2026-11-05 - City Council Study Session Meeting

00:38We're live.

00:51>> I'm calling this meeting to order. This

00:52is a special meeting of the Redmond City

00:54Council held on Thursday, November 5th,

00:562026 commencing at 6 6:00 p.m.

01:00All council members are in attendance

01:02this evening.

01:04There is one agenda one item on the

01:06agenda tonight, preliminary 2027 2028

01:10biennial budget council deliberations

01:12number four.

01:14Attachments to this item were added

01:16after the agenda was published and

01:18appended agenda with links to the

01:20attachments are accessible online via

01:22the meetings information center and a QR

01:25code is available for scanning at the

01:26entrance to chambers.

01:28Council member Kritzer, the presiding

01:30officer of the finance administration

01:31and communications committee of the

01:33whole will chair this portion of the

01:35meeting.

01:37Council member.

01:38>> Thank you so much. Um thank you council.

01:41Thank you city staff and um and

01:44especially our finance staff that are

01:46are here with us and have been working

01:47closely with us throughout this process.

01:50Um and and I want to also just say

01:52thanks to the public who has been

01:53engaging with us so much throughout this

01:55process. Um this is our final night of

01:59deliberations assuming get through all

02:0113 items that are still outstanding,

02:04um so that we can hopefully move towards

02:07a budget adoption um next Tuesday in our

02:10special meeting um at 6:30 p.m.

02:15Um so uh the goal tonight um there as as

02:18noted uh for the listening public the

02:21attachment of the council deliberation

02:23matrix, the 13 open items are what we

02:26will be discussing tonight. Um and uh

02:30per our council ground rules for this

02:33this process, once we're we're done with

02:35those we'll we'll be uh moving towards

02:37our budget adoption. We'll also at the

02:39end of this time uh get to hear from the

02:42finance director of kind of what the

02:43package is going to look like that we

02:45will be adopting all the different

02:46attachments. We'll get a review of that

02:48at the very end as well.

02:50Um and uh

02:52and excited just dive in here. I will

02:54note for council members and I I did see

02:56a hand and I'll call you on in a minute.

02:58Um

02:59but uh I I will note for council members

03:01that um since we have a lot of items to

03:04get through, we're hoping to get through

03:05this in uh the next 3 hours um that

03:08hopefully we can focus on any questions

03:11that we have um that are the most

03:13important for being able to make the

03:14decisions in the budget and then things

03:16that we want to put for um matrix or

03:19parking lot um to be able to flag those

03:21if if you want to just get some more

03:22background information as well um cuz a

03:25lot of these are exciting meaty topics

03:26and some of them may be good for the

03:28council to continue on as well um uh to

03:31get more information as we move into the

03:32biennium after it's funded.

03:34Um and with that um we'll we will move

03:37to these items, but I do see um a a

03:40question from council member Forseth.

03:42>> Thank you. Um I had an item that we

03:45previously closed, but I don't feel like

03:47we got uh

03:48clear consensus or we didn't spend the

03:50time to have consensus around a topic

03:52within that item. Should I wait until

03:55we get through these items

03:57to bring that up?

03:58>> You can bring that up uh at this moment

04:01so we know what would be on the list. I

04:03will say that I think if we previously

04:04closed an item

04:06for our agreement, that was the time for

04:09everyone to bring up an issue. But go

04:11ahead.

04:12>> Um so the item was around the new

04:14department and uh we did not gain

04:17consensus around the capital division

04:19being in that. I know we moved past it

04:22very quickly and we were very happy to

04:24move forward, but I would like to

04:25revisit because I know there are at

04:27least three council members with um

04:29thoughts.

04:32>> Well, thank you for raising that. Um I

04:34will say that I think

04:36um given that we spent over an hour on

04:40that and we also spent a lot of time

04:41deliberating and we did vote on it with

04:44the with the proposal with um five of us

04:48that said that we uh supported moving

04:51forward with the um group with the

04:55current proposal as proposed and it was

04:58discussed. Uh there wasn't a proposal

04:59that was brought. Um I I I don't

05:02personally think that we should reopen

05:04the item given

05:05that we have a lot of work to do on this

05:07as well.

05:08>> I respectfully disagree and would like

05:10to see if there's enough

05:12um consensus to We do have three people

05:14that are willing to speak on it, so I

05:16respectfully disagree.

05:18>> Okay, I understand. Um and I'm happy to

05:20uh to ask whether council members would

05:23like to reopen um for discussion the

05:26item around the new department.

05:29Um if anyone has any comments, otherwise

05:31we can just do thumbs on that um and

05:34uh

05:35decide on on whether we're going to

05:36reopen that discussion.

05:39Uh council member Percy.

05:42>> I would say that it would be helpful for

05:44me to have that discussion. Um when

05:47council member Forsyth brought up the

05:48item, I um was anticipating that as

05:51chair you would bring it up and for

05:53discussion, but I didn't get a chance in

05:56the moment and you didn't and I also

05:57missed my opportunity to kind of raise

05:59my hand and uh discuss that further on

06:01that topic, so I would really appreciate

06:03the opportunity to have the

06:04conversation.

06:06>> Thank you for sharing that perspective.

06:08I will note that we did get an answer

06:10about the capital division, um and there

06:12wasn't a proposal put forward um to

06:14actually make that that change and so

06:16that wasn't that was why I didn't

06:17actually ask the council if we wanted to

06:19do something different. Um and we did

06:21take uh we did take our our poll on um a

06:25different proposal.

06:26Um so I guess I will ask council members

06:28is there interest in um revisiting or

06:32reopening um the item around the new

06:34department?

06:38I only see three so um we won't be

06:41revisiting. Thank you for raising it

06:43though.

06:44Um all right moving on to the first item

06:48on the agenda is um the first item on

06:51the agenda is the community requested

06:53capital contribution specifically around

06:55the Wayfinder hub.

06:56Um and I believe um that uh interim

06:59director Allen um has uh spoken with the

07:02Wayfinder hub and can give us some

07:04updates on um the potential opportunity

07:07for funding there.

07:10>> Absolutely. Um so as I shared in your um

07:13packet uh the Wayfinder hub was able to

07:15share with us that they have a capital

07:17campaign goal of 6.3 million. They had

07:20already secured 1 million from uh

07:23Microsoft and then um this wasn't

07:25actually included in the packet. They

07:27sent it later and wanted to make sure I

07:28included it that they have 8,604

07:31from individual donor contributions um

07:33and intend uh

07:35plan to continue that um campaign. So

07:37their remaining capital need is around

07:395.3 million um and uh they uh have

07:44reached out to the city. They've also

07:46reached out to um council member

07:47Balducci's office and have been looking

07:49at um other state and federal grants and

07:52um the city staff have been working with

07:55them currently on how to try and help

07:56fill uh some of that uh gap and my kind

08:00of current recommendation would be that

08:02we see um how far we can um get and then

08:06maybe that we come back and see uh what

08:09uh contribution the city um could end up

08:11providing to help fill a gap after we

08:13see whether state or federal grants have

08:14been able to be secured. Um so that's

08:17kind of the initial thing and then um

08:19also if you want me to go more into the

08:20programming um I can do that uh as well

08:23that they shared with us but thought I'd

08:25start with the

08:26financials.

08:28>> Thank you. Um and

08:31can can you clarify about the

08:32programming as well?

08:34>> Sure. So the Wayfinder Hub will be is uh

08:37uh 11,000 square foot space in the um

08:40ground floor of the Prisma building

08:42which is the um development that's

08:44currently under construction. Got to

08:45pass it on the train this uh today uh at

08:48the Overlake Village Station and it'll

08:50be um a community-owned intellectual and

08:52entrepreneurial center that's located as

08:55I said on the ground floor. Um it will

08:57be led by Friends of the Village and the

08:59hub um

09:00is planning on trying to create

09:02culturally responsive business

09:03incubation, a shared commercial kitchen,

09:06a uh women's resource center, digital

09:09literacy and media resources as well as

09:11um creating affordable gathering spaces

09:13and multilingual community services.

09:16Um and all of those uh things will also

09:18they'll be looking for funding on the

09:20operations side but first they're trying

09:21to get through the capital campaign.

09:25>> All right. Thank you. Um

09:27are there questions for uh interim

09:29director Allen?

09:31Council President Stuart.

09:33>> Uh thank you interim director Allen. So

09:35acting director Allen um

09:38so

09:40the recommendation in our documentation

09:44um was about possibly using community

09:46stability dollars and I actually I don't

09:48support that approach. So the the new

09:50approach um that you're suggesting is to

09:53put a pin in this discussion um until

09:56more of their fundraising can take place

09:59to be a last dollar in rather than a

10:01first dollar in.

10:04>> Um and I just to talk about the

10:05community stability fund I think we did

10:07have that conversation in council. My

10:09recommendation and council can choose as

10:11a part of this budgeting process, but in

10:13the prior biennium, um the council had

10:16really focused that funding on um kind

10:18of emergent needs. Uh

10:20and so uh my recommendation is that we

10:23could still do a capital request, but

10:25that it should be something that we open

10:27up to um other groups who might have a

10:29need um as a

10:31a request for proposals in the new year.

10:33We've heard um you know

10:35different folks need a new washer or

10:37some of those other kinds of things that

10:38are traditionally hard for nonprofits to

10:40get that might um meet more of the

10:42original intent of those dollars from

10:44the prior biennium. And that's um the

10:46reminder of the balance of that is

10:48around seven

10:49hundred and eleven thousand um dollars.

10:51So even if you ended up dedicating all

10:53of that, you'd still have another uh

10:56three and a half million almost to go

10:58for the Wayfinder Hub to meet kind of

11:00its capital need. And so that's why I um

11:03am kind of recommending at this point we

11:04move forward with

11:06um letting it be more of a competitive

11:07process for those dollars and then look

11:10at um what um gap there still might be

11:12after we've had federal and state grants

11:15uh applications gone through.

11:17>> Okay, thank you. Um for my part, I'm not

11:19interested in using the community

11:21stability funds for this. I think for

11:23instance um we have heard um about we're

11:27going to discuss later potential need

11:29for uh continued work for tenants that

11:32maybe will be a great use of those

11:34dollars. Additionally, we have of course

11:36had our biennial um round of feedback

11:39from human service providers who didn't

11:42have their projects or their programs

11:44fully funded through the Human Services

11:45budget. In my mind, some of those um who

11:48may need additional dollars may

11:50absolutely qualify for uh a process next

11:53year for council to distribute these

11:55stability dollars because those are for

11:58stability um that we dedicated for this

12:00unique moment in American history that's

12:02been particularly hard and that was our

12:04plan. I would like to um

12:07be I would be interested to see if the

12:09council is interested in a one-time

12:11capital um investment here that it

12:14doesn't in any way [clears throat] need

12:16to fill the gap um of the Wayfinder hub,

12:19but is something that would signal in a

12:21significant way their their own

12:24communities, their own cities support

12:26before they're filling out those federal

12:28and state grants. So I think the numbers

12:31that I had been um hearing and were were

12:34hoping to see here was you know 100,000

12:36$200,000 in a one-time uh capital

12:39allocation to this community request.

12:42Um so I'll be interested to see if

12:44Council has any further feedback.

12:46Thanks.

12:47>> Thank you.

12:48Council Member Forsyth.

