City Council

Wednesday, December 18, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING - Virtual Meeting Information: Community members may join the Zoom meeting via telephone by calling US: +1 253-215-8782 (Toll free) or +1 206-337-9723 (Toll free) using Webinar ID: 893-8771-0256 and/or via computer here. No passcode needed for Zoom access to meeting.

Watch the Meeting Live via Zoom Here.

Watch the Meeting Live Here on KGOV

More ways to watch! Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live on City of Kirkland YouTube and Facebook in addition to the live stream on the City website. Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel.

Council will accept live spoken commentary under 'Items from the Audience' or ‘Public Hearings’ at regular meetings both via Zoom audio/video on a computer or telephone connection, and in person. The Zoom connection links are provided on each individual meeting agenda. The virtual meeting will be broadcast live on KGOV channel 21 and live-streamed on the City's website. Comments will be subject to the Council protocols mentioned above.

The City of Kirkland takes pride in ensuring that people with disabilities are able to take part in, and benefit from, the range of public programs, services, and activities offered by the City, including participating in public meetings.  To request an accommodation, special assistance, or alternate format of communication, contact the City Clerk’s Office at 425-587-3190 or email the City's ADA Coordinator at adacoordinator@kirklandwa.gov. 

For issues that are not quasi-judicial or set for a public hearing:

• Three minutes per speaker, no more than three speakers per side of an issue. 
• Zoom audience members will be alerted to ‘raise their hand’ virtually if they wish to address the Council at the appropriate time in the meeting. Typically this is achieved by pressing *9 when indicated. 

Signing up to speak: Sign-ups are managed via an electronic form, which is made available the night of the Council Meeting at 7 PM. If you attempt to sign-up prior to 7 PM, you will be unable to access the form. There will be a laptop available at the Chamber entrance where community members may queue to sign-up to address Council. Any questions regarding the process can be addressed by emailing the City Clerk at CityClerk@KirklandWa.gov or calling (425) 587-3190.

Sign-Up for Public Comment

Public Hearings

The City Council is allowing digital presentations on a pilot basis beginning with the November 6, 2024, public hearings. To be shown by the public on November 6, a presentation must be received by the City Clerk’s Office by Wednesday, November 6^th at 11 a.m. Please send digital presentations to CityClerk@kirklandwa.gov. 

Council Meetings Streamed Online

Limited socially-distanced seating is now available on site and in the Council Chamber.
To ensure accessibility for the public, in addition to in-person attendance at City Hall, City Council meetings are live-streamed on a variety of platforms such as the City website and the City of Kirkland's YouTube and Facebook pages. Community members can also tune in on their television with Comcast Cable Channel 21 or Frontier Cable Channel 31.

Members of the public may address the City Council live during the ‘Items from the Audience’ subject to the Council protocol of a limit of three speakers on each side of a particular issue, for a maximum of three minutes each, or during scheduled Public Hearings, via the Zoom connection link provided on each agenda. 

Meetings

There are two types of meetings, both of which are open to the public. Regular meetings are those in which the Council makes local laws, policies, and basic decisions relating to the city. Study sessions are public meetings in which the Council conducts more informal and in-depth discussions of special projects and issues of interest. No official action may be taken by the City Council at a study session.

Time

The City Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 123 5th Avenue. Study sessions are held at 5:30 p.m., prior to the regular meetings, in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 123 5th Avenue.

Community Participation

The City Council encourages all community members to express their opinions on any matter within the Council's authority. Oral presentations and written communications are both appropriate methods of expression during public meetings. Written communications also may be directed to the City Council or City Manager at City Hall. All such communications will be answered.

On each regular Council meeting agenda there is an item called "Items from the Audience". This is the time in which a person may present an issue, raise a question or concern, voice a complaint, or even compliment the City. Comments may be made at this time on any subject which is not quasi-judicial in nature or scheduled for a public hearing. Quasi-judicial subjects are specifically noted with an asterisk (*) on Council agendas. (Quasi-judicial matters are typically those which involve obtaining a legal permit for a specific development or land use for which a public hearing has previously occurred.)

