June 6, 2024
Get a personal invite from our podcast special guest, Erika Mascorro, to upcoming June celebrations!
The Kirkland City Council met on June 4, 2024, in a hybrid meeting. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items from the meeting:
- Council lowered the posted speed limit to 20mph on street segments of the Stores to Shores Greenway route.
- Council adopted a resolution declaring the City’s commitment to addressing homelessness and authored the City Manager to develop a homelessness continuum of care action plan
- The Mayor Proclaimed Gun Violence Awareness Month, Ride Transit Month, and Pride Month in Kirkland. To read more, visit the City’s website.
Prior to the above business agenda, the Council held a Study Session, where they discussed:
- A presentation on the Public Works Maintenance Center Facility Plan as the first of several discussions.
How to watch: Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact on the City of Kirkland Facebook page and the City YouTube channel, in addition to the livestream on the City website. Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.
To watch the Council discussions on the specific agenda items outlined above, visit the City’s website. The full agenda packet with information on each item is located on the City’s website.
The next City Council meeting is on June 18, 2024.
On June 4, 2024, Public Health – Seattle & King County recommended that people and pets stay out of the water at Juanita Beach Park for at least one week due to elevated bacteria levels. Signs will be positioned to indicate that people and pets should stay out of the water. The rest of Juanita Beach Park remains open.
Water quality staff from the King County Water and Land Resources Division tested the water recently and found that the levels of bacteria at the beach exceeded safe thresholds for bacteria based on the samples collected. King County crews will return to the beach next week to collect further samples.
For additional details, visit King County’s Lake Swimming Beach Data webpage.
E122 and A122 have officially been commissioned into service by our City Council and Kirkland Fire Department! Last Friday, KFD held our historic "push-in" ceremony, a tradition that dates back to the 1800s when horse-drawn equipment had to be pushed back into the station after a call.
Did you miss that event? Do you want to be part of a historic tradition? Join us on Monday, June 10, 2024 at Fire Station 25, 12033 76th Place NE, to push Engine 125 into commission! Meet and join our City Council, City Leaders, the Fire Chief, and Firefighters in pushing Engine 125 into the bay!
Mark those calendars! The Juanita Friday Market is opening for its eighteenth season on June 7, 2024. Rain or shine, the market is open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Friday.
“The Juanita Friday Market is a long-cherished hub for foodies, families, and shop local advocates alike,” said Councilmember Jon Pascal. “Take in a scenic walk through the park, support local businesses, and enjoy hot food from local vendors. Whatever your itinerary, the market is a delightful kick-off to the weekend.”
Read more on the City webpage.
There is so much beautiful green adorning our lovely city. While we like to see our region’s lush plants, overgrown vegetation can cause issues. Keeping sidewalks, right-of-ways, and property lines trimmed and groomed makes getting around safer.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you trim and tend:
- It is the property owner's responsibility to maintain the area adjacent to their property, including trimming or removing plants that overhang or obstruct sidewalks, streets, or alleys and keeping sidewalks clear of debris.
- The full width of the sidewalk should be free of vegetation and debris for the safety of pedestrians. Be considerate of our neighbors using strollers, wheelchairs, or who may be visually impaired.
- To request the pruning of a tree in the right-of-way, contact the Planning and Building Department at (425) 587-3600.
- Blowing or moving leaves and debris into the street is prohibited and increases the risk of storm drain flooding, creates hazardous driving conditions, and slows down the street sweepers. Dispose of your yard waste responsibly.
For information about sidewalks and roadways, trees, mowing and more, visit our Streets and Grounds webpage.
This week is National CPR and AED Awareness week. Tragedy can strike at any moment, but did you know most cases of cardiac arrest, outside of a hospital, happen in homes? That means it could be your parent, spouse, child, or other loved one. Would you know how to act? Well, this week is meant to show the difference anyone can make by being prepared to use an AED and provide CPR. Don’t forget every second is crucial and can be the difference in saving a life.
The City of Kirkland partners with the Medic One Foundation to provide free CPR and AED training. Our next class will be held at Fire Station 22 on Saturday June 22, from 10 am – 1 pm. Register and browse upcoming classes online.
Friday, June 7, marks the ninth annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, meant to honor and remember all victims and survivors of gun violence. Wear orange all weekend to honor the call to end gun violence and prevent it.
The “Wear Orange” movement was founded in 2015 to honor and remember 15-year-old honor student Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed in a Chicago playground in 2013. The color orange is a vibrant emblem of protection selected by a group of Hadiya’s friends, who chose the color orange because it is a bold, bright color that demands to be seen, and the color that hunters wear in the woods to safeguard themselves and others from harm.
Gun safety continues to be a priority of the City. The Mayor, on behalf of Council, proclaimed June 7, 2024, as Gun Violence Awareness Day in Kirkland. In 2018, the “Save Lives Through Gun Safety” Resolution was passed, and voters approved Proposition 1, the City’s Enhanced Police Services and Community Safety Sales Tax Measure. Prop 1 has allowed Kirkland Police Department to provide a “Guns for Gift Cards” program which has removed hundreds of unwanted guns from our community, hold free gun safety classes and host a series of educational firearm safety videos for community members.
Come Out Kirkland: A Community Pride Celebration
Come Out Kirkland and show your pride! All ages are invited to a family-friendly celebration of the LGBTQAI+ community on Friday, June 7 from 5-7 pm. Enjoy free refreshments and get to know your community with fun entertainment and a resource fair.