12:49>> Um I think Council President Stewart put

12:52it perfectly and for the sake of time

12:53I'll just say I second her thoughts.

12:57>> Council Member Soni.

13:00>> Actually I'm interested taking a step

13:03back and I want to understand what is

13:05the gap that we are trying to put

13:08together with the Wayfinder hub. We have

13:11a Together Center with the same set of

13:13the nonprofit organizations who has put

13:15up this Friends of Village and we are

13:16putting up this Wayfinder. Understand

13:18it's more towards commercial and

13:21cultural aspect, but is this gap

13:24currently not filled with the Together

13:25Center? And I've seen all these

13:27organizations also getting a human

13:29services grant. So I just want to be

13:31respectful for the lot of organizations

13:35that could not receive their uh human

13:37services funding

13:39uh that we are able to cater to every

13:42organization in some or the other way.

13:44So at this point of time I totally agree

13:47with Council President Stewart that we

13:49should not be spending our community

13:50stability funding for here.

13:52Um

13:54and I'm not sure if we should be even

13:56putting up the capital funding at this

13:57moment until we discover something more

13:59about uh

14:01the need and like you know what's what

14:03gap we are trying to fill out here. I'm

14:05not clear on that.

14:08>> Um do you like me to respond?

14:09>> Allen. Yep.

14:10>> Um yeah and I think so I think the

14:12Together Center is really focused more

14:14on that social services and as I said

14:16they're um

14:18uh

14:19the kind of resources that they're

14:21currently recommending it there's some

14:23social service but there's also more of

14:24that focus on um business support um

14:27which is less of a focus in the Together

14:29Center

14:30um and more around that entrepreneurial

14:32and we're really hoping to partner um

14:34with them in the city space which is

14:36going to be focused um on that kind of

14:38small business support and the hope

14:40would be that you could come in and then

14:41be able to go directly across the alley

14:44there um into um this uh city space and

14:47maybe get help with permits or some

14:49other thoughts or things like that um

14:50basics so that's where there's a little

14:52bit um of a different kind of synergy

14:54that's imagined I think that will

14:55continue to be um evolved I would say

14:57the other thing that is different than

14:59the Together Center is their focus on

15:00creating a commercial kitchen um what we

15:03know is a lot of our um culturally

15:05specific entrepreneurs are um that are

15:07uh doing the food uh industry are having

15:09to go um down into South King County and

15:12other places because there's not

15:13commercial commercial kitchens that they

15:15can lease at affordable rates and so

15:17this is something I would say we are

15:18definitely very supportive of and

15:20supports uh from our economic

15:21development strategic plan and others um

15:24is around that commercial kitchen and

15:25how to help um keep keep entrepreneurs

15:28here and help help help help it make

15:30more sustainable and then if they are

15:32able to grow outside of that commercial

15:33kitchen they would then have the support

15:35which I know you support of moving them

15:37into brick and mortar um spaces and so

15:40um kind of seeing that as a full loop

15:42for those entrepreneurs.

15:46>> Thank you. Um Council Vice President

15:48Nerva Crena.

15:49>> Thank you um for sake of time and moving

15:51us along I I agree community stability

15:53fund should be used um for its its

15:56intent I don't see how it directly

15:58aligns with this however um knowing that

16:02we do want to support uh moving from

16:05home to storefront and also I've brought

16:07up several times the need for um

16:10affordable commercial space I believe

16:12that this is uh a step in that direction

16:14and would support um initial dollars

16:17because it agreeing with

16:19President Stewart, it does um signal

16:23that the city is behind it. So, rather

16:24than being last dollar in, and I

16:27appreciate the flexibility that that

16:28that would give us, I'd be I I would be

16:31in in in favor of going with 100,000

16:35initially and then seeing if there's

16:37something that we can do later.

16:40>> So, I'll pause here and actually ask our

16:42finance director um if we wanted to look

16:44at 100,000 um of capital dollars,

16:47potentially from one-time capital

16:49dollars, do do you think there are

16:51sources that we could look at um for

16:53that?

16:54>> One of um the areas where I've been able

16:57to identify a potential funding source

16:59for this is in a fund that we call our

17:01development agreement fund. So, that's a

17:03fund where we capture um revenues and

17:06expenditures related to um big

17:08development agreements. And we often can

17:12end up with um fund balance if we have

17:15not spent um

17:17all that we've collected. And so this is

17:20um an area that's impacted by um the new

17:23department. And

17:25in um updating the budget, what we've

17:28been able to identify is um about

17:31$200,000 that's unallocated in that

17:33fund.

17:35The dollars are restricted um to the use

17:38of things that benefit um development.

17:41And um we often use them to help with

17:44studies, um with one-time funding um

17:48such as these types of investments, um

17:52really kind of anything that's um can

17:54stimulate or inform um development. And

17:57so I I do think that that would align

17:59with the goals of

18:01this investment.

18:04>> So, it sounds like we we could allocate

18:05up to 200,000. I heard I heard 100 or

18:08200 uh from um Council President

18:11Stewart. I I see Council Member Fawcett,

18:13do you want to make a a proposal and we

18:14can do thumbs on that?

18:16>> I propose we do 200,000.

18:19>> All right. Um is there support for

18:21allocating 200,000 from the fund as as

18:25the what would we call them? Can you

18:29>> Development Agreement Fund.

18:30>> The Development Agreement Funds

18:33um the surplus Development Agreement

18:35Funds

18:37in of capital one-time dollars to as an

18:40allocation to the Wayfinder.

18:44Um Councilmember Parcy.

18:46>> I just heard 100 and 200. I would love

18:50to know if we can have a little bit more

18:51light on how much money might be

18:53available if we maybe want to even

18:55consider further than that. Would you be

18:57able to kind of

18:58before we make a decision on the kind of

19:01the amount, can we have a little bit

19:02more in

19:03>> Inside in 200 is where I would feel

19:05comfortable allocating. It's possible

19:07after year end and things I can come

19:09back with more opportunity, but for

19:11right now with how things are

19:12laying out.

19:13>> So I'll ask if

19:16thumbs up if you want to see 200,000. If

19:18you want to do 100, we'll come to that

19:21as the next choice if we don't have five

19:23thumbs on that.

19:26Director Allen, did you have a comment?

19:28>> No, just checking in with our finance

19:30director about the dollars cuz there's a

19:31topic

19:32later on that I think might

19:34also go in this bucket, but yeah.

19:36>> It could go in this bucket.

19:37>> Yeah.

19:38>> Okay.

19:39Um so council

19:40be aware of that and we might have a

19:42loop back, but hopefully we can make

19:43this decision and we can move forward.

19:44[laughter]

19:45This is a fun iterative process here

19:47since we have a lot of different funds

19:48to talk about tonight, but

19:50but assuming for this moment

19:54please indicate if you'd be interested

19:57in supporting including 200,000 to the

19:59Wayfinder hub in the budget.

20:03Okay, I'm seeing five thumbs. So we will

20:06move forward with that.

20:09The next item on the agenda is the bike

20:12safety contingency and storage

20:14infrastructure. Really it was about the

20:15active transportation program. We wanted

20:18to revisit. We did get an answer in the

20:20matrix about what the active

20:22transportation program could be used

20:23for. Um and we had affirmed that we

20:26wanted to roll 250,000 from the last

20:29budget that was bike safety contingency

20:31into the active transportation program

20:32to have a bigger um program there that

20:34could apply to a variety of spaces. One

20:37question was whether this could be used

20:38for bike storage infrastructure um at

20:41city facilities. Um would you like to

20:43speak to this interim director Allen?

20:45>> Yeah, absolutely. I think you did a

20:46great job summarizing that, so I'll just

20:48stick to say that I think we um staff

20:51would prefer to use those dollars more

20:54for the safety projects and then if

20:56there are say any leftover dollars, the

20:58bike lockers um could be something at

21:01the end, but we would want to try and

21:02focus on the more capital and safety

21:04projects, but we can include a budget

21:06note, but we would know that staff would

21:07see um that would see try and use all

21:10the dollars for the first intention and

21:12if there's a small amount left, we could

21:13use them for the bike lockers.

21:15>> And so you but you can confirm that if

21:18we were to put all the money into this

21:20this bucket around active

21:22transportation, it could

21:24the council spend time on it and want to

21:26allocate it towards that in the upcoming

21:29biennium that it could be applied there.

21:31>> Yes, and also I looked in and I think

21:32there's also some other budget line

21:34items that might support the council's

21:37interest in this. Our commute assistance

21:39office might be able line item might be

21:41something that we can contribute to that

21:43or other things

21:44as well and so I think as we develop it

21:46out, we can see how many dollars

21:48combined

21:49could achieve the council's goal.

21:51>> And one thing that that I might suggest

21:53would be if if we if we do know that

21:55there there could be funding for that

21:58and it seems like the council might want

21:59to spend some time talking more about

22:01bike storage and the vision for that

22:02especially on city facilities or or be

22:05able to study more around bike storage

22:07around the city that that could be

22:08something that could be put on the

22:10council's agenda for the upcoming year

22:13and and then be able to to look at that.

22:16So

22:17that was just something that that we had

22:19discussed briefly that I thought I would

22:20share.

22:21Are there questions, comments on this?

22:25Uh, member Forsyth.

22:27>> Thank you. Um, and thank you for the

22:28information on this. I feel very

22:30strongly that safety should come first,

22:32so I appreciate this proposal and this

22:35support knowing that staff will

22:37prioritize um bike storage should that

22:40funding be available and the finding

22:42creative ways to find it from other line

22:44items. Super appreciate all the work

22:46that went into it.

22:48>> Great. Um, are there any other comments

22:51or questions on this item?

22:53All right, then I will ask um whether

22:55the council is supportive of moving

22:57forward with the proposal as as um

23:00shared by Director Allen to use these

23:03funds for bike safety projects and then

23:05um

23:06use any remaining balance on bike

23:09storage facilities.

23:12All right, seeing seven thumbs there, so

23:13we'll move forward. Um, the next item on

23:16here is a severe weather shelter. Um, we

23:19had looked at this line item. There's

23:21$50,000 in the preliminary budget. Um,

23:24and council members had asked whether we

23:26should increase that to $100,000 to be

23:28able to make sure that we could meet the

23:30needs um for severe weather shelters in

23:33our community. Um, Director Allen, would

23:35you like to give us an update on that as

23:38well?

23:38>> Sure. Yeah, there I think there was it

23:39was kind of a two-part question during

23:41that discussion. It was one also like

23:44what with the double B and what could

23:46that um support and that would support

23:48additional staff capacity and resources

23:50to organizations like Porchlight and

23:52Sophia Way, um but it would not be

23:54enough dollars to open kind of a new

23:56facility, um which we know there's

23:58those part of the these the 50,000 is

24:01going to helping that excess capacity

24:03when those um shelters are already uh

24:06adding more people. And one of the

24:08things we talked about is knowing that

24:10we might need to look at adding shelter

24:11capacity and that we did check in with

24:14other cities and that's something we can

24:15put on our work program for the biennium

24:17and we'll work with um Jenny

24:19on the resiliency pilot and see if maybe

24:21that's an option for that kind of larger

24:23um

24:24need.

24:25So I think if the council wanted to

24:27double it, you could and there it could

24:29go to some good use, but also um we'll

24:32be looking into the broader need as well

24:34as a part of our work program.

