Community Building Update - Chuga, Chuga

"The Council will be asked to make a decision on the Community Building 10/22/20 to move forward so staff can continue without further delay. The Council has an active motion that was postponed from the September 15, 2020 Council Business meeting and will be taken up on the October 22nd Council special meeting. 

The motion made by Councilmember Carson, seconded by Councilmember Kritzer is as follows: Authorize the Mayor and staff to move forward on the construction of a community building on the existing site of the Redmond Senior Center in the size of approximately 42,000 square feet with optional expansion capabilities with costs not to exceed $46.7M and with the funding mechanism of capital improvement program funds and councilmanic bonds." Parks Council Comm. memo 10/6/2020.

Thank you CM David Carson and CM Vanessa Kritzer for your leadership in moving this project on, I've never seen a valuable Redmond project like this one get so bogged down by **bureaucracy.  Yoder

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Bureaucracy

**"At the study session on July 28, 2020, the Community Stakeholder Group presented the recommendations for the future of the Redmond Senior Center. Throughout the study session discussion, and during subsequent Council discussion, Council had additional questions, which were addressed at the PHS Committee of the Whole on August 4, 2020, the PPW Committee of the Whole on August 11, 2020. The PHS Committee of the Whole on September 1st, and the City Council Business Meeting on September 15th .

Recently, there have been questions about the public engagement efforts, decision points that will be requested from the City Council and the City’s bonding capacity. The need for Community Center and Recreation space to serve everyone in Redmond has been discussed over many years in Redmond. 

In 2009, 327 people engaged in a statistically valid survey to inform the Recreation Buildings Master Plan. This plan called for an 80,000 sf facility and a $69-71M investment to adequately serve the residents of Redmond. This effort was not implemented. 

In 2015, 830 people engaged to help inform the PARCC plan, of which the need for a larger Community Center space was a high priority. 

In 2017, 30-35 people made up the Recreation Stakeholders group who engaged with 3600 people to help inform the Communities Priority for the Future of Redmond Community Centers in 2017.

In 2019-20 the Recreation Stakeholders assisted in engaging 2500 people to help inform their recommendation found in the report, “Envision the Future of the Redmond Senior Center”. 

This has been the longest and most engaged public engagement process for any project in Redmond. In order for staff and the community to move forward with the design and ultimately the construction of the Redmond Senior and Community Center, Council will need to provide direction on the size and scale and financial model to fund the project.

Provided in the presentation and on the Council Question Matrix is a timeline of the capital outlay and decision points needed from the City Council."  Parks Council Comm. 10/6

City Receives Round Two of CARES Funding

The City has received notice that it is the recipient of additional Coronavirus Relief Funds made available through the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Through Round 2 allocations, the City will receive an additional $987,900. Staff is proposing that fund acceptance be placed on the consent agenda in order to facilitate both the allocation and expenditure of this time-sensitive funding.

-- Park Council Comm. memo, 10/6

Valuing our indigenous students

Not to forget our indigenous students and their families!

Interdistrict cooperative contracts for services to American Indian and Alaska Native students in the Bellevue and Northshore School districts resulted when the Eastside Native American Education Consortium was formed in 1984. At that time the Lake Washington School District agreed to be the overseeing agency (sponsoring school district) to receive annual Title VI – Indian Education funds from the U.S. Department of Education. 

Since the level of Title VI funding does not adequately cover program costs, each school district agreed to contribute a prorated cost per native student enrolled in the Title VI programs. 

Estimated cost charged to each participating district for the 2020-2021 is as follows: 

Bellevue School District 57 Students @ $65.00 = $3,705.00 

Northshore School District 89 Students @ $65.00 = $5,785.00 

Lake Washington School District 120 Students @ $65.00 = $7,800.00

Reported by Yoder

10/6/2020

It's Salmon "Seeson!"

Excellent article and Youtube from Army Corps of Engineers.

Sockeye or Chinook? (photo, Army Corps)

You may be able to see adult coho, sockeye, and Chinook salmon in September and October from the 90th Street bridge when they migrate up the Sammamish River to their spawning grounds in Bear Creek. For best viewing, visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid glare and bring polarized glasses.  No. Bear Creek at Juel Park is another excellent viewing location.

