Saturday, September 12, 2020
"Support Democracy/Police" Signs Are Protected Free Speech Signs.
King County Councilmember Newsletter
Kathy Lambert's Newsletter - Excerpt
This month is full of budget work. We have just completed our fourth CARES budget to help meet many needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coming up on September 22nd, the new proposed two-year budget for King County will be introduced to the Council from the Executive. Finalizing a two-year budget while our economy continues to feel the impacts of COVID-19 will certainly be a difficult challenge. A number of revenue sources have been hit hard during this time, and there will need to be some reductions made. King County continues to provide so many vital services to the residents of this region (you can view the complete list here), and this budget process will be extremely important.
In this Issue, 9/11
1. East Lake Sammamish Trail segment closure: September 14 – 25
3. Update from the Department of Local Services
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Bear Creek/ Keller Rehabilitation Expenses To Improve Salmon Habitat
Project Overview
"The City of Redmond will be constructing log jams in Bear Creek to improve salmon habitat. The project is located adjacent to the Keller Wetland Mitigation Bank (KWMB) project on the former Keller farm. In the fall and winter, the City’s Washington Conservation Corps crew will plant 3 acres of the Bear Creek buffer.
Restoring habitat in this stream reach is important for Chinook salmon recovery. It is identified in the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan, along with the adjacent KWMB project. The Bear Creek project is funded by City stormwater fees and by a $340,000 award from the Cooperative Watershed Management grant program."
redmond.gov/ sign photo by John Reinke.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Bear Creek Restoration At Friendly Village
click to enlarge |
The Adopt A Stream Foundation (AASF) has launched a major project to restore chinook salmon breeding habitat in the portion of Bear Creek that flows through Friendly Village, a forty plus acre manufactured home residence park operated by the King County Housing Authority in eastern Redmond.
click to enlarge |
-Reported and photos by John Reinke
Friday, September 4, 2020
OPINION UPDATE #3: Point - Counterpoint: Religious Distress In Redmond
"....a VIRTUAL FORUM exposing the group "Alliance for Persecuted People Worldwide" (APPWW), which has been promoting anti-Muslim hate and bigotry, even as it masquerades as a human rights organization."
COUNTERPOINT: (a comment on my post)
"Please refrain from calling this a hate (APPWW) group.
Please explain how Muslims putting people to death for their Christian beliefs is not hateful.
Please also explain how Muslims peacefully pushing homosexuals off of buildings is not hateful.
Please also explain how female genital mutilation is not hateful towards young women, and towards women in general.
If you can explain all of these things, then maybe you can redefine what hate really means.
You are condoning hatred of Christians in your post - you do realize this, right?"
City Council has received 3 thousand emails and scores of presentations addressing this topic. I know of one councilmember that responded to 300 emails. Council spent over 3 hours listening to APPWW topics during their last 2 Regular Business meeting. When will Council find a solution to move forward on the work the public is expecting of them? Write a resolution and be done with it! The LWSD manages their firebrand issues with finesse. Maybe they can help our council.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Gripe Session
1 ) The Parks Director stated 1000 viewed the So Bazaar "event' and now 1800. I find this very hard to believe owing to the lack of publicity of the event and it being virtual.
2) The Director said the Rec. Department is developing 150 virtual recreation programs. Really?
3) The Director said "Picnics in the Park" has been popular. I'd love to go to one but where and when?
As I write this, Council is in a Regular Business meeting. I don't think I'm missing out in anything because over 30 are lined up to speak during Items from the Audience. That's two hours of hacking away. Most appear to be speaking about APPWW, a group that lobbies on racial issues surrounding Muslims. It was a repeat of the Regular meeting 2 weeks ago.
Councilmember David Carson (and myself) feel "worldly" politics have no place in city government. Apparently, our city lawyer said outside issues and local election measures are in the purview of council. It seems many of the speakers drum on for over 4 minutes. The mayor should take Marchione's approach saying "...in summary" as advisement to stop. The LWSD school board allows only four speakers per topic.