24:36>> And just to clarify, there are other

24:38contingency dollars already available

24:41should you need to go beyond the the

24:4250,000? Is that right?

24:44>> um we do hold a severe weather

24:47contingency mostly made up of risk

24:50associated to salary and benefits for

24:52things like snow and ice removal and

24:54things like that, but an expenditure

24:56like this really would qualify as

24:58something that we would consider within

25:00that contingency where the city could

25:02react if there was um an urgent or

25:05unexpected need. Those contingency

25:07dollars are used when we have things

25:09like the bomb cyclone or um the snow

25:12event in 2018. It's kind of above and

25:15beyond what we expect on a normal annual

25:19um basis and so there are dollars um in

25:22there uh which we could consider a part

25:24of that uh risk.

25:27>> Council Vice President Huynh of Camino.

25:29>> Thank you, Chair. Um as I I was the the

25:31one that had brought up the the

25:33recommendation to to double that uh in

25:36hearing the staff's suggestion and and

25:38also now having a better understanding

25:40of the contingency and how we can use

25:42that, I'm good with the with the

25:43response to good to close it.

25:47>> Great. Um Council Member Procria.

25:50>> Thank you and I was just wondering if I

25:51could get greater clarification on what

25:54exactly we would get from the increase

25:56to 100,000 compared to keeping it at 50.

25:59I understand we have other amounts

26:02budgeted for contingency for severe

26:04weather events like like the bomb

26:05cyclone, but if we were to increase it,

26:07what what do we get? My

26:09my guiding principle here is just that,

26:12you know, climate change doesn't just

26:14make our summers warmer, it also leads

26:15to an increase in extreme weather of of

26:17all kinds, right? We're going to see

26:19more bomb cyclones.

26:20Um so I I would like to know just I

26:23guess if we were to go with this, what

26:24what would we get?

26:26>> Yeah, so we the uh

26:2850,000 currently and this is also a

26:30one-time pilot that we did in the prior

26:31biennium. We paired that also with

26:3350,000 from the city of Bellevue, and

26:35we're hoping that this year Kirkland

26:37will join us in that. And

26:39um previously, as you may recall this

26:41prior conversation that we um had those

26:43dollars go to the King County Regional

26:45uh housing authority to

26:47Oh, sorry, homelessness authority,

26:49sorry. Uh to uh and they did an RFP and

26:52um worked with these organizations like

26:54the shelters I mentioned. And um the uh

26:59so those shelters ended up applying for

27:00that. So we will be doing a similar

27:02process since um we're no longer having

27:04that partnership with KCRHA, um the

27:06cities will work together to release an

27:08RFP. And um so it's uh

27:11I cannot give you more specifics because

27:13we won't know um exactly what it will

27:15pay for until we hear back from the

27:17nonprofits what they need. But we do

27:19know generally it's for additional

27:20staffing capacity so that they can pay

27:23overtime for their employees or um

27:26uh additional uh like warming hand

27:29warmers, like th- those kinds of things

27:30is um typically what they've been

27:32putting that in for.

27:35>> Mayor Bernie.

27:36>> Um so we've had um

27:40a variety of severe weather incidents in

27:42the past some years, um including a heat

27:45dome where we opened up City Hall with

27:47cooling and things like that. So

27:49it's not just um it's not just when we

27:52think of traditional severe cold weather

27:54where we have our um support, we also

27:58you know to the contingency that the

28:00director's talking about, we also um use

28:03that for other uh a wide variety of

28:06weather events, smoke and heat being one

28:09on the summer side. And then you know we

28:11had the wind storm um and then we have

28:14snow events. So um I d- I want to make

28:16sure that the council and the public

28:17know that uh these severe weather events

28:20don't just happen in the winter and we

28:22do use these funds to cover a variety of

28:26things.

28:27>> Thank you. Um and I guess one question

28:29is if we were cuz it sounds like we have

28:31a contingency fund in addition to

28:34budgeting this 50,000. Let's say we we

28:36go out for the 50,000 um with our our

28:39fellow cities, and then we see

28:41additional need and realize we wanted to

28:43have more funds for that. Um uh

28:46say 25 or or 50,000 more. Um I guess

28:50Director Cochrane can can you see too do

28:52you think there might be an opportunity

28:54for the council say to make a budget

28:55adjustment in this space if they if we

28:57decided to not allocate it now but

28:59allocate it later?

29:00Just in terms of understanding our

29:02options.

29:02>> Um council could certainly um request it

29:05if um we're pulling just from our our

29:08contingency. Um I have that authority to

29:11move that from contingency to

29:13um the department's line item budget. So

29:15it's not you know our restricted

29:17reserves. I can um take care of that for

29:20council.

29:20>> Council Member Forseth.

29:22>> Thank you. Um so I know we're talking a

29:24lot about the contingency contingency

29:27aspect, and we've talked a lot about

29:29heating and cooling and keeping the

29:30spaces open.

29:32Can that money also be used towards the

29:33hotel voucher part of that program?

29:37>> Uh we could do that. These are set for

29:40our nonprofits and for their shelter

29:42capacity. We do have other line items

29:44for our homeless outreach staff and for

29:45fire that um to do uh hotels, and we did

29:48actually increase that a little bit as a

29:50line item given the amount of need that

29:52we had.

29:53>> Great. Thank you that.

29:54>> shared me that if we need more we can

29:56let her know.

29:56>> Great. That was [clears throat] where my

29:57core concern was with this element, so I

29:59appreciate the clarity.

30:00>> And Director Alan if you don't mind

30:02tipping your mic up a little bit. Yeah

30:04you're

30:05Yeah that's great. Thank you. Just a

30:06little quiet. Um and you'll be talking a

30:08lot tonight on many items, so I just

30:10want to make sure we can hear you. Um so

30:13council members Oh uh council member

30:14Sony go ahead.

30:16>> Actually just in line with the council

30:18member Forseth actually that was my

30:19question that was just holding. Uh like

30:22out of this amount how much actually

30:23goes towards the services and how much

30:26would be actually spent in the staffing?

30:30>> Uh sorry the how much would of this

30:32would go towards the

30:34>> The actual actual services.

30:37Like for example, as council member

30:39Forsythe also mentioned, like for the

30:41hotel vouchers, maybe food uh during

30:44these severe weather conditions, like

30:46you know, what are the other

30:47stuff that is being offered as the

30:49actual service versus like

30:52like you know, paying for a staff or

30:55uh the operational part of that.

30:57So is there a

30:58is there any

31:00uh

31:01bifurcation bifurcation between both

31:03from this amount?

31:05>> Yeah, I was just looking down Brooke

31:06Buckingham, our Human Services Manager,

31:08was messaging and saying it's unknown

31:10how our agencies

31:12would apply some of the severe weather

31:13dollars until we get in those

31:14applications. Um but as I said, it's

31:17some is for the overtime of staffing

31:20primarily or additional like physical

31:23thing like additional cots or things

31:24that they might need to buy if that

31:26helps. Um and then we have our regular

31:28Human Services fund that helps fund the

31:30regular like services and really this is

31:33a

31:34as we said it last year, it was a pilot

31:35to see because we kept hearing from our

31:38uh shelter providers that the kind of

31:41regular allocations were not covering

31:43the kind of increase in climate change

31:46and

31:47other events that can are continuing to

31:50happen more and more and so we wanted to

31:52try and honor that and help because they

31:55a lot of them were doing it just kind of

31:57out of pocket and burning through staff

31:58and so this was an attempt and it was

32:00successful in working with them on

32:02trying to build up some of that

32:03resiliency and I'd say we still have a

32:05ways to go, but I think we can come back

32:08to the council as we learn more.

32:11>> Thank you. And we keep using the word

32:14resiliency, so it is interesting that we

32:16also have about over $700,000 in

32:18community resilience funding, which this

32:21is also seems like it's an unaligned

32:23type of

32:25area. So council members, I think it was

32:27Council Vice President Nova Comina's

32:30original item. I'll ask does anyone want

32:32to propose that we change what's in the

32:34preliminary budget at this moment or

32:36have questions been satisfied on this

32:38this item.

32:41Not seeing anyone, so I guess I'll ask

32:43thumbs if if questions have been

32:44satisfied and we'll keep what's in the

32:46preliminary budget.

32:47>> Can you clarify Are we talking about the

32:4950

32:50>> yeah. And the contingencies that are in

32:52there and kind of all the other pieces.

32:54Okay, I saw seven seven thumbs. So we'll

32:56we'll move on from this and we'll leave

32:58the 50,000 but um be look forward to

33:02hearing back on how that that new RFP

33:05process goes and um or the the new

33:08process goes and and whether there is a

33:10need um that the council can can look at

33:13um to expand if needed.

33:15>> Absolutely. And I will also share that

33:17um thank you again for the support of

33:18the community health manager as we'll

33:20have some more capacity on team to help

33:21really dive more into this issue and

33:23help facilitate more of those

33:24conversations with shelter providers.

33:26>> That's great.

33:27Okay, so the next item on the agenda is

33:29the East Redmond corridor. Um uh so

33:33there was questions uh from the council

33:36um about whether we could

33:38um whether there would be sufficient

33:40funding should there be some property

33:42acquisition opportunities um to help to

33:44support the development of that corridor

33:47um as well as questions around whether

33:49we would want to bring um money that is

33:51slated for the 2930 biennium um for

33:55design um into the 2728 biennium. Um and

33:59so I'll have our Parks Director Laureen

34:01Hamilton um speak to um some of the

34:04answers on those and and then we can

34:06discuss.

34:07>> [clears throat]

34:08>> Uh good evening City Council. Laureen

34:09Hamilton, Parks and Recreation Director.

34:11So there were two portions to this

34:13particular question from City Council.

34:15One was how would we handle acquisition

34:17in the next um biennium? And I'm going

34:20to actually leave that one for uh

34:22Director Cochran to address cuz that's

34:23more of a funding strategy question.

34:26The other portion of this question was

34:29if City Council wanted to fund any

34:31improvements in the East Redmond

34:32corridor in the next biennium, what

34:34would that look like? I think the

34:36original question was a significant

34:38trail improvement. Um

34:41for context for City Council, the

34:43original CIP asked that we had put into

34:46the um budget, um but again, this got

34:50pushed out and refined uh was a $2.7

34:54million CIP request. Those were based on

34:57this a small set set of phase one

35:00improvements that were identified in the

35:02implementation plan. Uh we prioritized

35:05projects on city-owned property that

35:07would help establish the corridor and

35:09increase access without the dependency

35:11on additional property acquisition and

35:14easements. Uh this was reduced uh and

35:17then scheduled out beyond 2032 due to a

35:20variety of factors. Um if that original

35:22CIP request of $2.7 million was pulled

35:25forward, we could act on it and it would

35:27fulfill pieces from the phase one

35:29implementation plan such as paving a

35:31parking lot at Martin Park, which would

35:33increase parking and access to the trail

35:35corridor, constructing a pedestrian

35:37crossing between

35:39Parigo Park and Conrad Olsen Farm. What

35:41that exactly looks like has not been

35:43determined. It is something that would

35:45need significant exploration.

35:47Uh and then uh

35:49design for phase one. So there's design

35:51costs across the full project and it

35:53would help us um look at at the next

35:56areas that would then be rolled into the

35:58CIP. Uh

36:00if the goal is to demonstrate near-term

36:03progress, then the biggest piece that

36:06would be able to open up access is the

36:08Martin Park parking lot and the Parigo

36:10to Conrad Olsen pedestrian crossings.

