UPDATED:, 6/6-2024 - Regan Dunn Condemns Homelessness Approach, Population Surges Past 16k

 

King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn issued the following statement Wednesday after the King County Regional Homelessness Authority issued its 2024 Point-in-Time count of the number of people experiencing homelessness in King County, which tallied 16,385 people:

“King County’s homeless population has surged nearly 50% since the King County Regional Homelessness Authority was first formed five years ago and a shocking 23% since 2022, despite the millions of dollars spent. Leaders need to face the fact that the KCRHA’s current approach doesn’t work. Lives depend on leadership’s ability to change course.”

-- CONTACT: Daniel DeMay, 206-265-9197

###

"To qualify for a Bellevue Plymouth Crossing studio potential residents must  come through the King County Regional Homelessness Authority’s Coordinated Entry process, which determines who is prioritized for permanent supportive housing."

-- Seattle Times, Paige Cornwell, 7/17/2023

Update:  Presently, the Redmond Silver Cloud permanent housing hotel  is only used for emergencies until kitchenettes are installed. 35% of chronic homeless individuals go through a King County Coordinated Entry.  65% will be locally placed through Coordinated Entry by Tisza Rutherford as well (from Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue referrals.) "The hotel has a capacity of 184 units and will house 100 after renovation is completed in 2025. Those in need of permanent housing are sent elsewhere."  So far, there are 10 referrals and the facility is currently unoccupied.  Tisza is doing a fantastic job finding homes and shelters for Eastside residents.  

 -- Source:  Tisza Rutherford, Redmond Homeless Outreach Coordinator, 425-553-7093 (mobile.)  6/5/2024

Redmond Councilmember Melissa Stuart said earlier this week that until KCHRA gets a new CEO and reorganizes, the Silver Cloud housing hotel could start moving forward.  On 6/5/2024 they hired hired Kelley Kinnison. 

-- posted by Yoder, 6/6.   

Mayor Birney / Senior & Community Center

Council Writes New Rules On Public Participation

Neighborhood Meeting with Council, 2019

Will we ever circle back?  

Council Writes New Rules For Public Participation in response to uncivil  comments by "SafeEastside" anti-homeless protesters.

Only for city business are citizens allowed to speak during City Hall "Items from the Audience."  All speakers must conclude their public comments within three minutes.  Any public comments made after three minutes are considered disruptive and may result in removal of the speaker from the meeting.  

Public commenters may not provide any comments which would be considered:

1. incitement, 
2. fighting words (words likely to provoke the average person to retaliation, and thereby cause a breach of the peace), 

Redmond Senior & Community Center Ribbon Cutting

 

(L-R) John Marchione, former Redmond Mayor; David Carson, former City Councilmember; Jessica Forsythe, City Council Vice President; Keri Pravitz, Head of Community Affairs for Amazon on the Eastside; Loreen Hamilton, Parks and Recreation Director; Senator Patty Kuderer; Redmond Mayor Angela Birney; Vanessa Kritzer, City Council President; Senator Manka Dhingra; Cari Scotkin, Redmond Arts and Culture Commissioner; Angie Nuevacamina, City Councilmember; and former City Councilmember Tanika Padhye. Photo: City of Redmond

Business/Community Plymouth Housing Forum

Centro Cultural Mexicano hosted the forum.  
Plymouth CEO Carol Lee sitting far left. 

Carol Lee, CEO of Plymouth Housing held a forum on April 27 for Redmond business and community members to learn about Plymouth's homeless services and operations.  About five businesses showed up. 

Plymouth Housing will build a downtown facility for 100 chronic homeless people.  It will be sited in a 6-story building near Anderson Park, with completion expected by 2026

Notes and Observations Of Light Rail Line 2

Redmond Technology Station Train / credit "Experience Redmond"

The April 27 ribbon-cutting for opening Light Rail "Line 2" was an historic day in Redmond.  The ceremony took place at Redmond Technology Station. Misty, 50-degree temps didn't stop the rush of thousands eager to experience their first ride on the Eastside.  My wife Pam and I had a terrific time!