Speakers are asked to limit their remarks to three minutes apiece. No more than three speakers may address the Council on any one subject. However, if both proponents and opponents wish to speak, then up to three proponents and up to three opponents of the matter may address the Council.  To participate at a City Council meeting, the speaker must step to the microphone and lectern placed in front of the Council and, after receiving recognition from the Mayor, state their name and neighborhood if it is relevant to the topic you will bring up. All remarks should be addressed to the Council as a group, not to any particular Council member or any member of the City staff or audience.

Whenever a group wishes to address the Council on a subject, the Mayor will normally request that a spokesperson be chosen to speak for the group. Applause or other displays of approval or disapproval are inappropriate and are not permitted during Council meetings.

Neighborhood Associations

The City of Kirkland is committed to sustaining strong relations with neighborhood associations and residents.

Kirkland's Neighborhood Associations serve as an important communications link between the City and its residents. They also provide an effective way for neighbors to improve the quality of life in Kirkland’s Neighborhoods. There are currently eleven associations meeting on a regular basis. For additional information on organizing, Programs, and upcoming meetings check the Neighborhood Services Web Page. Stay connected to Kirkland by subscribing to Neighborhood E-Bulletins by going to www.kirklandwa.gov and click on the Kirkland Email Alerts icon.

Volunteer Program

The City operates a volunteer program, which allows the City to take advantage of the extraordinary reserve of knowledge, talent, and skill possessed by volunteers within our community. The City's volunteer program involves interested residents in local government by providing the opportunity to perform work of value to the community. To learn more about available volunteer opportunities with the City of Kirkland, please contact the City's Volunteer Services Coordinator at 425-587-3012.

Mayor Kelli Curtis
Position #2
Term Expires December 31, 2027

External Committee Assignments: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Statement of Policy Committee, AWC Large City Advisory Committee, Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Executive Board, Sound City Association (SCA) King County Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) (Caucus Chair), SCA Public Issues Committee (PIC), SCA Large City Mayors.

Councilmember Curtis received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership (CML) from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in March 2021. She also received a Certificate of Training for "A Short Course on Local Planning" from the Washington State Department of Commerce in May 2023. She earned her Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership (ACML) from AWC in June of 2023.

About Mayor Curtis: Prior to becoming a Councilmember, Curtis served on the City of Kirkland Park Board (appointed in 2015) as Vice Chair, the Houghton Community Council (appointed in 2016), and the Kirkland Housing Strategy Advisory Group (appointed in 2017).

Curtis worked for most of her career in the technology industry as a product manager for companies such as Aldus and Starwave (acquired by Adobe and Disney, respectively). At Starwave, she was hired to develop the Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll and later enjoyed collaborations with Clint Eastwood, Ralph Steadman and Sting. She shifted gears, stepping away from the tech world, and served as King County Master Gardner for 14 years and also became a Washington State Nursery and Landscaping Association (WSNLA) Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) after attending the LWIT Environmental Horticultural Program. (CPH designation requires over 2000 hours professional experience and tested proven horticultural knowledge.) She founded her landscape design firm sixteen years ago and became known for her talent to design gardens in unusual spaces. Curtis was selected to be featured at the Northwest Flower and Garden show and in Pacific Magazine.

Curtis attended the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies. She has lived in Kirkland for over 30 years with her husband, a LWHS grad, and numerous pets. (Her mother-in-law graduated from LWHS in 1955!) Her young adult children now live in Salt Lake City, Utah and Kirkland, Washington.

Mayor Curtis can be reached at kcurtis@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3532. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold

Position #1
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold began his first term on the Kirkland City Council in January 2014. He was served as Deputy Mayor, selected by Councilmembers, since January 2016.  