36:13Um

36:14which we don't have those pieces broken

36:16out into separate projects because they

36:18were all part of the phase one

36:20implementation um of the East Redmond

36:22corridor. So overarchingly, if that was

36:26if the question from council is what can

36:28we accomplish in the next biennium,

36:29those would be the projects that we

36:31would recommend that would increase

36:32access and begin to increase pedestrian

36:34safety. Acquisition and easements are

36:36going to continue to be a challenge in

36:38this corridor and they're a challenge

36:39that staff have close contact with King

36:42County on. We have good relationships

36:43with our real property team, and we'll

36:45continue to explore what those solutions

36:47will look like.

36:48I think we all just need to understand

36:50it's going to be a long-term project

36:53because of the sheer volume of

36:55improvements

36:56and

36:59unique features throughout that

37:01corridor. So those would be our

37:03recommendations, and then I'll let Kelly

37:05speak to

37:07the

37:08acquisition strategy.

37:12>> So at this time,

37:14what we have on hold in

37:17our real property fund as well as within

37:21all of our CIP funds are

37:24reserves that allow us to be flexible

37:26and nimble up to a certain

37:29limit when we are presented with

37:32opportunities like this.

37:35And so that would be sort of my

37:36recommendation as

37:39as we move closer to the project

37:42actually being kicked off.

37:44If we are approached with an

37:46opportunity, we have a couple of

37:48different funding sources that we can

37:50first looked at to see if that is a

37:52priority for for those that use.

37:57Beyond that,

37:59what we start looking at is impact to

38:01other projects, what we can move out,

38:03what we can scale down

38:05to make those things happen. But I

38:07believe from what I understand that

38:10if opportunities were to arrive in the

38:11short term that they wouldn't be

38:15really large in in in nature. They may

38:17be somewhat complicated, but they

38:19wouldn't be large or something that are

38:22reserves in the real property or in our

38:24CIP funds couldn't

38:26address or at least get us started.

38:29>> Thank you. Councilmember Percy.

38:32>> Thank you. So two things for parks

38:35acquisition and land acquisition. I do

38:37think that it's important for us to be

38:39intentional. It is very easy to kind of

38:42wait for opportunities to come to us,

38:44but But takes a lot more um active

38:46planning to um approach opportunities

38:49and um make time for make time

38:53connection with the community who may be

38:55open to selling their land, who may be

38:57open to um retiring and later donating

39:00their property to the city. So I think

39:02it's really really important for me to

39:04be um to actively invest our time in the

39:07community to um not just wait for

39:10opportunities to come to us for land

39:12acquisition, but to be proactive in how

39:15we um acquire opportunities for um

39:18growing um our land growing the lands

39:21that we make available to the community.

39:23Um in the last meeting you mentioned

39:25that you know we're going to be revising

39:26the park plan and it really breaks my

39:28heart how little um

39:30progress we've made in terms of land

39:32acquisition if we just revise the plan

39:35without actually making the progress

39:36that I uh think the park plan deserves

39:39really. Um so I do think that it's

39:41important for us to make um

39:45commitment with funding towards um land

39:47acquisition. Um and then for the

39:49components that um make parks more

39:52accessible um I would be very interested

39:55in seeing um components of trails

39:58between Parago, um Arthur Johnson as

40:01well as uh Farrell McWhirter Park um to

40:04be connected. Um there are a lot of

40:06opportunity there and I think I saw some

40:09items in the CIP that have overlap with

40:12uh potential sidewalk um opportunity and

40:15crosswalk between um crosswalk in that

40:17area that could be really helpful for us

40:20to um kind of implement. So I would be

40:22um in favor of um

40:24uh dedicating funding to pursue that

40:27rather than kind of relying on

40:29contingency funding and um having it as

40:31a backup option if we have bandwidth. So

40:34I would love to see an active commitment

40:36from the city.

40:37>> Thank you. Um Director Hamilton, can you

40:39speak about the acquisition um efforts

40:43or the landowner engagement efforts to

40:44date?

40:45>> Absolutely. Uh so park staff are

40:47actively engaged in acquisition efforts.

40:49We are have close relationships

40:51throughout the community and um often

40:54get those um communications from

40:57landowners, from real estate agents. Uh

41:00the real real a lot of those come

41:01through our real property team. That's

41:03how we acquired a piece of property

41:04right next to uh Parigo less than two

41:07years ago. So I want to be really clear

41:09that we actually have made strides in

41:11acquisition. We also just acquired the

41:13Redmond Community Center at Marymoor

41:15Village, which was a very large

41:16significant acquisition on the park

41:18plan. Um and so while I understand and

41:21respect that, I also want to be really

41:24clear that park staff are heavily

41:26engaged in this. My parks planning team

41:28is active uh in the community over near

41:31the East Redmond corridor in consistent

41:34communication with King County because

41:36they're going to be a portion of our

41:37easement um

41:40strategy in that corridor. And so I just

41:42I want to share that. I think the other

41:44piece that I would share is that while

41:46those pieces of trail are identified in

41:49the East Redmond corridor, they were not

41:51slated as the highest priority to gain

41:53access into the corridor. So staff's

41:55recommendation would still remain to be

41:57to do things that open access most

42:01efficiently. There's an inadequate

42:03amount of parking within the East

42:05Redmond corridor. Really the place that

42:08people can park right now is Parigo. Um

42:11placing parking at Martin Park would

42:13increase access to trails that have been

42:16um also worked on by volunteer parties

42:19and things like that. So um this would

42:21be the recommendation from staff. Uh the

42:23other portions that have been mentioned

42:25are placed further out into the project

42:28um and have far less exploration that we

42:30would recommend being pushed into the

42:32further CIP years. Some of those require

42:35easements and many of them would

42:37actually be done in our transportation

42:38team.

42:40>> Mayor Bernie.

42:42>> Thanks. Um I just also want to I mean

42:44it's a it's a challenging problem

42:46because this is a really desirable um

42:50a a to develop, but I want to remind um

42:53on on the community's mind is also the

42:57Overlake neighborhood that lacks a park

42:59space as well. Um that's developed. It

43:01has some, but it needs more and we're

43:02going to have a significant number of

43:04community members moving into that area

43:07as it grows and we will also want to

43:09remain as a city nimble to be able to

43:11acquire property in those areas just

43:14like Overlake and other places in the

43:15city. So I I would recommend to the

43:18council to not

43:19um tie any of those um property

43:22acquisitions funds necessarily to any

43:24particular project because we just never

43:26know where we're going to be

43:28have in the future to acquire. Um like

43:30the we had that the nimbleness when uh

43:33near Parago the person wanted to sell

43:36their property to us and we were able to

43:38do that. Um we've been watching for it,

43:40but we're watching for things like that

43:41throughout the city to ensure that we

43:43have uh

43:45kind of I would say first dibs on

43:46property like that if it could be

43:48valuable for parkland and other things.

43:50>> Thank you, Councilor Pakria.

43:53>> Thank you. And I was just trying to ask

43:55get a sense of scale here. How much

43:57money do we have in our real property

43:59fund right now?

44:01>> The um fund balance is estimated to be

44:04about 1.5 million at um the end of this

44:07biennium. We um did utilize some of the

44:10fund balance to help offset some of the

44:12increasing costs in the MOC, but we we

44:15really try to hold at least 1.5 if not

44:18more in there.

44:21>> And for may I if I can add a point of

44:23reference, the piece of property that we

44:25acquired out in East Redmond not long

44:27ago was less than a million and it was

44:3012 acres.

44:32Councilor Marsoni.

44:35>> If there are properties that's going to

44:37be sold, will this add back to this

44:40budget?

44:42>> Yes, it does go into the real property

44:44fund before it's it's um allocated

44:46anywhere else.

44:49>> So the potential surplus that that we've

44:51approved on um say the um pace of prop-

44:55property could go in there.

44:58Um, Council President Stewart.

45:00>> Yeah, thank you. Um, thank you for

45:02bringing uh this topic back to us.

45:05And I want to say that um the city has a

45:08lot of

45:10love for our parks. It's one of the most

45:13beloved things that we hear about in the

45:15city of Redmond.

45:16And um I think this council has proven

45:19to be really dedicated to making

45:21progress. I don't like the idea of of

45:24pitting projects against one another. I

45:25think we're on a multi-decade project to

45:28fully build out the East Redmond

45:29corridor.

45:30So I appreciate um and perhaps on that

45:34note the council should have

45:36uh twice a year briefing or something

45:38like that in committee on the ERC

45:40implementation plan because that

45:42implementation plan came through this

45:44body

45:45about a year ago ish. Um, and I uh know

45:49that it will continue to be

45:51not only a priority here but also

45:54uh for the Parks, Trails, and Recreation

45:57Commission that

45:59um helped inspire that implementation

46:01plan. So a few things. Um, I appreciate

46:04the look uh Director Hamilton on on why

46:06that change in the pl- uh the commission

46:08did incor- of course note that change

46:11for us in the CIP. Um, we also have in

46:14our matrix some information from the

46:16operating budget that is work that's

46:19going to be taking place

46:21along the ERC. So Director Hamilton,

46:24could you tell us a little bit about

46:25what this looks like and um we wouldn't

46:28otherwise be saying this because there's

46:30the budgets are smaller here, but some

46:33of the work that is happening in ERC in

46:35this budget if approved.

46:38>> Sorry, I didn't have that pulled up.

46:40Give me one moment, please.

46:41>> Okay. Well, we can come back to that

46:43question. Mayor Bernie, I think the

46:44third rail uh third um piece of this

46:46triangle is actually um the

46:49relationship-based work. And I wonder it

46:52could you give us an update on

46:53particularly with King County. We have a

46:55few different issues that we are always

46:58wanting to speak with them about. What

46:59is the, what is King County's interest

47:01in this topic been so far? Um, and their

47:05likelihood to want to work with us on

47:07some of these easements that are going

47:08to be needed.

47:09>> I think they will work with us. I think

47:13this, um, if we rose it to their

47:16attention, um, they might have capacity

47:20to work on it. We have a few other

47:23things that we're working with them on

47:25to work out in that kind of in that

47:27region of the city that we're continuing

47:29to work on. Um, I'm uncertain what kind

47:32of capacity they have right now as, you

47:34know, I would say the executive is still

47:36um, in his first year and getting things

47:38up and running. But, um, I think, I

47:40think that, you know, we have a good

47:41relationship with them and so, you know,

47:44our and our teams have have talked quite

47:46a bit. Like they're they're we're on

47:48their alert like if any properties

47:50become available, they know to contact

47:51us. So, we have a good relationship in

47:53that way. It's just really how things

47:55move and you know, what becomes

47:57available.

47:58But they'll continue to work with us.

48:00>> Thank you.

48:01Yes, and and to that point, we've had

48:03really productive conversations with

48:04King County on the pieces of property

48:06they have out there that we're hoping to

48:08connect through. Um, to Mayor Bernie's

48:10point, it's simply not at the high

48:12priority point for them right now and in

48:14our conversations, it has been yes,

48:17we're open to that, but we're not there

48:18yet. And so that's been part of the

48:20challenge.