The 6-mile, 17-minute trip from Redmond to south Bellevue had eight fun-filled station stops.  By far, the Overlake Village Station had the most exhibits, entertainment and food choices.  Unfortunately, we didn't have time to fully immerse, but I do have a few notes and observations to share:   

Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Redmond Downtown Park

 

Centro Cultural Mexicano invites you to join us at our annual Cinco de Mayo event at Redmond Downtown Park! This free, family-friendly cultural celebration highlights traditional Mexican culture, music, and food through seven hours of entertainment. We welcome you to be part of our event this year!

When:  Sunday, May 5 

11 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Where:  Downtown Park

 

--  ExperienceRedmond.com

UPDATED: The Peoples Right To Know

 

The City of Redmond's lack of good information on Silver Cloud-Redmond homeless housing and Plymouth Housing prompted this post.

Open Government:  The Peoples Right To Know

Redmond has three local governments:  The City of Redmond, Lake Washington School District and EvergreenHealth Public Hospital.  The public has a "right to know" information about their inner workings.  Public Record Request forms usually find the information you need.  When you don't get good information or it's a hassle finding it, you may feel like the bearded guy in the cartoon! 

Below, are helpful links to the Public Record Request forms for each government.  In my investigative reporting, I have some good experience with them and their Public Request Offices.  I've found the public records office of EvergreenHealth the most professional, the City of Redmond a close second with LWSD in the rear. 

Critical Area Ordinance, Public Hearing

 Great Blue Heron 
"Species of Local Importance"  
Sammamish River, Redmond, WA.   

Hello Planning Commissioners:

"I only caught part of your meeting last night, but it sounds like the State is requiring updates to the Critical Area Ordinance? 

As a college educated biologist -- similar to Mayor Angela Birney -- Critical Areas are important to me.   In the Ives Administration, I made "Species of Local Importance" and "Habitat of Local Importance" comments to the Planning Commission chaired by Mr. Snodgrass.  After much discussion, the commission decided on the Great Blue Heron (GBH) and Riparian habitat, in which it lives.   

City Dog Park Opens On Education Hill

 

Zoey getting ready to enter the small dog side

The new Redmond Pop-Up dog park is located behind the Hartman pool and high school baseball field.  Follow the signs on 104th for limited parking; it's easily walkable.  

We talked to Parks staff when it was under construction.  Brett Barker 😀 said it will be closed late August to make room for the high school cross country races.  Zoey romped happily today with two large dogs!  We had nice chats with their owners too!  

See you there!

-- B. Yoder, 4/19/2024

UPDATED 5/16/24: Council Review Of "The Homeless Hotel" And Plymouth Housing

Video of Council's "Safety & Human Services Committee Meeting." 8/16/2024 (Mayor Birney didn't participate.)

Notable viewing stops:  

Min 18:15 - Police Chief's Quarterly Activity Update (hyperlinked topics)

Min 40:00 - Start of the Permanent Supportive Housing Update (hyperlinked topics)

Min 45:35 - Emergency role of the HTH Overlake Homeless Hotel.

Min 47:50 - Community Advisory Group

Min 56:55 - Council Policy 

Min 1:14:10 - Councilmember Steve Fields' dialogue with Planning Director Carol Helland:  

Helland said, as the Administrator carrying out Council's policy, "there is no Hearing required" by State law.  Background information is included in the Plymouth Housing - Redmond FAQ's.

UPDATED, 4/18: Councilmember Forsythe's Letter On Plymouth Housing

 

COUNCIL V.P. JESSICA  FORSYTHE'S LETTER

The Facts

Plymouth Housing Business Focus Group

Join Plymouth Housing and OneRedmond in a Plymouth Housing-Business Focus Group.  