The program will include:
- Proclamation reading of Pride Month by Mayor Kelli Curtis and City Council
- Entertainment from Award-Winning Headliner and Recording Artist Michael Cagle and Emmy-nominated Drag Entertainer Sasha Scarlett
- Resource tables including various City of Kirkland departments and Library Board; Pride Across the Bridge; Eastside Pride; and GBSA
After the event, head to Moss Bay Hall for an after-party and raffle ticket announcements. For more information, visit www.kirklandwa.gov/CommunityEvents
Eastside Honoring Juneteenth: Freedom Day Celebration
Join us in celebrating the National Holiday Juneteenth on Saturday, June 15 from 12-5 p.m. at Juanita Beach Park.
The afternoon of community celebrations includes:
- Delbert Richardson and his Unspoken Truths American History Traveling Museum
- A Celebration of Black Graduates organized by Na’eemah Webb with the Lake WA School District
- Entertainment by various Black artists, musicians, and dancers
- Black businesses, vendors, educational resources, and nonprofits
For more information, visit EastSide For All.
We all want our pets to live safe and healthy lives. To better support Kirkland’s pets, the City would like to hear from community members about what you would like to see from our pet licensing program in the future.
You may receive a call, text or email asking you to participate in a survey about pet licensing sometime in the next two weeks. Please consider participating!
If you are not contacted in the next couple of weeks, you can still give your feedback by taking our short survey here: Kirkland Pet Licensing Community Survey
Did you know the City now offers text updates from our Animal Control Officer Angela Arnold about pet licensing? You can also receive text updates about lost pets and more. Sign up today by texting ‘PETS’ to (425) 490-8326.
For more information, please visit the City's Animal Services webpage or contact Animal Control Officer Angela Arnold at aarnold@kirklandwa.gov.
Join us tomorrow, Friday June 7th, 2024, as “senior” artists (50 and older) dazzle at the 14th Annual Kirkland Senior Art Show! There will be an artist’s reception open to the public with music, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, and a no host wine bar featuring NW wines from 5 – 7 p.m. Artwork will be on display June 7 – 21, 2024 at Merrill Gardens (14 Main Street South).
Categories include Oils & Acrylics, Watercolors, Pastels & Drawings, Photography, Quilts and Other Media (+Sculptures).
The “People’s Choice Awards” (voted on by the public) are tallied by category, during the reception, and awarded at the end of the evening.
Traffic changes on NE 85th Street at I-405 start as early as Saturday, June 29. Join WSDOT's online project update meeting on June 18 to learn more.
At the meeting, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the upcoming construction work, ask questions, and find out how to stay informed. The project team will hold this meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, June 18 from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Register here: https://bit.ly/45bBXoc
Not able to make it? WSDOT will post a recording to the project webpage within one week after the meeting. Please feel free to register for the meeting even if you can’t attend, and WSDOT will email you the recording when it’s available.
For questions, visit the project webpage or reach the project hotline at I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov or 425-224-2423
Northeast 116th Place (Goat Hill)
Goat Hill residents should expect road closures this week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Northeast 116th Place. Kirkland’s contractor is keeping open the Northeast 120th Place access to Goat Hill.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/goathill
Eighth Avenue West and Fifth Street West
West of Market residents should expect road closures at various areas along Eighth Avenue West, between Fifth Street West and Market Street while a Kirkland contractor upgrades the sewer mains beneath the streets.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/eighthavenuewestupgrade
Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street
Lake Street’s intersection with Kirkland Avenue will likely remain closed after June 12, due to rainfall and unexpected site conditions, which have delayed Kirkland’s Lake Street pedestrian scramble contractor from pouring concrete this week.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/lakestreetpedscramble
Juanita Drive
Kirkland’s Juanita Drive Corridor improvements contractor is planning on June 10 to June 12 to close 79th Way Northeast while its crews repave the section of street in which they installed the water main.
Juanita Drive will be reduced to one lane periodically this week between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Northeast 124th Street to Northeast 128th Street.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/juanitadrivecorridor
Fifth Avenue South and Eighth Street South
Kirkland's Fifth Avenue South and Eighth Street West water main contractor is alternating traffic until early June on Eighth Street South and a short section of Railroad Avenue.
Strickland and Sons crews are working from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Search “5th Avenue water” on www.kirklandwa.gov
100th Avenue Northeast
OMA Construction is limiting Northeast 139th Street access from 100th Avenue Northeast until June 28, while crews repave the roadway.
The Kirkland contracator is alternating traffic at various locations between Northeast 137th and 145th streets. The legal speed limit through the construction zone is 25 miles per hour.
Visit www.kirklandwa.gov/100thavedesign
Coffee with a Cop
Date: Tuesday, June 11
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Art of Coffee, 12348 NE 115th Pl
Join officers from the Kirkland Police Department at ‘Coffee with a Cop’ next week at The Art of Coffee in Totem Lake from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s your chance to meet your neighborhood police officers, ask them questions, voice concerns, make suggestions, or just chat and get to know them.
For more info, contact your friendly Neighborhood Resource Officer Tiffany Trombley at ttrombley@kirklandwa.gov
The Kirkland Library Repair Event
Date: Saturday, June 8
Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Kirkland Library, 308 Kirkland Ave
Join us June 8th at 1:30pm at the Kirkland Library Repair event! Don’t toss your broken household items, or clothing in need of mending. Bring them to the Kirkland Library where skilled ‘fixers’ will try to repair them! Please sign up in advance if possible. Advance sign-up gives priority over ‘walk-ins’ or second items. Contact Tom at tom.watson@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-4481.
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Beach closures are upon us. Learn the science behind what causes these perennial closures and suggestions on what we can do to help avoid closures like this in the future.