48:21Uh, to your previous question about what

48:23is scheduled, um, in the East Redmond

48:25corridor, um, from an operational

48:27standpoint, um,

48:30[clears throat]

48:31those uh, things are planned as follows.

48:33Adding tables and benches in accessible

48:35areas at Arthur Johnson, Martin Park,

48:37and Conrad Olsen. Adding signage along

48:40Bear and Evans Creek Trail behind Parigo

48:42and Arthur Johnson Parks and this is

48:44going to be paid out of the signage and

48:45wayfinding project, um, that we've been

48:48speaking with Council about. Uh,

48:49continued expansion of tree canopy and

48:51understory at Arthur Johnson

48:54and the Southeast Redmond design and

48:55construction is currently underway. This

48:57full project budget is 13.7 million.

49:00This corridor is also has really active

49:02forest stewards and continual work

49:05projects. And so often there are

49:06projects that pop up throughout the

49:08biennium that we don't necessarily plan

49:10for. A lot of work with invasive

49:12species, a lot of work with um making

49:15sure that trails are accessible and

49:16clear, um and just doing work to

49:18increase access to that. And that's one

49:20of the reasons why

49:22the recommendation really stood around

49:25um the Martin Park

49:28um parking lot is because so much of

49:30this work is going to be in that general

49:32area to increase access to the corridor.

49:35>> Understood. Thank you.

49:37>> Thank you. Um I will just ask a question

49:40since I think we've done a a go around

49:42um

49:44in between uh Parago and Martin Park is

49:48where our Evans Creek relocation project

49:50is going to be and the actual trail that

49:52that connects them. I believe falls

49:54right in the middle of where that that

49:56relocation project is going to be in the

49:58upcoming biennium. Um should we

50:00hopefully move forward with that

50:01project? Um so I guess I'm I am

50:03wondering um was that at all part of the

50:06consideration since uh we will have a

50:08time where we probably won't be able to

50:09access some of that trail, I'm assuming.

50:12>> Um I would defer to public works a

50:15little bit on that. That project falls

50:16under their team, not um the Evans Creek

50:19relocation is not a parks project. And

50:21so we I couldn't speak well to that.

50:24So perhaps Director Stanger

50:26>> whether whether we anticipate is

50:28during construction that people will

50:30still be able to access that trail or

50:31whether um we likely will have a time

50:34period in which we

50:36my understanding was that there would be

50:38as we relocate the creek, we also would

50:39relocate the trail potentially.

50:46>> Unfortunately, I don't have a definitive

50:48answer, but I can check in with the team

50:50on that question to see what parts of

50:52the trail would be added to that

50:53project.

50:55Um I mean Bailey Wick is on the actual

50:57uh

50:59habitat

51:00uh reconstruction on there, but I can

51:02look into that.

51:04>> Thank you very much.

51:06Are there

51:07um questions on this? Uh Councilwoman

51:09Parcy.

51:11>> So if um

51:13we hear back from staff that there is

51:15opportunity for um adding trail

51:18components between uh the in the

51:21location that we discussed, um what

51:23would be the funding um commitment that

51:26we can make from the council tonight to

51:29be able to support that um

51:32um to to support the connectivity as

51:34well as the recommendation from staff to

51:37um provide the pavement parking lot

51:39paved parking lot as well as the

51:41pedestrian crossings.

51:45>> It sounded like potentially it would be

51:46the question of whether the council

51:48would want to bring forward 2.7 million

51:50dollars into the CIP forward. Um but I

51:53think the question of where that that

51:55funding would come from uh

51:57at this point we would have to to look

51:59at that.

52:00>> Yeah, at this point um

52:03in front of us right now is um ensuring

52:06that we get that MOC

52:08funding addressed and that is first

52:10priority.

52:12Um the MOC falls um into a package of

52:16projects that we put together

52:19um that we have a funding strategy um in

52:23place for. They are the highest most

52:25critical projects that have come out of

52:28the recent planning efforts um that have

52:30been done to

52:31update Redmond 2050 and all of our um

52:35comprehensive plans.

52:37So my my first priority is to ensure

52:40that um

52:42we can make progress um that we have

52:45committed to on those projects and then

52:48working to solve how to move other

52:50things um

52:52forward as well.

52:55At this point I would not have the

52:57ability to move the dollars forward

53:00without impacting something else. It's

53:03it's always about you know choices. So

53:05if there is if this is a higher priority

53:08then um something else that we've been

53:10focused on then

53:13then that you know is the work then to

53:15try to figure it out. But I I think that

53:18the high priority projects that we've

53:20been working on are really um

53:23based on community feedback with those

53:26planning efforts is sort of where it

53:28feels great to be from from my

53:30perspective.

53:31Um

53:33I can look at options at opportunities.

53:36Um I can certainly bring them back when

53:38I look at the MOC, but it's really

53:41difficult for me to be able to you know

53:44provide you with a path forward in this

53:46without

53:48um

53:49with being able to guarantee that I can

53:50also deliver on what I've already

53:52committed to.

53:54>> Thank you. Um and so so just to to recap

53:58on this of of what we have heard um and

54:00then happy to to hear as well from

54:02Councilmember Parcy as well as others.

54:04Um it sounds like there is um there

54:07there are quite a few pieces of projects

54:09that don't show up in this line item um

54:11but show up in some other different

54:12items within the budget that will be

54:14along the East Redden corridor as

54:16detailed um both in our matrix and and

54:18by Director Hamilton. There's also

54:21acquisition funding that would be

54:23available through the real property um

54:26uh contingency fund um there

54:29um and uh

54:32but there if we if we wanted to see an

54:34additional capital project then we would

54:37need to look at some of the other

54:39capital projects um and make changes uh

54:43to to get that additional $2.7 million.

54:47Um so that's just a recap on on where

54:49we're at. Um Councilmember Parcy did you

54:51did you have a comment you wanted to

54:52make?

54:54>> So um if there is opportunity so we have

54:57built a contingency to almost every CAP

55:00project that we have committed to. Um

55:02could we commit um

55:05the contingency amount on the the kind

55:08of accumulated contingency unused

55:11funding from the remaining projects to

55:14dedicate this um to dedicate that um to

55:17this project maybe in the next biennium.

55:20Could that be an opportunity for us to

55:21make sure that this would be next on the

55:23list um um should funding become

55:26available?

55:28>> So if I'm hearing the proposal it would

55:30be um wanting to indicate in this budget

55:34that it wouldn't be beyond 2032 it would

55:37really be for the next biennium that

55:39that is our vision is that it would be

55:41um in the in the 28 or 29 30 budget.

55:48Uh Director Cochran can you speak to

55:49that?

55:50>> Um

55:54we have a the biggest portfolio of

55:56projects that we've ever had in front of

55:59us

56:00between the Teen Center, the MOC, we've

56:03got fire stations,

56:05parks,

56:06um and several transportation projects

56:08all in a package that we're trying to

56:11move forward together and each of them

56:13have

56:15risks

56:16and you'll

56:18will be ebbing and flowing with them um

56:21as we move it forward. It is really

56:25hard for me to

56:26my focus is on getting those done within

56:29I would say the next four years

56:31um and then shifting out to sort of that

56:33next set of of priorities.

56:37Um

56:38so that's where I'm at. I I can't

56:40guarantee that

56:42um I mean I'm not talking bad about the

56:44Teen Center but it maybe it needs more

56:46money. I can't I am just

56:49um

56:51there's a a really big commitment out

56:52there that I feel

56:55hesitant to to to go beyond.

56:57>> And and that's specifically to the

56:59proposal around using the contingency

57:01funds but if if the if the council were

57:04to look at options to not not in the 27

57:0728 budget but within the six year CIP.

57:11>> Certainly. So part of, you know, part of

57:13every exercise to update update the CIP

57:15on an annual basis is um and on an

57:18ongoing basis is the um management of

57:21the contingency funds.

57:23But I can't guarantee that the next

57:26place that those savings

57:28need to go over the next couple of years

57:30is to something that is

57:33in the outer years because it was a

57:35lower priority if something that was a

57:37higher priority might need it.

57:39I would love to, but I just

57:42it's there's just a lot of risk in

57:45what we're doing.

57:45>> Thank you. Council President Stewart.

57:48>> Yeah, thank you. This has been a really

57:49helpful conversation. Thank you for

57:51helping uh to clarify some of the

57:53questions.

57:54Um

57:55I am on page 279 of the budget, and I

57:59actually think what Council Member Parcy

58:01um is looking to accomplish is in some

58:03way already taken. We are We are taking

58:06a step here with this budget. So um when

58:09we look at the parks projects in the CIP

58:11and the projections out. So while there

58:14wouldn't be um

58:16there is there is a zero on the CIP for

58:19East Rail Excuse me, East Redmond

58:21Corridor Implementation Phase 1 for the

58:232027-28 biennium, we do begin to see

58:26investment levels turning up starting in

58:282029. So that's the next time we're at

58:30this table approving a budget.

58:32I also um looked it up just quickly.

58:36I hadn't thought about it necessarily in

58:38the way staff had presented it, but um

58:41it is project number 64 in our in our

58:44ranking. Project number eight happens to

58:46be the Southeast Redmond Neighborhood

58:48Park, and um I think one of the most

58:51clarifying things about this

58:53conversation over the last few weeks has

58:54been in my mind because I have been out

58:56with communities, stood at the park,

58:58walked over to the trail connection that

59:00they someday want to be able to go all

59:01the way to the other side of the

59:03corridor with. I think Southeast Redmond

59:05Neighborhood Park is the anchor of ERC.

59:09Um this biennium we put 9 million in,

59:11the next one we put two, and then during

59:14um the six the total of the six year

59:15next CIP it's 12 million dollars to

59:18build the the park. So I think I think

59:22there are steps toward um

59:25what my colleague is trying to

59:26accomplish and I do really appreciate

59:27that. I as I said before, I'll just say

59:29it one last time.

59:31I think it's important for Council to

59:32monitor the implementation plan.

59:34Maybe just having a check in at

59:36uh once a year, twice a year, something

59:37like that at committee just to also

59:39signal that it is important to us um and

59:42when opportunities come forward,

59:44potentially new tools from the

59:46legislature or the like to uh help raise

59:48revenue for things like this, um we

59:51should we should have this project top

59:52of mind because we know it's going to

59:54take

59:54uh a couple of decades to get us where

59:56we're going. Thanks.

1:00:00>> Councilmember Fakhria.

1:00:02>> Thank you. You know, I think there's an

1:00:03interesting conversation to be had about

1:00:06utilizing CIP contingency dollars, but I

1:00:09don't think right now is the

1:00:11the right place to have that

1:00:12conversation around a specific project.

1:00:15Um so I would I would not be in favor of

1:00:17moving forward with that that proposal.

1:00:21>> Thank you. Um so I guess the the

1:00:24question would be um whether um because

1:00:27we we've had a lot of a discussion um

1:00:29whether there's a specific proposal um

1:00:31that Councilmembers would like to make

1:00:33um on this um or whether we would

1:00:36um

1:00:37like to stick with the the current uh

1:00:39proposed budget um but have the Council

1:00:43have some touch points on the

1:00:44implementation um with the existing

1:00:47funding and and come back on it.

1:00:49Um

1:00:50is there a proposal?

1:00:54Otherwise, Councilmembers, are we good

1:00:55with what we currently have? Do we want

1:00:57to do thumbs on that and um make sure

1:01:00that it's on the parking lot for the

1:01:01Council to follow up on?