 

Wednesday, April 17, 2024
5:30pm-7:00pm
Centro Cultural Mexicano
16300 Redmond Way, Redmond 

RSVP is required due to limited seating. While we welcome attendees from any Redmond businesses, we hope to prioritize space for businesses located close to the Cleveland St. location. 

Any questions, please contact RedmondPSH@plymouthhousing.org

More information about the development can be found on the City of Redmond's website here: https://www.redmond.gov/2116/Plymouth-Housing-in-Redmond

Councilmember Steve Fields Recommends "Neighborhood Meetings."

 

SafeEastside.com Demands "a Say" on Downtown Homeless Housing

In a phone call yesterday, Councilmember Steve Fields recommended "neighborhood meetings" as a means to "have a Say" in the downtown homeless crisis.  These open meetings will offer Q&A discussions with elected officials, Plymouth staff, stakeholders and community members of various persuasions.  Possible meeting locations:   the Together Center, Redmond Kiwanis Club, downtown businesses, OneRedmond (City Hall,) Down Pour Coffee and residential neighborhoods. 

-- B. Yoder, 4/16. photo Yoder              

Redmond Kiwanis Club Honors Retired Councilmember Myers

Henry "Hank" Myers holding his Kiwanis Proclamation

Retired Redmond Council Member Henry "Hank" Myers was honored by Proclamation last week for his 10 years of dedicated and tireless work at Redmond Kiwanis Club.  

 

Hank's Proclamation
(click picture to enlarge)

Club President LouAnn Ballew presented the Proclamation, Club Secretary Sue Stewart wrote the Proclamation "with the help of AI," reading it with emphasis on Hank's full name, Henry "Hank" Myers.

Blog posts on some of Hank's council work are HERE.  

Photos by Yoder, 4/15/2024, updated 4/16/2024

"Bicycling in Redmond" -- Historical Society Speaker Series

A YouTube Video of the Meeting!

 

Saturday Speaker Series - Bicycling in Redmond – Past, Present, and Future

Time & Location

Apr 13, 2024, 10:30 AM

Old Redmond Schoolhouse, 16600 NE 80th St, Redmond

Redmond is home to the headquarters of several major bike manufacturers. However, there’s not one thing that makes Redmond a great place for cycling, but many things put together that has earned Redmond the designation of "Bicycle Capital of the Northwest"―from Derby Days races to “Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day” (RAMROD) to the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome at Marymoor Park. Joe Matthews, President of the Redmond Cycling Club, will give a short history of that organization.

Speaker bio:

Joe Matthews only got into long-distance cycling after his brother challenged him to complete the Seattle to Portland (STP) bike ride in the 1990s. Matthews couldn’t back down, of course. After STP, the Redmond resident wanted more, so he embarked on the Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day (RAMROD―a single-day event that celebrates the beauty of Mount Rainier National Park and features a challenging course of 150 miles and 10,000 feet of climb. He was hooked. Since then, Matthews has cycled in myriad races and challenges and now serves as president of the Redmond Cycling Club (RCC). RCC was founded in 1978 amid increasing popularity of cycling in the U.S. The club began from a core group of friends who were riding regularly. Within a few years, RAMROD founder John Dixon brought the RAMROD cycling event to RCC, which it now stewards.

UPDATED OPINION, 5/7/2024: Mayor Birney Should Speak Up On Plymouth Housing

OPINION:  Redmond is in a turmoil.  From the blue "Demand a Say" signs scattered all over our city and numerous City Hall meetings over-flowing with protesters, we all know Council (and indirectly the Mayor) made the fateful "Plymouth decision" to welcome 100 homeless to our downtown.    

Some background:  The King County Regional Homeless Authority (KCRHA) is promoting a regional approach to the homeless problem and now taking Seattle's severe homeless to the suburbs.  Their disorganized 3-Board strategy didn't work in Kenmore and it's not working in Redmond.   

Bellevue accepted the first Plymouth Housing building on the Eastside. It opened on July 23, 2023 and is located in a distant 10-acre low income "ecosystem."  