The 2020 sockeye run returning through the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks is the third lowest return on record, after last year’s record low return. Sockeye are affected by the changing climate, with variable ocean conditions and warming of streams and lakes. Warmer water increases predator metabolism and consumption of juvenile salmon and makes salmon more susceptible to disease.

 

Rearing sockeye:

Juvenile sockeye rear for one or two years in a lake (Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington) although they are also found in the inlet and outlet streams of the lake. Sockeye fry are often preyed on by resident lake fish, and because they use freshwater year-round, they are susceptible to low water quality. (John Reinke.)

While average annual Chinook returns fluctuate and are well below population recovery goals, 2017 saw the second highest return to the Cedar River since before 2000 and this year, as of mid-August 2020, the count through the Ballard Locks was almost double the 10-year average. Lake Sammamish’s native kokanee population has also been in decline for the last few decades and King County and partners have recently taken emergency actions to prevent possible extinction.

Salmon are tasty and great for your health! We are so blessed to have fresh, wild salmon in our "backyard.".A quick and easy way to cook it is: place the fillet on a pan, skin down, sprinkle with olive oil and salt.  Bake for 325 degrees for about 14 minutes depending on its size.  Simply amazing!

-- Bob Yoder

LWSD Board Adopts 2020-21 Budget

 Board of Directors of the Lake Washington School District No. 414 hereby adopts the 2020-21 budget:

General Fund $491,088,202 

Associated Student Body Fund 6,470,521

 Debt Service Fund 79,128,277 

Capital Projects Fund 132,906,498 

Transportation Vehicle Fund 1,161,241

-- Excerpt from LWSD Board Packets, 8/24 and 8/10/2020

Opinion - Labeling Councilmembers

I recently wrote a post where I labeled three councilmembers harshly and I want to apologize. Below are my changes:  

In cultural, religious situations Varisha Kahn is an effective activist. She's a very good speaker and deeply concerned about the community.  Jessica Forsythe is a kind, soft-spoken councilmember in the Fields camp. She cares a lot about the environment. Mr. Fields is hard working, assertive, ambitious, a driver and cares about the environment too.  An accountant, he brings much to the table during the finance and budget process.  

Bob Yoder, opinion, 9/28

Video of Councilmember Varisha Kahn

 https://crosscut.com/2020/06/new-normal-when-your-living-room-becomes-city-hall

Find a good video of Varisha in this article 

The New Normal: When your living room becomes City Hall

Redmond City Councilmember Varisha Khan is navigating her first term from home while supporting her community through the pandemic.

by Dorothy Edwards / June 22, 2020 - Crosscut 

Varisha Khan is a first-time city council member in Redmond. She drafted, proposed and passed recent legislation that protects Redmond residents from late fees and evictions, and offers support during other hardships. She recognizes this pandemic as a collective trauma for society and the only way she feels she can cope is by doing what she knows: helping her community through writing humane policy that mends a frayed social safety net.

Dorothy Edwards, June 22, 2020, Crosscut.

Entertainment In The Downtown Park

During our Sunday walk downtown we noticed several street poles were posted with the following announcement:  

Feeling the blues?  

Come outside and feel some tunes

@ the Downtown Redmond Park

Featuring DJ: Kimere

from 7-9 Tuesday and Sunday 

Don't want to come out? Stay tuned on Instagram on Kimere_vibez

So my wife and I strolled in at 7:40 and  I took this video.  Personally, I loved the music.  I counted 23 people there including 2 kids.  Had there been more, surely we would have danced up a storm. As is, the only dancers were my wife and two kids. 

When the bad weather comes the public with have to tune into Instagram. Maybe the City will put up a tent. I just hope this doesn't go away!