1:01:04Um thumbs for that?

1:01:10And Councilmember Parsi, if if you do

1:01:11have a proposal, I I just wanted to make

1:01:13sure because I is that we had talked

1:01:14about a couple of things,

1:01:15okay. Thank you. And and hopefully for

1:01:17the listening public, I will just say we

1:01:19spent quite a bit of time on this item

1:01:22um because we care so much about this

1:01:24project. We care a lot about this um and

1:01:27we want to see it move forward. So, I I

1:01:30I look forward to the the council

1:01:31continuing these discussions and finding

1:01:33the ways to be able to support the East

1:01:35Redmond corridor

1:01:36um and working with our Parks, Trails

1:01:37and Recreation Commission on that.

1:01:39Um the next item on the agenda is the

1:01:42Pavement Management Strategic Plan.

1:01:45Um there were some questions I believe

1:01:47from Councilmember Prockria and

1:01:49Councilmember Stewart. They were going

1:01:50to talk with staff and

1:01:52uh investigate on this um

1:01:55as well of whether um the current

1:01:57funding levels uh that we have are

1:02:00enough for us to be able to achieve our

1:02:02goals around pavement management

1:02:04um as well as several other questions.

1:02:06Um

1:02:07uh

1:02:08Director Stanger, do you want to give us

1:02:10a an intro on this and then we can also

1:02:13go to the council members in case uh

1:02:15they have have um want to give some

1:02:18feedback on their discussion. Actually,

1:02:20why don't we go the other way? I'm going

1:02:21to switch it up. Um I'm going to go to

1:02:23Council President Stewart um and

1:02:24Councilmember Prockria. Um I'll go

1:02:26Council President Stewart first and then

1:02:28we'll go to Director Stanger as needed.

1:02:30>> Thank you. I I did commit to letting my

1:02:32colleague go first since he was so

1:02:34eloquently

1:02:36uh passionate about this. Would you

1:02:37would you like to speak first,

1:02:38Councilmember Prockria?

1:02:39>> Uh I would I would love to, but um

1:02:41either way is fine. I'll I'll I'll go.

1:02:44Um yes, so uh Council President Stewart

1:02:47and I had

1:02:48uh a very productive meeting, I believe,

1:02:51last Wednesday

1:02:53um with

1:02:54almost a dozen members of the Public

1:02:56Works Department and the Finance Team.

1:02:58So, I think it was I've never been in a

1:03:00meeting with more staff than than that

1:03:02one. Um so, it was a it was a very

1:03:04expensive meeting from a staff time

1:03:05hourly perspective.

1:03:07Um but

1:03:09you know, I brought forward this item

1:03:11because

1:03:13when I knocked on tens of thousands of

1:03:14doors last year, um folks would talk to

1:03:16me about their potholes. Um and I

1:03:18promised them like, hey, look, if I if I

1:03:20win this election, I'm going to go and

1:03:21fight for your roads. Um,

1:03:24but

1:03:26my worry was that in the pavement

1:03:28strategic plan, um, the funding options

1:03:30there did not align with what we saw in

1:03:32this preliminary budget.

1:03:34Um, we got clarification from staff that

1:03:36with the CIP options in the next two

1:03:39years presented, um, that's an

1:03:41additional 6.2 million. Um, that the

1:03:43total dedicated funding for road

1:03:45surfacing equipment and crews is about

1:03:4813 million, uh, which is actually higher

1:03:50than, um, the recommended

1:03:54funding levels to achieve a network PCI

1:03:57of um, 71 uh, by 2039. Um, so in this

1:04:01biennium, with the current proposed

1:04:03funding levels, we would be on track um,

1:04:06to achieve that network PCI.

1:04:08Um, I just want to very much advocate

1:04:11for keeping these sustained funding

1:04:13levels, uh, in future bienniums because

1:04:16um, if we fall off, then um, the entire

1:04:19curve gets gets messed up. Um, so I'm

1:04:21I'm personally very happy with the the

1:04:23level of funding we have in this

1:04:24biennium. Uh, we also got assurances

1:04:27from our public our our public works

1:04:30crews that, you know, even in this

1:04:31biennium, if we were to throw more money

1:04:34at the problem, uh,

1:04:35because it's a it's a new program, there

1:04:37are bottlenecks, they wouldn't be able

1:04:38to get anymore done. Um, so I perfect I

1:04:41am perfectly satisfied with the with the

1:04:44amount of funding we have in this

1:04:45biennium.

1:04:46>> And thank you, Councilmember and for

1:04:48your passion for our roads. Um, let's

1:04:50hear from Council President Stewart.

1:04:52>> Thank you. Um, and really do appreciate

1:04:54the staff who have been working so

1:04:56diligently to make sure the city is able

1:04:59to reprioritize. And I want to say that

1:05:02the councils and one of the pieces of

1:05:04feedback I took from this gathering with

1:05:06staff is that um, it is really

1:05:08appreciated that there is a a council

1:05:10focus on the moment on the things that

1:05:12are absolutely on the cities and only

1:05:15the cities um, responsibility. And that

1:05:17includes um, our infrastructure and

1:05:19infrastructure that folks use every

1:05:21single day including our roads.

1:05:23Um I will add just two things um as my

1:05:26colleague has said

1:05:27we support this um allocation as

1:05:30currently presented in the budget.

1:05:32Additionally our legislative agenda

1:05:34which we adopted earlier this week on

1:05:36Tuesday um does support us as supporting

1:05:40measures that are coming in the

1:05:41legislative session including um bills

1:05:44that would help us raise additional TBD

1:05:46dollars for from uh vehicle license fees

1:05:50from really heavy vehicles that are

1:05:52having really um big impacts on our

1:05:55roads. So our legislative agenda does

1:05:56leave the door open for us to continue

1:05:59um to explore more revenue sources to

1:06:01continue to deliver more and faster on

1:06:04this topic. Additionally um the county

1:06:07as we've discussed has adopted a TBD and

1:06:11um thanks to the Sound Cities Coalition

1:06:14there is a pass through of about 12% to

1:06:16cities. We don't yet have an idea

1:06:19necessarily of what that's going to look

1:06:20like in a city like ours um but I do

1:06:23fully support those dollars

1:06:25being applied to um our pavement

1:06:27management strategy uh when they become

1:06:29available. So again big thank you to the

1:06:32staff. I support moving forward uh

1:06:34moving on from this item tonight and um

1:06:38uh continuing to explore additional

1:06:39revenue sources to make more progress

1:06:41than we can. Thank you.

1:06:43>> Thank you. Um thank you both for for

1:06:45doing that due diligence

1:06:47um and uh

1:06:49what what I'm hearing is that um uh

1:06:52through that due diligence that that it

1:06:54was identified that the the current

1:06:55proposal can meet our needs in fact has

1:06:58a historic level of investment into our

1:07:00roads that that is presented

1:07:02um in this this uh preliminary budget.

1:07:05Is there um other comments or questions

1:07:07on this?

1:07:10Okay um so I think this was mostly a

1:07:12question um but I will just ask

1:07:14councilmembers are we good to close this

1:07:16out?

1:07:18All right seven thumbs. We'll close this

1:07:19one out.

1:07:20Um

1:07:22so uh the next item in the uh in the

1:07:25matrix is the affordable housing

1:07:28investment. So in the CIP

1:07:32and this is refilling from two biennia

1:07:35ago. We had it dedicated $10 million

1:07:38towards affordable housing and over the

1:07:40past two biennia we have used that for

1:07:43some really wonderful projects to help

1:07:45to to get those off the ground

1:07:47and to attract other investment into

1:07:49them in affordable housing in our area.

1:07:51So this would be allocating another $3.5

1:07:53million of general fund surplus

1:07:56towards

1:07:58towards that fund

1:08:00so that it can be available should new

1:08:02affordable housing opportunities come

1:08:03up.

1:08:05So I think

1:08:06we wanted to affirm with the council

1:08:10that and I think we previously affirmed

1:08:11that we were interested in this

1:08:14and we want to affirm with the council

1:08:16if everyone is good with this as

1:08:19the number and I think there was some

1:08:20discussion of if we could make this

1:08:22number higher if it turned out there

1:08:24were additional funds.

1:08:26And and I will note that I think some of

1:08:28the next thing items that are under here

1:08:31may influence if there were some

1:08:32additional funds we could

1:08:35well they might go to the things the

1:08:37next couple items or we could also say

1:08:39we want to do at least this much and if

1:08:41there ends up being more at the end of

1:08:43the night that this could be the place

1:08:44to

1:08:46to add additional funds to go above

1:08:49since I think there was some interest in

1:08:50going higher.

1:08:51So I think that that's really the

1:08:53question to council of whether everyone

1:08:55would would be supportive of

1:08:59of having at least $3.5 million

1:09:01and we could revisit right at the end of

1:09:03the night

1:09:04whether there's any additional funding

1:09:06if we'd want it this to be the place

1:09:08that would catch any more one-time funds

1:09:10that are leftover.

1:09:12Council President Stewart.

1:09:14>> Thank you so much. Really appreciate

1:09:15this and I fully support the $3.5

1:09:18million and

1:09:21any additional wiggle room we end up

1:09:23with. And just for ourselves and the

1:09:26listening public,

1:09:27um

1:09:28we just had a tough conversation about

1:09:30some dollars not being available from

1:09:32that particular source. This particular

1:09:33source is the revenues that the city has

1:09:37collected

1:09:38um in large part to all of the

1:09:41development that we have experienced in

1:09:43our city. And a few biennia ago, we

1:09:46created this fund using some of those uh

1:09:50revenues in order to reinvest in the

1:09:52housing that is hardest to build because

1:09:54it is the most deeply affordable. And

1:09:56we've done some awesome things and

1:09:57hundreds of homes uh affordable homes

1:10:00have been built in Redmond. We have the

1:10:03next opportunity knocking at our door,

1:10:05and that is the Sound Transit surplus

1:10:07land at the Marymoor Village light rail

1:10:09station.

1:10:10Um in just a by the end of Q2,

1:10:14we will have a lot more information

1:10:17about that um and what the vision for

1:10:19that area will be. But per policy, we

1:10:22know that there's going to be affordable

1:10:25housing, deeply affordable housing, and

1:10:26a need to build deeply affordable

1:10:28housing in that place. So um I believe

1:10:30that every dollar that we put here will

1:10:32get spent in the next biennia um and

1:10:34fully support making sure that we we

1:10:36continue to use this tool. It's been

1:10:38something that not all of our

1:10:40neighboring cities have had the

1:10:41opportunity to use this tool because

1:10:43they haven't had the development

1:10:44revenues yet. Um even

1:10:47well,

1:10:48I will just stop there because we could

1:10:50talk more about how what a great job

1:10:52Redmond's done. [laughter] Um but we

1:10:53have recently been having that

1:10:55conversation. So for the sake of time,

1:10:56I'll end there. Thank you.

1:11:00>> Councilor Pracuria.

1:11:01>> Uh

1:11:02forgive me. I I

1:11:04Can I get some greater clarification on

1:11:07how exactly this $3.5 million is spent?