At Bellevue's Plymouth, "three staff members will live on-site and a health care clinic will allow these homeless to meet with primary care and psychiatry providers, and have an option for 24/7 telehealth urgent care."  Fantastic!  I hope this comes to fruition with many residents exiting. 

According to Seattle Times, to qualify for a Plymouth studio in Bellevue, potential residents "must have been homeless for at least a year and have at least one disability."  Thus, the conditions of these homeless are severe, by far "not run of the mill."  

By 2027, Redmond will have a similar building located in our downtown across from Anderson Park.  Hopefully, our downtown homeless will have sufficient Plymouth human services to keep their residents stable and our community safe.     

Mayor Birney should speak directly to the public to explain why she's accepting severe homeless in our downtown.  By reaching out, she will quell miss-information, calm the public, and stimulate productive, community conversations. Until the Mayor speaks up and leads, the disorder and chaos could continue.

-- Bob Yoder, 4/8/2024, Updated Opinion 5/7/24

Sources:  Seattle Times, 3/21/2024  Seattle Times, 7/17/2023  Plymouth Housing website KCRHA website, redmondblog.org  Cartoon: The New Yorker.                    

Camouflaged Goose Nest On Sammamish River

 

 Canadian goose nesting on tree snag in Redmond / credit John Reinke 

In 2020, John Reinke took this amazing photo of a Canadian goose nesting her offspring in a 20-foot tree-trunk snag. Note the camouflage!  The snag is located in the 90th-Street Run-off Pond designed to clean water entering the Sammamish River. 

The dead tree was cut down in 2023 during a $1M city restoration project to improve drainage from the pond into the Sammamish River.  Since then the goose and other waterfowl haven't returned to build nests.

Mr. Reinke lives in Redmond, WA.  He's an avid nature photographer focusing on city wildlife living along a downtown segment of the Sammamish River.  

-- B. Yoder, 

  4/2/2024

"Beat the Bunny" Event Was a Hopping Success

 

Pat Vache' (orange vest) working the water station / credit Pam Yoder

The City of Redmond's 8th Annual "Beat the Bunny" 5k Run/Walk was a hip-hip hopping success.  

There's Pat Vache' -- on the right -- working the water station at mile 3.  Pat's the Founder of the Redmond Kiwanis Club (and renowned, past City Council President).  The Kiwanians exhibited and volunteered at various stations along the Marymoor Trail.  

Over a hundred must have turned out at the Marymoor Community Center for the start, with many families, young children and athletes "competing." Several sights along the way ...  the Marymoor Park climbing peak, a cricket game, a goose nest high above, a light rail segment and of course, construction. 

-- B. Yoder, 3/30/24

Redmond Senior & Community Center Earns LEED Recognition

REDMOND, WA - The new Redmond Senior & Community Center recently earned the first-ever recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council for sourcing wood from climate-resilient forestry. The Council, which manages the LEED certification process, awarded the building an innovation point during the process and lauded Opsis Architecture and Sustainable NW for verifying that wood came from forests managed sustainably.

“We are honored to receive this historic recognition,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “The senior and community center was designed with environmental sustainability in mind, and it is exciting to know all who walk through these doors will be coming into a place that not only cares about them but cares about the building’s impact on our planet.”  

8-story Project Will Prod Seniors From Their Homes

8-story project site and Land Use "invitation to comment," credit Yoder

It's been decided, by the city Director of Planning & Community Development (also ARCH Chair,) that 24 Seniors will have to be relocated somewhere to make room for a novel 8-story apartment building.  

Downtown land is at a premium and owners are cashing in any way they can.    

Relocating small businesses for Big Growth hurts.  Prodding Seniors out of their homes is worse. Hopefully, not one of these vulnerable Seniors will need temporary shelter.  

I called Lauren Anderson, the city project planner for verification on the number of Seniors; to date no response.  

 --Bob Yoder, opinion

   3/27/2024

LWSD Redirects Levy Funds To Create Space For High Schools

Permanent space will be created for 600 high school students on the east side of the district.