While I'm at it, why doesn't the mayor furlough (with benefits) 5-10% of her employees who aren't working or essential during these times? She knows who they are. The money saved could be reinvested in the community. At the end of the meeting Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer recommended a facilitator be hired for conflict resolution.
-- Bob Yoder
9/1/2020
King County Council Approves $100M In Response to COVID-19
Response Prompts Nearly $100M in Additional Emergency Funding
- Continues to fund isolation/quarantine and recovery centers through the end of the year: $12.6 million.
- Funds the public health response through the end of the year: $29 million.
- Continues to fund hotel vouchers for the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness through the end of the year: $2.5 million.
- Provides funding for an outreach and compliance initiative to help restaurants, bars and taverns increase compliance with the Governor’s safe start orders: $2.7 million.
- Provides funding to support arts, culture, and science organizations: $2.5 million. ($2M to 4Culture and additional $500K to arts, culture or science organizations that have been adversely affected by closures, cancellations and loss of work).
- Provides funding for emergency child care: $4.3 million.
- Provides rental assistance for local businesses that are responding to Covid-19. $1.5 million.
- Provides expanded flu vaccination in communities disproportionately impacted by Covid. $650,000.
Significant Private Projects In The Pipeline
LMC, 265 dwelling units. 5 story, by Marymoor trail |
In 2019: 132 SFH, 233 multi-family units and 24,400 s.f. commercial space were built.
2020 YTD: 61 SFH, 895 multi-family units, 610,766 sf commercial space.
Single Family Home construction hasn't changed significantly between 2019 to 2020 but increases in multi-family units and commercial square footage are exceptional.
About 11 projects were presented; I'll focus on five:
The most significant is "Redmond Square." It's on the corner of 166th and Redmond Way. Over 13 businesses will have to move. To name a few: John L. Scott, the Pony Express, Ed Wyse, Pizza Hut, Noodeland, Beyond Beauty, Flying Apron, Bamboo Gardens, Modera Bakery, Beauty Supply, Acupuncture, Vision Clinic, and a Yoga business.
What we will get: "Redmond Square" looks like two separate buildings but functions as one. It's a monolith. 613 dwelling units, 61 affordable units (80% AMI,) 33,000 sf commercial space, adjacent to transit station. Parking? I was informed by one of the business owners demolition will begin early 2021. (The city throws up barriers when validating timelines.)
"Harmony" drew the most questions and comments from Council. Councilmember Vanessa Kritzer seemed skeptical about 1) it's absence of affordable housing and 2) the unusual housing type for our downtown. Harmony living spaces are tiny. It has 9 dwelling units of 465 sf and and 91 "residential suites" of 155 sf each. They will rent out for $1100. No school impact fees. The residential suites share a kitchen and living room with each other. Steve Fields wanted Council to be more involved in these developments and Tanika Padeya suggested an amendment to require affordable housing.
The "Together Center, a nonprofit human services center of over 20 years will be redeveloped. Paid-off. 49,000 sf commercial, 280 dwelling units, 280 affordable units at 60% AMI, 30 parking spaces, 2-stories, art at gateway. Completion expected by 12/2021.
Proctor: NW Redmond -- Willows Road & 124th. Construction will be challenged by steep slope. Stats:
87, 3-story townhomes, 9 affordable at 80% AMI, signal at 124th. two community parks. 195 dwelling units, 80% AMI, 22,000 sf commercial, trails and open space. Proctor will be a "10-minute community" servicing the businesses on Willows Road, including a subsidiary of Facebook.
Amazon: Macy's in Redmond Town Center is being renovated to accomodate ~ 300 Amazon engineers, working on their satellite space project. Macy's departed.
-- Bob Yoder
9/1/2020
Monday, August 31, 2020
Superintendent Jon Holmen Reaches Out To Community
Superintendent Jon Holmen, PhD. |
I wish you the best as we start the 2020-21 school year.