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Transportation Ad Hoc Work Group

External Committee Assignments: Eastside Transportation Partnership, Eastrail Regional Advisory Council, I-405/SR 167 Executive Advisory Group, King County Cities Climate Collaboration Outreach Committee, Metropolitan Solid Waste Advisory Committee Alternate, Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board

Regionally Appointed Committee Assignments: King County Regional Policy Committee, Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board, State Building Code Council

About Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold: Deputy Mayor Arnold seeks to protect Kirkland's quality of life through long-term planning, forward-thinking investments in transportation and parks, and a focus on sustainability as we grow with grace. His leadership in advocating for bills in the state legislature to help address affordable housing and homelessness earned him the 2019 Advocacy All-Star Award from the Association of Washington Cities.

Prior to being elected to the Council, he served on Kirkland’s Planning Commission from 2009 through 2013, including a term as Chair. In 2011, he was appointed to the Parks Funding Exploratory Committee that put together Kirkland’s 2012 Parks Levy. Arnold co-chaired the successful campaign that won the support of voters, providing dedicated funding for Kirkland Parks.
 
Deputy Mayor Arnold has volunteered in the community as a board member and President of Futurewise, the state’s leading smart growth advocacy organization, and as a board member at Northwest SEED (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development) developing community-based renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. He has worked for open, accountable and transparent government as a trustee for the Municipal League of King County, a citizen's watchdog group dedicated to good government. He served as Chair of the Capital Finance Review Board, a project of the Municipal League, Greater Seattle Chamber of Chamber of Commerce, and the League of Women Voters, researching the impact of various local taxing measures.

Deputy Mayor Arnold runs his own web development business and also works as a Technology Consultant at Fuse Washington, the state’s largest grassroots progressive organization. Previously, Arnold was a group manager at Microsoft, leading test teams on flagship products such as Internet Explorer and Windows. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Arnold has earned the Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).

Deputy Mayor Arnold and his wife, Mary Beth Binns, live in the Norkirk neighborhood. They have three teenage daughters.

Deputy Mayor Arnold can be reached at jarnold@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3535.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Neal Black
Position #5
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Councilmember Neal Black has served on the Kirkland City Council since November 2019. He has lived in the Central Houghton neighborhood since 2003 and has lived in Kirkland since 1998.

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Legislative Work Group, Transportation Ad Hoc Work Group

City Committee Assignments: Disability Board

External Committee Assignments: Eastside Transportation Partnership Representative, King County Cities Climate Collaboration Outreach Committee Representative, Regional Crisis Response Agency Principles Assembly Delegate, NORCOM Principals Assembly Delegate Alternate, WRIA8 Salmon Recovery Council Alternate

Regionally Appointed Committee Assignments: Regional Law, Safety, and Justice Committee Representative and Vice Chair; King County Regional Transit Committee Alternate

Councilmember Black received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in May, 2023. 

About Councilmember Neal Black:  Councilmember Black is a long-time resident of Kirkland having lived in the Lakeview neighborhood, the Everest neighborhood, and now the Central Houghton neighborhood.  For 10 years he was a fixture at Everest Park where he coached Kirkland American Little League baseball. 

Councilmember Black has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University.  He is a licensed member of the bar in Washington and Oregon.  He has taught intellectual property and business law courses at the University of Washington School of Law (2009-2016), Seattle University School of Law (2008), and the Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics (2007) as an adjunct professor and part-time lecturer.

For over 10 years, Councilmember Black has been a partner at the law firm Adkins Black, where he advises clients in the software technology and interactive entertainment software industries.  Before joining Adkins Black, he was Vice President and General Counsel of Square Enix, a global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software.  He also previously served as Vice President and General Counsel of Emergent Payments, a provider of digital payment solutions for the interactive entertainment software industry.  He began his legal career as an associate at the Seattle law firm of Perkins Coie in 1998.