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) has proposed redirecting levy funds from the 2022 Building Excellence Construction Levy. 

LWSD will hold off construction in Sammamish and will redirect the funds to build 12 classroom additions each, at Eastlake High School and Redmond High School.

In addition, core space modifications will create room for students to move throughout the building, eat lunch and congregate. The additions and space modifications will be completed in the same timeline as before. 

-- Shannon Parthemer

   LWSD Communications Director

   Ms. Parthemer's press release, 3/17/2024,  Excerpted and edited.

Posted by Yoder, 3/27/2024

Downtown Homeless Housing Controversy, City Hall Is Packed / Video

One of Many Signs Staked in Downtown Redmond 

 Video-link to the March 19th Redmond City Council Meeting 

https://redmond.granicus.com/player/clip/2809 

The video shows a packed house at City Hall with demonstrators peacefully holding SafeEastside signs -- "Demanding a Say on Low Barrier Housing in Downtown Redmond."  40 citizens commented.

Pro and Con Comments Of Note:

 

Aspen Richter  39:43m

Al Rosenthal 43:36m

SafeEastside activist

Kiki Montgomery 53:43m

Dennis Ellis 59:43

Ramon (from China) 1:10:23

Cynthia Young 1:14:19

Paul Stephano 1:19:45

Linda Yang 1:22:20

SafeEastside Chair

Lisa Tracy 1:35:14

Karen Rodrigues 1:39:17

HopeLink

Bob Yoder 1:46:36

Redmond Blog

Kyle Parker 1:54:37

Sean Moyer 1:55:30

Kathy Lambert 2:08:03

Retired King County Councilmember 

Yuyan 2:15:14 

Video Sources : redmond.gov  YouTube clip

3/23/2024

Construction Art

"Construction Art installation" on Cleveland Street / B. Yoder

Puzzle:  What's inside?  😄

3/22/2024

EvergreenHealth Named "Top 50 Best Hospitals" In America

EvergreenHealth Medical Center 
"Community-owned" 

KIRKLAND, Wash. – EvergreenHealth has been named among America's 50 Best Hospitals™ by Healthgrades for 2024. This is the fourth straight year the community-owned hospital system has earned the distinction and puts EvergreenHealth in the top 1% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance.

UPDATED: Robin Campbell Appointed To EvergreenHealth Board

 

 Robin Campbell, PhD

KIRKLAND, Wash. – The Board of Commissioners of King County Public Hospital District #2 (EvergreenHealth) recently appointed Robin Campbell, PhD, to fill a vacant position on the Board, serving in Position #5 as an at-large representative. Campbell joins the Board effective March 19, 2024, and replaces Commissioner David Edwards, who vacated the position in December 2023 after being elected to the Woodinville City Council.

Campbell is a retired executive and board director with 35 years of experience in life science companies such as Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Aptitude Medical Systems and Pfenex, Inc. He also lectured at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Technology Management Program, focusing on business strategy and marketing for technology-based firms.

UPDATED: Redmond Branded "Space District" - Video Presentation

Hosted by John Oftebro, President of the Redmond Historical Society, Saturday Speaker Series.

Lisa Rich discusses her commercial space company Xplore, designed to collect infinite streams of proprietary data from the XCRAFT®, its next-generation satellite. Speaker bio: Lisa Rich is a successful serial entrepreneur, investor and thought-leader who entered the space industry in 2014 to accelerate sustainable business that positively impact the environment, education, national security, and advance the $1T space economy.

She is Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore, a commercial space services company using its multi-sensor platform to store and transmit data, achieve data fusion, on orbit processing.

Ms. Rich is also Founder of Hemisphere Ventures, a top space sector VC that has invested in 37 outstanding commercial space companies including Axiom Space, Umbra and Lynk. She presents at conferences, engages Fortune 500 think tanks to discuss space strategy and the landscape for space investment.