-- Bob Yoder, 9/28

Council Limits Some Meeting Topics To Ten Minutes

At the beginning of Council's Study Session this week councilmember Varisha Kahn proposed each item on the agenda be limited to 10 minutes owing to a full agenda. It was unanimously approved.  Councilmember David Carson was concerned that the Light Rail topic may need more time for study but was assured by staff the presentation wouldn't be long.

The meeting breezed along.  In the past, meetings could last as long as 11 p.m. -- by law meetings must end at 11 p.m.  Many other meetings have lasted to 10 p.m.  In my 13 years of reporting on Council I can't recall ever seeing a problem with excessively long meetings until recently.

Perhaps these meetings have been long owing to the process of educating three new representatives.  Meeting management may also be a contributor. Though I'm certainly not one to judge! 

Bob Yoder, opinion

Two Patients At EvergreenHealth Tested Positive For COVID-19 This Month

 Kirkland, Wash. – EvergreenHealth confirmed today that two patients receiving inpatient care at the EvergreenHealth Kirkland campus have tested positive for COVID-19. The organization notified the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) immediately following receipt of the test results.

 “We believe these two patients contracted the novel coronavirus while in our care. However, due to the nature of how this virus is transmitted, the actual transmission source is unclear,” said Ettore Palazzo, MD, Chief Medical & Quality Officer of EvergreenHealth. “The virus may have been transmitted through a health care worker, family member or visitor. We cannot be definitively certain. What we are sure of, is that this serves as a very unfortunate reminder that everyone needs to remain astutely vigilant to ensure we’re collectively working to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

UPDATED OPINION: MAPS-AMEN Should Unclench Their Teeth

In a Facebook Forum Aneela Afzali of Maps-Amen mildly attacked four members of council (Padhye, Anderson, Kritzer, and Carson.)  She was after them to approve a Resolution supporting her cause. (AWWPP) related.  

Fields threw me under the bus when I challenged him about Aneelah's "bridge building."  In cultural religious situations Varisha Kahn seems an activist; Jessica Forsythe is kind and soft-spoken, in the Fields camp. Redmond has a strong interfaith community!  What makes the Muslims so special?  Let's treat all faiths equally!  Let's focus on the rich diversity of religions we enjoy in our city!  - Bob Yoder, 9/17/2020

                     Aneelah Afzali

                               Executive Director

Aneelah Afzali is Executive Director of MAPS-AMEN. She is also on the board of the Faith Action Network, and on the Steering Committee of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network.  A graduate of Harvard Law School, Aneelah left her legal career in 2013 to serve as a community activist and interfaith leader.  Since then, she has worked on addressing the growing divide in our nation by building bridges of understanding and unity to advocate for justice together.

Redmond's Pandemic Plan

City of Redmond's Pandemic Plan:

https://redmond.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=8786044&GUID=537C6153-5380-45C2-9E3B-4C01EA35B285

9/15/2020

Redmond Officials Urged To Declare A State Of Climate Emergency

 Dear Mayor Birney and esteemed council,

 First, while I am a member of the Redmond Parks and Trails Commission, I'm writing solely in my capacity as a resident of Redmond and a concerned parent.

 

This past week, we have seen climate catastrophe fall upon the west coast. What we saw in Australia in January is here now. Entire towns are being burned to the ground, and others evacuated due to fire danger or deadly air quality. 10% of the entire state of Oregon has either been evacuated or put on some form of evacuation notice.

 

What is worse is that climate scientists are telling us that today’s disasters will pale in comparison to what will come. We no longer have the luxury of time. We can no longer think that this is an issue for the future, that we can take small steps. The timeline for action, not just planning, needs to be months instead of years or even decades.

 

Therefore, I urge in the strongest possible words and in no uncertain terms for the mayor and council to take immediate action and declare a state of climate emergency.

EvergreenHealth Launches Clinical Trial To Study COVID Antibody Therapy

I’m reaching out to share that Kirkland-based EvergreenHealth, the hospital with the nation’s first recorded patient death due to COVID-19 back in February, has launched a new clinical trial to study an antibody therapy as a potential treatment for the virus.

