648. Benefits are $28,000. The Commission proposed a $115,294 salary not counting benefits. The "Salary Commission" should be re-named "Compensation Commission" to shed light on the total package! by
Council proposed adaptive traffic signal control system project coined "Adaptive Signal Control" for the Public Works budget. It will measure real-time traffic fluctuations and automatically adjust
signal timings more efficiently than our current system. Other agencies have demonstrated substantial delay reduction,
especially when conditions change unexpectedly due to weather, lane closures, or surges in demand. The system costs about $1M; an $865,000 Puget Sound Region Council will be applied.
The system will be capable of adjusting signal timings, and operations in real-time. This will reduce travel times through downtown and reduce wait times for pedestrians. With the arrival of light-rail in Downtown Redmond, this updated signal system will be key in responding to the change in traffic conditions expected through downtown.
Adaptive Signal Control is especially effective for roads that experience variable and
unpredictable traffic demand, where conventional signal systems cannot keep up with the changing conditions.
Adaptive signal control can also benefit pedestrians and active transportation modes by reducing delays and
improving service. Adaptive signal control can also respond to changes in traffic patterns caused by new work
commute options and the opening of transit stations, which can affect the demand for different directions and
movements at intersections.
-- Council Committee Of The Whole, abridged Public works memo, 6/5/2023
"As Mayor, my job is to manage the City and the financial resources entrusted to me by the community and to ensure that your tax dollars are spent responsibly on services that best serve the priorities of Redmond. To maintain the City’s finances, I have no choice but to take action. As of today, Friday, May 26, 2023, I have notified and officially disbanded theSalaryCommission, per my authority outlined inOrdinance No. 2111andRevised Code of Washington 35.21.015(2)(c).
My decision is based on the SalaryCommission members demonstrating their inability to follow the required guidelines and processes. The SalaryCommission members have attempted to proceed via special meetings with short notice to staff and the community and without considering the following:
Complete analysis of Council salaries in comparable cities
Information concerning the fiscal impact of the proposed salary increases on the City’s adopted budget
Information concerning whether and how many staff would be required to be laid off to pay for the extraordinary 600% increase in Councilmember compensation
Allowing sufficient time to notify the community and receive your input
In March of this year, per Ordinance No. 2111, I appointed an independent SalaryCommission to review the City Council’s annual salary. At a special meeting held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, the SalaryCommission 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 SalaryCommission 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 SalaryCommission. 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."
Salary Commission volunteers are presently reviewing city council member salaries and benefits. The Human Resource department thinks they may be due for a raise. Presently, each council member makes $18,000 per year.
What Council members do now:
They have two formal meetings every week. They occasionally hold Special meetings and Hearings. Most meetings end within 1-1.5 hours. Council members also attend outside meetings and with give "committee reports" on them. Each month, a different Council member is assigned ombudsman duties to report citizen complaints and appreciation. At festivals like Derby Days they work a booth.
An important weekly Council Committee of the Whole (COW.) increased their duties and responsibilities significantly, but this is already baked into their $18,000 salary. All seven members are expected to attend (though not required) whereas, in years past only 2 council members met on a rotating basis. COW meetings are where the real work gets done. A 2-3% salary increase may be justified based on COW activities.
Redmond is rapidly evolving from a suburb to a city. Council's budgetary and policy oversite is not primarily to our downtown, but also Marymoor Village and Overlake Urban Center. A few councilmembers are getting involved with One Redmond. The Comprehensive Plan and budget is more complicated and demanding of Council. Light rail brings a continuing challenge never before encountered by a Council. Council members should be compensated for these increased responsibilities. (3%.) Of course, a COLA is justified. (6%)
Remote, virtual attendance is a new benefit and should be factored into the salary discussion.
Council transportation costs and traveling times are reduced.
More time can be spent at their real jobs and other obligations.
Attendance at 4:30 PM COW meetings becomes more convenient.
The health benefit is significant and should not be overlooked. Council members running their own business benefit.
With all of the above considered, a 12% salary increase from $18,000 to $20,106 is justified. Council members are privileged public servants and not in it for the money. Human Resources should hold a community meeting for citizens so they can learn what councilmembers do, just as LWSD does from their community.
Click to enlarge the image and you'll see a lot of the Center is for storage.
The Miller Hull Partnership's Master Plan for the a new Maintenance & Operations Center (M&O) costs $969,416. The Master Planis expected to
be delivered in early 2024 with construction scheduled to begin in 2027. It's location is NE 76th Street in SE Redmond.
"The current Maintenance & Operations building is well past its useful life, no longer fits the needs of a growing City
and is inefficient for current staff workflow. The multi-year project will deliver a redeveloped operations site and office
building with open and flexible crew, office, meeting, and emergency response spaces that will accommodate Parks
Operations and most, if not all of Public Works staff. The improved site layout will provide better equipment protection,
modernized shops, as well as central storage, and a combined Fleet facility. In addition, parking spaces will be provided
for approximately 300 vehicles (staff and fleet)."
-- Source COW memo, 5/23/2023
Projected cost ~ $ 1 million NE 76th Street
Opinion: One-time money from development revenue will be used to build the M&O Center. B. Yoder
Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe gave a quarterly 5-year crime overview report to Council during their 5/16 Committee Safety Meeting, as follows: Watch Chief Lowe's presentation here. 20.14 m.
All crimes:
up 18.8% 2019-23 ; up 17.7% 2022-23
Auto thefts:
up 237.5% 2019-23 ; up 30.6% 2022-23
Property crimes:
up 54.5% 2019-23; down 13.8% 2022-23
Misdemeanors:
down 10.3% 2019-2022 ; up 24.4% 2022-23 (big box retail thefts)
Felonies:
down 37.5% 2019-2022 ; down 47.9% 2022-23
King County residents were charged with promoting prostitution and operating almost a dozen message businesses as fronts. -- Redmond Reporter.
I’m the executive director of Civic Genius, a national nonpartisan organization working to overcome political polarization and strengthen civic culture. I live just outside of Redmond (unincorporated King County) and am an appreciative reader of your blog.
I wanted to reach out because Civic Genius runs a grassroots deliberative democracy program which we are planning to bring to the East Side in July. The program brings Americans from across the political spectrum together to develop solutions and take action on pressing issues. We also offer a bunch of nuts-and-bolts civic education content and online events, as well as long-term skill-building and support for people who want to ramp up their engagement.
I would love to find some time to tell you more about this initiative and get your thoughts on how it can be most valuable to the community. Let me know if you're ever free for a coffee or a Zoom!
Best,
Jillian Youngblood
Civic Genius is an exciting opportunity to strengthen our democracy. I will be calling Jillian next week. If any of you are interested in a coffee with her please email me at redmondblog@gmail.com. Bob
Together Center (TC) announced today that phase one of construction is complete! Last week the first nonprofits moved into the first of the two buildings on the new Together Center campus and today the new TC campus officially opened its new doors! Phase two will be completed later this Summer.
TC Board views corner unit apartments. 280 units of affordable housing managed by Horizon Housing and Polaris Housing are on the 5 upper levels.
Land acknowledgement and commitment to native students and families:
"The board of directors of Lake Washington School District acknowledges that our district is on the Indigenous Land of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have reserved treaty rights on this land, including the Duwamish (dxʷdəwʔabš) and the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe (sdukʷalbixʷ). We thank these caretakers of this land who have lived here since time immemorial. We commit to continue collaborating with our native community, to teach the indigenous history of this land and these local tribes to all children of the district. We also commit to provide the best possible education for all children of native descent who attend our schools."
- Read by Board member Eric Laliberte at recent School Board meeting
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