1:11:10I mean, I'm all for affordable housing,

1:11:12but is this, you know, subsidizing

1:11:14developers of affordable housing? Is

1:11:16this subsidizing

1:11:17uh market rate developers to make some

1:11:19of their units affordable? Uh is this

1:11:21going out and actually contracting out

1:11:22to build affordable housing? I'm just

1:11:24not entirely sure. Or is it all of the

1:11:26above?

1:11:27>> Uh in response to your questions on

1:11:29>> the issue matrix, we shared some of the

1:11:31projects that this has gone to, and I

1:11:32know in prior conversations, um, we've

1:11:35provided a report to council. There was

1:11:37an original $10 million that was put

1:11:40towards this purpose, and projects like

1:11:42this have been um, Prisma, the

1:11:44development we were talking about

1:11:45earlier.

1:11:46And council did kind of an initial

1:11:48contribution, and then we came to this

1:11:50council and said, hey, is there an

1:11:53openness to spending an additional

1:11:55million dollars to try and help them

1:11:57keep their two three and four bedroom

1:12:00units at

1:12:02the lowest AMI possible. And so that was

1:12:04they were having some funding

1:12:05challenges, and we were able to keep

1:12:07those units at a lower level AMI for

1:12:10families in perpetuity because of our

1:12:12ability to act quickly and flexibly. So

1:12:14that's an example of how something was

1:12:16spent. We also did

1:12:20provided $600,000 to the Emma McRedmond

1:12:23Manor for rehabilitation.

1:12:25And it was an existing three-story

1:12:27senior housing project.

1:12:30We supported the Plymouth housing

1:12:32project with some of these dollars.

1:12:35We supported Polaris and Horizon

1:12:38Affordable Housing at Together Center.

1:12:41And then as for the future, so just to

1:12:44kind of give you an example,

1:12:46as Council President Stewart said, there

1:12:48are some further opportunities we have

1:12:50upcoming in this next biennium where

1:12:53Redmond might be able to help an

1:12:55affordable housing developer

1:12:57with their funding stack in this way.

1:12:59And we would come to the council and

1:13:01talk about

1:13:02how to

1:13:03make that kind of best contribution. And

1:13:05then I also wanted to add that we have

1:13:09talked about the ability to maybe try

1:13:11and recruit developers to come here to

1:13:14Redmond, too. We know that they're like

1:13:16affordable housing developers

1:13:17specifically. And so doing

1:13:19an RFP maybe with some of these dollars

1:13:22to try and get a poll of

1:13:25affordable housing developers that would

1:13:27want to come and site in Redmond.

1:13:31>> And and I will

1:13:31>> note that I think one of the pieces we

1:13:33talked about when we first established

1:13:35this was really attracting others to

1:13:38invest in and I think the the Prism the

1:13:40Mill Weather Prism project is a good

1:13:42example where we said we'll we'll put a

1:13:45million dollars in and then King County

1:13:47matched it

1:13:48a little bit more than matched it in

1:13:50order to fill the gap that we needed.

1:13:52Similarly, you know, when we were

1:13:54looking at needing to move quickly on

1:13:56the

1:13:58on the Plymouth project we were we had a

1:14:00fund available to be able to put towards

1:14:02that and then to be able to attract the

1:14:04other dollars that came in towards that

1:14:05project. Um Mayor Bernie.

1:14:08>> I can just add on to this is just been

1:14:11one of the probably one of the better

1:14:13things that we've been able to do as a

1:14:14city with affordable housing because it

1:14:16gives us speed and flexibility

1:14:18and we've been able as mentioned by

1:14:21a lot of you we've been able to invest

1:14:23in projects that are creating deeply

1:14:25affordable housing that is really hard

1:14:27to do and we're able to help fill the

1:14:28gaps that other funding measures other

1:14:31funding can't do. So for example

1:14:33Plymouth

1:14:35needed

1:14:37some support in order to make that

1:14:38happen and we had this funds to be able

1:14:40to do that and I I just have been a very

1:14:42appreciative and I know a lot of

1:14:45our affordable housing builders have

1:14:47been appreciative that this is

1:14:48available.

1:14:49It's a complex world to fund these kinds

1:14:52of projects and we have been able to

1:14:53fill the gap in in many ways and so I've

1:14:56just been grateful that we've had it and

1:14:58look forward to hopefully continuing

1:15:00the ability to do that.

1:15:05Council Vice President Novick

1:15:31>> million available and and having it

1:15:32full, it's going to give us more

1:15:34flexibility and more options to fulfill

1:15:37on our goals as a city.

1:15:40>> Councilmember Purseley.

1:15:43>> I am also [clears throat] supportive. Um

1:15:44this is an initiative that we all care

1:15:46about deeply. Um I'm curious if there is

1:15:50opportunity for us to um have a portion

1:15:52of this um allocated to um home

1:15:55ownership uh for low income home

1:15:58ownership. Um this is something that,

1:16:00you know, um we can invest in our

1:16:02community to uh continue to rent, but I

1:16:05think it's also important to think about

1:16:07um helping our community build equity,

1:16:09um build

1:16:11feel uh Redmond is their forever home.

1:16:13Um and I would love to see if there is

1:16:15opportunity for that to allocate a

1:16:17portion of this fund for that goal

1:16:19specifically.

1:16:22>> Can you can you speak uh to the the

1:16:25potential for for that use of this fund?

1:16:28>> Yeah, I think that's something that we

1:16:29could look into. Um we already do fund

1:16:31some home ownership through ARCH and

1:16:33part of our regular contribution to them

1:16:35and I think it would be worthwhile for

1:16:37us to check in with them um because part

1:16:38of the benefit of this is we have our

1:16:40contribution to ARCH, which is for our

1:16:41region, but this is about investing in

1:16:43Redmond and so we could check in with

1:16:45them about that.

1:16:47>> Councilmember Purseley.

1:16:48>> Uh just a quick follow up. So would it

1:16:49be possible to kind of add that as a

1:16:52item to the work plan as we review how

1:16:54this funding is being um

1:16:56allocated? Uh can we also see a

1:16:58breakdown for um the breakdown for how

1:17:01it's allocated to um rentership versus

1:17:04ownership as well?

1:17:06So as we get updates about this program

1:17:08and our um funding expenditure, uh can

1:17:11we get that breakdown as the item comes

1:17:13to council?

1:17:15>> Yeah, I think we can we've been

1:17:17providing reports to council of what's

1:17:19left over and so we can include that. Um

1:17:21I guess I would look to the council to

1:17:23see that's adding additional for the

1:17:24renter versus home ownership and see

1:17:26whether there is interest in

1:17:28um at adding that as a part of it or

1:17:30not.

1:17:31>> And yes, so

1:17:32it it sounds like the proposal would be

1:17:34to put it on the

1:17:35>> lot for follow-up as as we get

1:17:37follow-up. Since

1:17:39generally the way that this fund has

1:17:41been allocated is that the staff will

1:17:42come check in before it gets allocated

1:17:45to say

1:17:46um here's the the newest thing that we

1:17:47want want to work on, but it could be

1:17:49good if we just

1:17:50kind of as we get updates on this, we

1:17:52continue to track how we've been

1:17:53spending it and then could see

1:17:55naturally the breakdown of of that um

1:17:58you know whether it went to rental

1:18:00versus home ownership types of projects.

1:18:03Um our council members, I guess the

1:18:04question would be would we uh Council

1:18:06Vice President Nueva Camino, go ahead.

1:18:08>> Thank you, Chair. Um Council Member

1:18:10Parcy, thank you very much for for

1:18:11bringing up this very very important

1:18:13part. Um for me I I am interested in

1:18:16that um and I I I think that this would

1:18:19just be barely scratching the surface of

1:18:22a much larger conversation um that I I

1:18:25think that our city we're we're ready to

1:18:27start having now. Um so yes and

1:18:31great to to kind of break the seal on

1:18:33the conversation. However, I would be

1:18:35more interested in a a much larger

1:18:38discussion around it.

1:18:40>> Great.

1:18:40>> To put a pin in and come back.

1:18:42>> So council members, is there support for

1:18:45um as updates come back on this uh in

1:18:48the upcoming biennium uh and then we'll

1:18:50go to overall. Is everyone good on this?

1:18:52Um but just for this proposal um to to

1:18:55make sure that we get reporting that

1:18:57includes noting about the um both home

1:19:00ownership and rental.

1:19:04Okay, great. I'm seeing seven thumbs on

1:19:06that. So hopefully we can new draft for

1:19:08um the follow-up in the upcoming

1:19:09biennium. And then um council, are we

1:19:13good with um allocating $3.5 million

1:19:17um of general fund surplus um towards

1:19:19this purpose and with the direction that

1:19:23um should there be additional um general

1:19:25fund surplus dollars, we'd we'd like to

1:19:27be able to look at at increasing this

1:19:29fund.

1:19:31Thumbs on that.

1:19:32Okay, great.

1:19:34So we got the thumbs on that and um

1:19:35we'll we'll move forward.

1:19:37Um

1:19:38the next item on the agenda is the

1:19:40Redline program. There were questions

1:19:42from the council about this already very

1:19:45popular pilot program that we've been

1:19:47running and um looking at the investment

1:19:50that's proposed in this upcoming budget

1:19:52and whether we could expand it um with

1:19:55more dollars. So I'll go to Director

1:19:58Allen again to give us the update there.

1:20:00>> Thank you. And um so just wanted to

1:20:03reference thank you again for your

1:20:04support. We have seen it be very popular

1:20:07um

1:20:08from residents and visitors and

1:20:12employees that are here.

1:20:14I think I included in the packet that we

1:20:17included some of the kind of cost

1:20:18estimates and the cost estimate

1:20:21for is per vehicle is about an

1:20:23additional 15,000 per month if we are

1:20:26looking at adding a vehicle which would

1:20:27help to decrease the wait times in our

1:20:29current

1:20:30service area.

1:20:32Um what we heard from the public

1:20:35about

1:20:36where they would like to see

1:20:39more service was in more coverage in

1:20:41Education Hill along Avondale Road

1:20:44corridor.

1:20:45And so what we kind of proposed to the

1:20:48council was two potential service

1:20:50expansion scenarios. One scenario was

1:20:53180,000 a year which would add one

1:20:55vehicle focusing on growing the

1:20:57ridership and decreasing times in our

1:20:59current service area and then possibly

1:21:01adding some small expansion areas or the

1:21:03kind of second scenario which was to add

1:21:05two vehicles which would be 360,000 a

1:21:08year to expand along Avondale Road on

1:21:10weekdays when buses are less frequent

1:21:13and drops to 30 minutes. And then

1:21:16the west side of Education or sorry

1:21:18Education Hill west side along

1:21:22202 and

1:21:24maybe looking at Willow's Road.

1:21:26I wanted to share that we gave these

1:21:28because the council requested it. We are

1:21:30still learning as I shared and so really

1:21:32my I think I said this when we first

1:21:34talked about it is that my

1:21:35recommendation is that we continue to

1:21:36maybe wait before putting more

1:21:38investment. We still are learning what

1:21:40the amount will be from our kind of

1:21:42corporate partners and others and I

1:21:44think that

1:21:45um if if the council's amenable we could

1:21:48come back next year with a more full

1:21:50here's what we learned in our full year

1:21:52which will include some of this

1:21:53information where there's expansion

1:21:55um rather than trying to add additional

1:21:57dollars now as we're still figuring out

1:21:59um the need for the program and that I

1:22:01think we're going to continue to see

1:22:03some of our wait times increase as it

1:22:05becomes more popular.