The BLAZE - 1 Study is designed to look at the safety and efficacy of treating adults who have recently tested positive for COVID-19, and who are not hospitalized, with the investigational study drug, LY-Co-V555. EvergreenHealth is the only health system in Washington state to serve as a trial site for the BLAZE-1 Study.

-- EvergreenHealth Press Release, 9/15/2020

School Board Limits Their Comment Period To Thirty Minutes

The City of Redmond Council has recently been burdened with over 30 hours of verbal comment on an anti-Muslim religious issue.  They also received over 1300 emails on the same topic.  A Muslim council member appeared  pleased with the hundreds of emails she received.  Is it possible the City of Redmond  could learn from our LWSD Board in dealing with testy issues?

"In the 8/10 Board meeting there were 13-pages of public comments compiled on three topics: Inclusion/Equity (4) and Return to School/Fall. Board members read the comments for Inclusion/Equity and summarized comments submitted for Return to School/Fall for the 30-minutes set aside for public comment."

"In the 8/20 meeting there were 6-pages of public comments regarding Inclusion/Equity; these comments have also been posted on the district website. Board members read all of the comments submitted during the 30-minutes set aside for public comment."

###

 In order to provide a full remote learning environment in September, every K-5 student will be provided a device and mobile hotspots will be provided to ensure that all students have connectivity. 

Board of Directors of the Lake Washington School District No. 414 hereby adopts the 2020-21 budget:

General Fund $491,088,202 

Associated Student Body Fund 6,470,521

 Debt Service Fund 79,128,277 

Capital Projects Fund 132,906,498 

Transportation Vehicle Fund 1,161,241

-- Excerpts from LWSD Board Packets, 8/24 and 8/10/2020

-- Bob Yoder, 9/14//20

"Support Democracy/Police" Signs Are Protected Free Speech Signs.

I did confirm with legal that these signs are protected political free speech signs, just as Defund the Police sharing another political viewpoint would be as well.

The signs are not being placed out by City staff.

In regards to the “fine” specified on the sign - a citizen does not enforce the laws of Washington (RCW’s). They would have to seek guidance from the State or County if their signs were removed.

Please let me know if you have any other questions

Carl

Carl McArthy

Code Enforcement Officer,

City of Redmond

.............................................

425-556-2412

425-443-1232

cmcarthy@redmond.gov

www.redmond.gov

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

      2. Hello4Culture

      3. Update from the Department of Local Services

      4. COVID-19 testing at the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital

      5. Update on Charter review

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.  

Bear Creek Restoration At Friendly Village

The restoration is intended to improve Chinook breeding habitat 

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

The project involves modifying the banks of the stream in ways that create pools and backwaters that encourage salmon to spawn and provide safe habitats for salmon fry, while they mature enough to be able to migrate back downstream to the ocean.  Stream modification is accomplished by using boulders to stabilize woody debris and logs securely into the banks in pre-designed patterns. (click image to enlarge.) 

The first phase of the project began in the last week of August and is expected to last about a month.  The idea is to recreate the salmon-    favorable stream conditions that existed before the land was cleared and cultivated.

AASF received grant funding for this project from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, which was created by the Washington State Legislature to protect and restore salmon habitat. In the near future, native shrubs and trees will be planted along the banks to cool instream temperatures and provide future woody debris.

-Reported and photos by John Reinke

Click pictures to enlarge.

OPINION UPDATE #3: Point - Counterpoint: Religious Distress In Redmond

POINT: (an excerpt from my post)

"....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?"

A controversy of  Hindus discriminating against Muslims was brought forth by councilmember Varisha Kahn, a Muslim activist. This became emotionally challenging for Council President Tanika Padheye and her family;  the mayor intervened.

I met with Councilmember Steve Fields yesterday, with whom I supported in three of his campaigns.  In his coffee shop we discussed his problems with the mayor and Council President. He was distressed about my views of  the anti-muslim hate group controversary; disparagingly, he introduced me to two elected officials as a "trouble-maker."  Very sad. 

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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. 

-- Bob Yoder, opinion

     9/4/2020

Gripe Session

I've taken time out of my day to learn remotely what the city is up to and I haven't been pleased.

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