Excerpt from "Connections," 8/31/2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Saturday, August 29, 2020
ERRATIC Art Relocation Costs A Million Dollars
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Five Of Twelve Letter-Sorting Machines At Redmond Post Office Dismantled
Source: KUOW, 8/19/2020: https://www.kuow.org/stories/nearly-half-of-mail-sorting-machines-in-seattle-area-already-dismantled?fbclid=IwAR2rNffu9mnMcQJ3fH7oYlH1mmw3nkn-tuT02IQE2G593ZsHEWLl6ZtPuO4
Monday, August 17, 2020
UPDATED: The APPWW Muslim Hate Group To Be Exposed
Over 200 individuals, including elected officials like King County Executive Dow Constantine, have also condemned the hate promoted by this group and its leaders. You can sign here too: www.tinyurl.com/WeCondemnAPPWW. THE SIGN-IN DOESN'T WORK.
This group presented to the City of Redmond in March 2020, seeking funding, partnership and support; and the Redmond Council President -- even after hearing community concerns about this group in June -- participated in APPWW's July event (the same event where four other panelists withdrew).
In early August, over 300 community members reached out to the City of Redmond seeking a statement condemning the hate promoted by APPWW and its leaders, affirming that no funds or support will be provided to APPWW, and seeking an explanation and apology from the Council President for her participation in an event by this group. Tanika was not a panelist....just an observer.
Sunday, August 16, 2020
Masks Encouraged At Idylwood Park
there was adequate space for physical distancing. I felt safe.
Friday, August 14, 2020
Redmond Saturday Market Has Moved
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Tuesday, August 11, 2020
COVID - 19 Emergency Management Framework
Emergency Management Framework.
The two primary goals in emergency management are to support the City of Redmond and to establish and maintain a comprehensive process for conducting business before, during, and after an emergency event.
Specific activities associated with mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery are described in Redmond’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) which is available on the City’s website. (For over 5 years there had been no updated pandemic plan.)
COVID-19 Emergency Management Efforts: In late December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases was reported in China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause in January 2020. Evidence of human-to-human transmission was confirmed in late January, and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The Redmond Emergency Response Division of the Fire Department monitored events closely during January. In February, efforts were underway to ensure that first responders took appropriate precautions when caring for patients exhibiting signs of respiratory illness and that the health of the first responders was continuously monitored. These steps were based on best practices and on experience gained from SARS and MERS outbreaks.
$526,284 Funded For Environmental Sustainability Program
$526,284 was included in the 2019-2020 biennial budget for the City’s Environmental Sustainability Program. This funding was used to hire a consultant that assisted the City in developing the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and to hire an Environmental Sustainability Program Manager. Costs to implement the Plan will be dependent on future budget actions.
Council Study Session, 8/11/2020 /Memo excerpts
The State Of The Senior and Community Center
- The final recommendation from the Stakeholder Group Summary is to construct a 40,000 square foot Community Center with designated program space for seniors on the site of the existing Redmond Senior Center. This new facility is being referred to as the Redmond Senior and Community Center.
- The proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) 2021-2026 outlines the priorities for the next six years. The Redmond Senior and Community Center is a top priority with $20 million designated for this project in the CIP and an additional $25 million in tax revenue (previously raised) for a total project budget of $45 million. This proposal is subject to City Council approval.
- At the June 23 City Council Study Session, City Council voted to authorize the Mayor to decommission and demolish the Redmond Senior Center building. City staff will move forward with an RFQ process to seek bids to move forward with this work. This decision will save $180,000 in one year and significant staff time. In addition, decommissioning the building in the dry season will be more efficient than waiting until next winter.
Friday, August 7, 2020
Monofilament Fishing Line Recycling Container For Idylwood Park
Internet photo |
-- Bob Yoder