Councilmember Black has been involved in public policy and related community service for over 25 years.  From 2014-2019, he was the chair of the Public Policy Committee of the King County Bar Association, where he is now a member of the Board of Trustees, addressing issues associated with diversity in the legal profession and equal access to justice.  Prior to that, from 2007 to 2009, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington Ceasefire, which at that time was the leading organization in Washington advocating for common sense gun safety legislation.  Councilmember Black has also worked on public policy for the White House Office on Environmental Policy (1994), the California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee (1993), the US Department of Justice Environmental Enforcement Division (1997), and the Environmental Defense Fund (1996) as a law clerk and intern. 

Councilmember Black received the 2023 Friend of the Legal Profession Award from the King County Bar Association. The award recognizes Councilmember Black’s role with a small team of King County lawyers who worked nationally to successfully encourage the American legal profession, through the American Bar Association, to adopt an official position that encourages the Justices of the US Supreme Court to adopt their own binding code of ethics.

Councilmember Black was born on Adak Island, near the southwestern tip of Alaska's Aleutian Islands.  He grew up in a small town in Central Oregon, and since 1998 has lived in Kirkland with his wife, two sons, and their pet Havanese.

Councilmember Black may be reached at nblack@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3544. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Amy Falcone
Position #6
Term Expires December 31, 2027

Councilmember Amy Falcone was elected to Position 6 on the Kirkland City Council in November of 2019, after serving as a founding member and Co-Chair of Kirkland’s Human Services Commission.

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee, City Committee Assignments, Tourism Development Committee

External Committee Assignments: Eastside Human Services Forum Board, Regional Crisis Response Agency Principles Assembly Alternate, WRIA8 Salmon Recovery Council

Regionally Appointed Committee Assignments: Association of Washington Cities DEIB Cabinet, King Conservation District Advisory Committee Alternate, King County Affordable Housing Committee, Sound Cities Association Board of Directors, Sound Cities Association Equity and Inclusion Cabinet

Councilmember Falcone received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in March, 2021. She also received a Certificate of Training for "A Short Course on Local Planning" from the Washington State Department of Commerce in May, 2023.

About Councilmember Falcone:  Prior to being elected to the Kirkland City Council, Councilmember Falcone served as a founding member and Co-Chair of the Kirkland Human Services Commission. In that role she successfully advocated for increased city funding to support the basic needs of community members, with a focus on equity and on enhancing preventative programs such as legal aid to help keep neighbors housed. She brings this same focus on equity and supporting our most vulnerable neighbors to her work on City Council, where she seeks to bring a lens of equity and sustainability to all of the city’s work.

A Kirkland resident since 2014, Amy lives in the Finn Hill neighborhood with her husband and three children.  She and her husband fell in love with Kirkland when they moved to the Pacific Northwest, particularly enamored by the City's lush park system, vibrant downtown core and vital sense of community.  Since deciding on Kirkland as her family's forever home, Amy has devoted herself to serving the community in a variety of ways. 

She is the current PTO Co-President at LWSD’s Environmental and Adventure School. She also sits on the PTA board at Thoreau Elementary School, where she has served in various positions such as PTA President, Legislative Advocacy Chair, Fundraising Chair, Spring Carnival Chair and other board roles. Her extensive volunteerism at the school earned her the 2017 Golden Acorn Award, a prestigious Washington State PTA award given for exemplary and outstanding volunteerism. Elected to the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance (FHNA) board of directors in 2016, Amy represented Finn Hill on the Kirkland Neighborhood Safety Panel for four years, helping to secure city funding for safety improvements to facilitate better walking, rolling, and biking routes for neighbors across the city. She additionally served as events committee chair and treasurer on the FHNA. 

Councilmember Falcone holds a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where she also taught undergraduate statistics.  Amy spent over a decade in social science research, focused on a variety of issues, including career equity of women and LGBTQIA military service members, military families, social science research methodology, and much more.

Councilmember Amy Falcone can be reached at afalcone@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3526.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Jon Pascal
Position # 7
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Councilmember Jon Pascal was first elected to Position 7 on the Kirkland City Council in November 2017, having previously been appointed to Position 2 when the seat was vacated in December 2016. He was re-elected to his second term in 2021 and will serve a four-year position which will expire in December 2025. Councilmember Pascal is a long-time resident of Kirkland having lived in both the Finn Hill neighborhood and now in the Juanita neighborhood.