Ms. Rich was nominated to the National Space Council User Advisory Group led by Vice President Kamala Harris; she played a pivotal role in establishing the Redmond Space District in Washington State. Media appearances include Bloomberg and CNBC.

-- Posted by Yoder, 3/14/2024

Mayor Birney Honors Women's History Month

In honor of Women's History Month, Mayor Birney recently met with the Redmond Historical Society to learn more about the incredible women who helped make our community what it is today. The Mayor and Laura Lee are speaking from the Society's museum; jam-packed with artifacts and exhibits!

Do you know the Historical Society has a monthly Saturday Speaker's Series? The next one is April 13th at 10:30 a.m. It's all about bicycles in Redmond! Location: Old Redmond School House.

Check out the historical society's website for details and the Series line up at: https://www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org/rhs-events

Posted by Yoder, 3/13/2024

SafeEastside Activists Demand "A Say" On Downtown Homeless Housing

 

 

Redmond is in turmoil over Council's decision to allow Plymouth Homeless Housing in our downtown.  Blue signs objecting to downtown "low-barrier" homeless housing (where drugs are allowed in the hotel with conditions) suddenly appeared all over Redmond's downtown today (3/12) including this one at Anderson Park. 

At no fault of their own, Council wasn't transparent in their decision to house100 homeless and low income people in Redmond's downtown.   According to Planning & Community Development Director Helland, a public Hearing wasn't required; and "comment periods" were tabled in the rush to qualify for funding. Thus, SafeEastside activists are demanding "a Say." 

Various ways to have a Say:   

• Phone or email Council President Vanessa Kritzer (and other councilmembers.)  Request an appointment with her. Councilmember Kritzer holds office hours. 425-305-9892.
• Phone or email Councilmember Melissa Stewart. 425-305-9892. She holds walk-in office hours at the library, 3 - 5 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.   
• Every other week on Tuesday's at 7:00 p.m. the public has a 3-minute opportunity (under review) to address the Council and Mayor at City Hall.   
• Email: the Mayor, Council or Carol Helland, Director of Planning & Community Development at MayorCouncil@Redmond.gov.  
• Contact Councilmember Steve Fields, the senior member of Council.  He owns a coffee shop in Redmond and can meet you there. 425-403-9476.
• Reach out to Mayor Birney.  Mayor@Redmond.gov 

-- Opinion by Bob Yoder, 3/12/2024, Updated 4/16/2024  Photo: Yoder

Letter To The Editor: Disabled Residents Shouldn't Be Left Homeless On Our Streets

Councilmember Osman Salahuddin

From the desk of Redmond Councilmember Osman Salahuddin...

Bob, I believe that you and I fundamentally agree that we don’t want our seniors, veterans, and residents with disabilities to be homeless and living on the streets. They deserve to be able to live in their community and have the help that they need to get by. 

Because of this agreement, our Council has spent a great deal of time addressing this decision. Because I take my responsibility to you as your Councilmember very seriously, I have personally been looking directly into the data about our city in guiding my decision. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you to further our discussion about this important issue.

 

What I’ve learned about our City of Redmond (see data links below for verification):

• 3,916 of our neighbors are earning less than $15,000 annually (at or below Federal poverty line);
• 6,401 of our neighbors are living with a disability, some of which impacts their earning ability;
• 7,502 of our neighbors are seniors ages 65+, some of whom cannot afford the rising cost of living;
• 1,913 of our neighbors are veterans, many of whom are part of those earning less than $15,000;
• These are Our community members, who need Our help to stay housed and safe.

 

The intention of the 100 units of permanent supportive housing that Plymouth is offering our community is to house (in the downtown) our seniors, our veterans, and our residents living with disabilities. To add to this, we have an incredible shortage of housing at all levels, so to meet the needs of our own residents – specifically – for safe and healthy places to live, we need to provide housing opportunities for people at or below the adjusted median income of $30,000 annually. The location will be ideal for folks who are experiencing disabilities with its proximity to the Light Rail station.