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee, Transportation Ad Hoc Work Group

External Committee Assignments: Cascade Water Alliance Board Alternate, Cascade Water Alliance Resource Management Committee, Eastrail Regional Advisory Council Alternate, King County EMS Advisory Committee Alternate, NORCOM Principals Assembly Delegate

Statewide Appointed Assignments: Cooper Jones Active Transportation Safety Council, Washington State Transportation Improvement Board

About Councilmember Pascal: Councilmember Pascal has actively volunteered his time on various City of Kirkland Commissions, organizations, and stakeholder groups since moving to Kirkland in 2001. He was first appointed by the Kirkland City Council to the Transportation Commission and served eight years as a Commissioner, two of those years as Chair. During that time, he led the effort to develop the Commission's Transportation Conversations policy document and helped develop the City's Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets Ordinance. In 2009 he was appointed to the Planning Commission where he served for 6 years and assisted in reconciling and updating land use regulations after the annexation of Juanita, Finn Hill, and Kingsgate neighborhoods.

Councilmember Pascal has also been active in his neighborhood, volunteering to lead the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA) Exploratory Committee that helped expand the mission of DCNA to form the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance (FHNA) in late 2011. He served on FHNA's Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016. He led FHNA's policy committee which worked with the City to prioritize needed transportation safety projects, preserve open space, expand Juanita Heights Park, and improve emergency services. He also served as co-chair of the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods in 2016.

His passion for improving transportation safety and mobility has led to his participation on a number of advisory groups for the City that helped guide the outcomes of the 100th Avenue NE Corridor Study, the Juanita Drive Corridor Study and the Central Way Corridor Improvements. Councilmember Pascal helped establish the City's Neighborhood Safety Program in 2014 to support the implementation of low-cost safety improvements around schools, parks and activity centers. He also participated in the Finn Hill Fire Station siting analysis and was a community participant in developing the Kirkland Fire Department Strategic Plan to assist in improving response times to underserved areas of the community.

Councilmember Pascal is a principal and part owner of Transpo Group, a transportation planning and engineering services company headquartered in Kirkland's Totem Lake area. He regularly works as a consultant for public agencies, advising on transportation studies and capital projects throughout the region and state. Councilmember Pascal is a proud alumnus of the University of Washington where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and a Master of Science degree in Engineering. He was born and raised in Bellevue. Councilmember Pascal and his wife Kristin have two children.

Councilmember Pascal can be reached at jpascal@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3530. He is generally available to meet with constituents on Fridays. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Penny Sweet
Position #3
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Councilmember Sweet began her first term on the Kirkland City Council in January 2010. She served as Deputy Mayor  from 2010-2011, and 2014-2015. The Kirkland City Council selected Councilmember Penny Sweet to serve as Mayor for the remainder of 2019, and again in 2021-2023. She has lived in Kirkland since 1985 and served as the Chair of the Market Neighborhood Association from 2007–2009.

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Legislative Work Group

City Committee Assignments: Tourism Development Committee

External Committee Assignments: Cascade Water Alliance Board, Cascade Water Alliance Public Affairs Committee, Cascade Water Alliance Finance & Management Committee, Eastside Transportation Partnership Alternate, King County EMS Advisory Committee, Metropolitan Water Pollution Abatement Advisory Committee, Metropolitan Solid Waste Advisory Committee

Regionally Appointed Committee Assignments: HealthierHere Governing Board Alternate, King County Board of Health

About Councilmember Sweet: Councilmember Sweet grew up in Seattle where she attended Roosevelt High School and Shoreline Community College before beginning a career in Health Care. She participated in numerous management and leadership courses throughout her career concentrating on customer service, process and quality improvement and leadership. She trained with the Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute, the University of Washington School of Business, Antioch University and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Eastside in 2008.

She retired in 2007 as an Associate Director of Business Operations for Group Health Cooperative. Over the course of her 31-year career with Group Health, she managed business operations for five outpatient medical centers in Everett and Monroe and for the Hospitals and Specialty Centers in Seattle and Redmond since 1998. She was a member of the Group Health Community Action Teams in Seattle and on the Eastside responsible for outreach and building community relations.

Councilmember Sweet moved to Kirkland in 1985 where she and her husband, Representative Larry Springer, have owned and operated The Grape Choice, a retail wine shop in downtown Kirkland for 34 years. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and sits on its Public Policy Committee. She is on the Board of Directors of the Kirkland Downtown Association. She was a member of the Kirkland Downtown Action Team. She is a member of Kirkland Art Center where she served on the Board of Directors from 1987 until 1991. She served on the Kirkland Library Arts Committee and is a member of FOLK (Friends of the Library of Kirkland). She is a lifetime member of the Kirkland Heritage Society and a member of The Audubon Society and The Sierra Club.

In 1999 she founded Celebrate Kirkland, Inc., a non-profit organization that created and organizes Kirkland's annual 4th of July celebration. Since aligning Celebrate Kirkland with the Kirkland Downtown Association, she has continued to chair the event as she has for 20 years. In 2004 and 2005 she served as chair of events on the Kirkland Centennial Steering Committee.

In 2000, Councilmember Sweet was the recipient of the Anne G. Owen Award for Community Service presented by the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized by the Kirkland Chamber as a “Friend of Kirkland” in 2000 and in 2005 received the President’s Award. In 2016 she was awarded the William C. Woods "Above & Beyond" Award by the Chamber for outstanding community leadership.

Councilmember Sweet can be reached at psweet@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3534.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember John Tymczyszyn
Position #4
Term Expires December 31, 2027

Councilmember John Tymczyszyn was elected to Position 4 on the Kirkland City Council in November of 2023 after serving on the Planning Commission since 2017.

Current Council Work Group Assignments: Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee

City Committee Assignments: Disability Board

External Committee Assignments: King County Cities Climate Collaboration Outreach Committee, Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Policy Board, Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee alternate

About Councilmember John Tymczyszyn (pronounced: Tim-chiz-in): John is an attorney, veteran, husband, and father of three. Prior to being elected to the Council, he served on the Kirkland Planning Commission from 2017 through 2023, including serving two terms as chair. As a planning commissioner, John advocated for increases in affordable housing, school capacity and measures to combat climate change, to preserve Kirkland’s tree canopy, and to combat environmental degradation. 

John's grandparents moved to veterans housing in Kirkland in 1946 after World War II, and his grandfather became the first flight instructor at Kenmore Air Harbor.  

John graduated from Bellevue High School and received a B.S. from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  He reported to the Naval Officer Candidates School in September 2001 where he served as a Naval officer from 2001-2009, rising to the rank of Lieutenant and receiving a National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. During that time, John served as both a pilot and an aide in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

John then attended the Seattle University School of Law and served in the criminal prosecution division of the City of Everett. In 2014, John founded his own law firm, John T Law, PLLC, and practices criminal defense and civil rights with a focus on trial and litigation. He also served as a founding member and legislative director for the Washington State Veterans Bar Association, an organization that advocates on behalf of veterans and provides pro-bono legal services to veterans and underserved populations.  

John and his wife, Tracey, a middle school principal, live in the Houghton neighborhood with their children, Jack, Molly and Teddy.

Kirkland is one of the most livable cities in America. We are a vibrant, attractive, green and welcoming place to live, work and play. We value Civic engagement, innovation and diversity. We are respectful, fair, and inclusive. We honor our rich heritage while embracing the future. Kirkland strives to preserve and enhance the environment for our enjoyment and future generations.

Read more about the 2023-2024 Work Program and the Council's Goals. 

Kirkland operates under the “council-manager” form of government which means all legislative and policy-making powers are vested in the City Council. Policy-making often takes the form of passing ordinances or resolutions. The Council employs a professionally-trained public administrator, the City Manager, to carry out the policies it develops.

In a “council-manager” form of government, the Mayor’s responsibilities are primarily to preside at council meetings, and act as head of the city for ceremonial purposes and for purposes of military law. The Mayor votes as a Councilmember and does not have any veto power. (RCW 35.18.190; RCW 35A.13.030 Optional Municipal Code cities.)

Among many of its duties, the City Council adopts a Biennial Budget, approves the Six Year Capital Improvement Program, and adopts ordinances and resolutions. The City Council conducts interviews of interested and eligible applicants and appoints them as members on several advisory boards and commissions

The City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month with a Study Session followed by a Regular Meeting. Council meetings are broadcast live and on-demand from the City’s webpage. You can subscribe to receive City Council meeting agendas via email by visiting the "E-Bulletin" webpage.

In February 2012, the City Council approved Ordinance 4348 which established a Code of Ethics for elected and appointed officials of the City of Kirkland.

Related Links:

Code-of-Ethics(PDF, 730KB)

Code-of-Conduct(PDF, 64KB)

Kirkland Municipal Code, Chapter 3.14, Code of Ethics

State Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers, Chapter 42.23 RCW

City Council Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to file for candidacy for the Kirkland City Council, you must be a registered voter at the time of filing (with King County Elections) and have lived in Kirkland city limits for at least one year prior to the election.

Campaign Contribution Limits
The Kirkland City Council approved Ordinance No. 4190 which sets dollar limits on  the size of contributions a Kirkland City Council candidate may receive during an election cycle.  The Ordinance is codified as Kirkland Municipal Code Chapter 3.12 and relies largely on the relevant definitions found in state law and on the interpretations of these definitions provided by rule or order of the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.

Effective June 1, 2010, state campaign contribution limits now apply to City Council candidates. For information, visit the PDC website or call toll free 1-877-601-2828.

Common questions about Ordinance No. 4190 are listed below:

Are there limits on the acceptance of contributions by Kirkland City Council candidates?
Yes there are limits.  As of April 2023, a City Council candidate may not accept a contribution of more than $1,200 from any person (individual, business, or corporation).  The $1,200 limit is in effect through the 2023 Election Cycle.

The contribution limit is the same as that established by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) for King County office candidates.  From time to time, the PDC will adjust the limits.  To see the current contribution limit set by the PDC, visit the PDC website.

With State and Federal Elections, contribution limits apply separately to the primary and general elections.  Is it the same with the City?”
No, it is not the same.  The $1,200 limit applies to the entire election cycle, there is not a separate limit for the primary and another limit for the general.

What’s the Election Cycle?
The election cycle means the combination of the general or special and the primary election and begins on the date when an individual becomes a candidate and ends when the candidate files his or her final report pursuant to RCW 42.17.350

Are there exceptions to the contribution limits?
Yes.  There are exceptions to the contributions dollar limit for: contributions from a candidate’s own resources; the value of volunteer services; and, with some limitations, surplus funds.  Please see Kirkland Municipal Code 3.12.040 (Ordinance No. 4190).

 Related Links

• Washington State Public Disclosure Commission
• King County Elections
• Revised Code of Washington

Individuals interested in serving on the City Council may find the following information helpful:

• Learn more about the role of a Councilmember
• Review the Council’s Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Policies & Procedures(PDF, 302KB)
• Attend Council meetings
• Review public financial disclosure responsibilities
• Learn about the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine
• Understand the salaries and benefits for Council members
• Talk with any former or current Council members to ask questions about their experience serving on the City Council. Please note that written communications with City Council members related to City business (including application/appointment processes) on any platform or media are public records and subject to disclosure upon request under the Washington State Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.
• Read information related to the City of Kirkland campaign sign regulations. 

The Salary Commission is made up of three community members who are appointed for staggered terms by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.