1:22:08>> [snorts]

1:22:08>> So council um

1:22:11I guess I actually I'll just go to

1:22:12questions first um questions

1:22:15Councilmember Parsi.

1:22:17>> I would love to kind of to ground the

1:22:19conversation. This project started as a

1:22:21pilot. Um I think pilot has a start date

1:22:25an end date and a goal to for the

1:22:28learning for what we can come out of. So

1:22:31just for grounding the conversation in

1:22:33this kind of our origin would you be

1:22:36able to kind of share that background

1:22:38for the start finish and the goal of the

1:22:41pilot and the lesson and action to be to

1:22:44be followed.

1:22:47>> Yes, I can do that. Um just looking

1:22:49around so this was a pilot that we um

1:22:53applied for to the

1:22:56it's called the Regional Mobility Grant

1:22:58and it was a WSDOT grant and the city

1:23:00provided some matching funds for that

1:23:02and the grant ends our cycle is a little

1:23:06bit off from the state cycle in June of

1:23:09next year and so I will consider the

1:23:11pilot completed along their cycle of

1:23:14June of next year and while we launched

1:23:16in March or April of this year we had

1:23:19kind of a ramp up period and so I think

1:23:21a good um indication will be that June

1:23:24to June period that we'll be able to

1:23:26come back to the council and share um

1:23:28the results of the pilot. Uh the goals

1:23:31of the pilot were to increase first last

1:23:34mile options first and foremost as we

1:23:37put in our grant that we were going to

1:23:39be at the time having a light rail

1:23:41opening across the lake and um we wanted

1:23:45to try and um encourage residents and

1:23:47visitors to be accessing um the downtown

1:23:50and Marymore light light rails as much

1:23:52as possible. And um the reason why we

1:23:55also applied for that is we had heard

1:23:56from a lot of community members also

1:23:58that they um were having um a harder

1:24:01time finding parking in the immediate

1:24:02down downtown core areas and so we also

1:24:05as a part of the

1:24:07uh grant application did a shared

1:24:09parking program um

1:24:11and

1:24:12uh

1:24:13the the goal was also that the Red Link

1:24:15might be able to go to some of those um

1:24:17shared parking lots and then bring

1:24:18people to light rail or to their place

1:24:20of work or things like that. And so um

1:24:23that is something [clears throat] that

1:24:24we're still uh uh identifying and

1:24:26studying and we'll report back to the

1:24:28council next year um with the results of

1:24:31um both how we did on the grant and um

1:24:34the what I think would be the

1:24:35recommendations or uh lessons learned

1:24:38from the pilot and um how it could

1:24:40continue.

1:24:44>> Um councilmember Maroni.

1:24:47>> Thank you chair.

1:24:48This is definitely popular program and

1:24:50I've been hearing from so many people

1:24:53and specifically even from North Redmond

1:24:55where uh it's very hard to do not have

1:24:58much options there.

1:25:00Um

1:25:01we received a grant uh for this pilot

1:25:03program. Is there a chances for us to

1:25:05receive a grant

1:25:07you know once this pilot is actually

1:25:08moving into a full phase?

1:25:10>> Yeah, unfortunately for this particular

1:25:12grant it's kind of a one-time basis uh

1:25:15and we actually have applied for a

1:25:17different uh kind of program um uh for a

1:25:20regional mobility grant around um

1:25:22creating better residential services uh

1:25:25to um

1:25:27uh folks in our uh buildings. But um no.

1:25:29So for for this kind of grant no. I

1:25:31think we could look at other grant

1:25:33opportunities but a lot of grant cycles

1:25:35tend to be more one-time in basis rather

1:25:37than ongoing and because this is

1:25:39something that um I think already is a

1:25:41service we've seen um Bellevue be able

1:25:43to provide in an ongoing way um it was

1:25:46something that we wanted to try and see

1:25:48if it was successful. I think we can say

1:25:50it's successful even though we're still

1:25:52in the learning phase, which is why we

1:25:54put forward this budget request. Um, and

1:25:57then the the next phase will um be more

1:26:00around like how do we make it

1:26:01sustainable with having looking more at

1:26:03our tourism investments and our um

1:26:05corporate investments, which is um where

1:26:07the budget um shows in the next biennium

1:26:11kind of a decrease in the city's

1:26:12investment so that we can try and find

1:26:14that sustainable funding.

1:26:16>> So if I understand um

1:26:19we are looking for the dollars to be

1:26:20allocated after June of 2027.

1:26:25>> Uh, correct. And so in I believe in your

1:26:26budget packet, it's correct me if I'm

1:26:29wrong over here, but I think 330,000

1:26:32for 2027 and then 660,000

1:26:36for 2028. And that would be with the

1:26:38current service map. And um what the

1:26:41council had requested last time was what

1:26:42if we increased the service map? What

1:26:44would that cost be? And so that's what

1:26:46we included in your packet of what it

1:26:47would take to add additional service

1:26:49area or additional vehicles.

1:26:53>> Council Vice President Noelia Coromina.

1:26:54>> Thank you. Um, thank you acting

1:26:56director. Uh, I appreciate the the

1:26:59explanation of all of it. We we kind of

1:27:02still have an unknown because the pilot

1:27:04ends in in June.

1:27:07Um,

1:27:08is there

1:27:10So I'm looking at Director Cochran

1:27:11because now I need to ask about a money

1:27:13question. Then do we have um uh a

1:27:18a relatively smaller contingency

1:27:20available that when we get the results

1:27:24of the pilot and and we want if we want

1:27:26to if council decides to expand at that

1:27:29time to have dollars set aside for that

1:27:32option

1:27:33or do we need to do we need to commit to

1:27:35it right now?

1:27:38>> We don't need to um commit to it right

1:27:40now. Um, we do have contingency that

1:27:43allows us to be flexible. Um, we also

1:27:46have the ability to look at our

1:27:48financial health um at that whatever

1:27:50point in the biennium, it comes and see

1:27:52if there is um something that we can do

1:27:54to actually increase the budget without

1:27:56use of contingency if it makes sense.

1:27:59Um you the goal is to um look for

1:28:02external um funding but um also be

1:28:06sustainable

1:28:07um while keep the program sustainable

1:28:10while we're looking to do that and so

1:28:12acknowledging the risks that exist there

1:28:14um

1:28:15I think that we have it covered in what

1:28:17we've put together.

1:28:20>> I would also note that um some of the

1:28:22funding for this um comes from the LTAC

1:28:24and TPA

1:28:26um and my understanding Director Allen

1:28:28you can correct me is that the TPA makes

1:28:30their budget on an on an annual basis,

1:28:32is that correct?

1:28:33>> Yep.

1:28:34>> So there may be an opportunity um also

1:28:36for us I would imagine say if it's been

1:28:39really successful um and if we saw good

1:28:42results as well for say the hoteliers to

1:28:44be able to go and and talk with the TPA

1:28:46about that investment. I know they were

1:28:47very interested when we had that

1:28:48conversation um having seen good results

1:28:51in Bellevue as well.

1:28:53>> Yeah and I'll share one of the things

1:28:54that we shared at the BRTPA was the when

1:28:57we had I think at the time like three

1:28:58months of data to say what we thought

1:29:00were the number of um visitors that were

1:29:02using the service and then we've have

1:29:05been working up um

1:29:07uh

1:29:07kind of one pagers for our corporate

1:29:09sponsors and saying um specifically we

1:29:12think the a lot this number of

1:29:13percentage of your employees are using

1:29:15this service and so we we would like to

1:29:17see if you'd be open to contributing and

1:29:19those numbers have been fluctuating in

1:29:21the last year so again it will be really

1:29:23nice when we have a full year of data to

1:29:25say from June to June here's what we saw

1:29:28um because right now we've been able to

1:29:30give them about six months and then as

1:29:31we've um also gotten better at

1:29:33identifying like stops or hearing

1:29:35requested stops um or we also added a

1:29:39stop for um

1:29:41uh uh one of the companies that were

1:29:43seeking to see if um because they were

1:29:45looking at um having uh

1:29:47uh using one of their um shuttles

1:29:49instead and we said what about instead

1:29:51of your shuttle you use RedLink? And

1:29:53um that would save you some money and

1:29:55then you can add into the overall

1:29:56system. And so we're kind of actively in

1:29:59those conversations right now, and

1:30:00that's where I think we'll again have a

1:30:02better

1:30:03both on the visitor side as where as

1:30:05well as the employee um

1:30:08uh interest uh that that will give us a

1:30:11more sustainable financial future. And

1:30:13then again, I think that's a time where

1:30:15the council could then say,

1:30:17okay, we know that's kind of stable.

1:30:18What if we wanted to expand? Do we have

1:30:20the dollars to expand where we could go

1:30:22more into the residential areas? And

1:30:24I'll say the areas where we saw the most

1:30:26is a lot of that residential where

1:30:28you're where there's less of an

1:30:29incentive for the tourism or corporate

1:30:32um to be supporting um that. And that's

1:30:34where I think it would make sense um for

1:30:36the city if you wanted to add more um

1:30:39because it would be supporting more of

1:30:40the resident side.

1:30:42>> Thank you. Council President Stewart.

1:30:45>> Thank [snorts] you. I agree with Council

1:30:46Member Parsee. This is still a pilot and

1:30:49um I appreciate your words uh Acting

1:30:51Director Allen. I am supportive of

1:30:54keeping the service enhancement as it is

1:30:56and continuing to learn a lot more. Um

1:30:59we as a council have had just the one

1:31:00briefing with the initial data, but of

1:31:03course as we get closer to the end of

1:31:05the pilot, it would be helpful for us to

1:31:07um have more answers to our questions

1:31:09before we consider an additional um

1:31:12investment in a service that we always

1:31:15wanted to be a sustainable service run

1:31:17by someone else. So thank you.

1:31:19>> Council Member Parsee.

1:31:21>> I'll just add a few hopes and goals for

1:31:24um kind of the next phase after the

1:31:26pilot. Um one thing that's really

1:31:28important to me is that we um identify a

1:31:31sustainable um service that we can

1:31:34provide to everyone in the city, not

1:31:36just a portion of our residents. Um so

1:31:39that's one of the goals that I would

1:31:41have for um identifying the next step

1:31:43from here. And then the second part is I

1:31:46really hope that we can fund um

1:31:49infrastructure rather than a temporary

1:31:51service um with the money that we're

1:31:53putting into our um transportation. You

1:31:56know, for example, we can build the

1:31:57infrastructure for light rail or we can

1:31:60um

1:32:00support temporary service. I think it's

1:32:03really important for us to uh think

1:32:05about um as we uh think about last mile,

1:32:08how can we make it um

1:32:10not just be a temporary two-year that

1:32:13goes away, but build infrastructure in

1:32:15our city to be used um past the biennium

1:32:17that we're spending money in. Um and

1:32:19with that, I agree. I think it would be

1:32:21great to keep the funding where it is

1:32:22now and then um with the learning make a

1:32:24decision moving forward.

1:32:27>> Mayor Brehmer.

1:32:29>> [clears throat]

1:32:30>> Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate this

1:32:31conversation. I I want to I think

1:32:33something that would be great to um talk

1:32:35about next year um is how not just Red

1:32:39Link, but all the other transportation

1:32:41pieces work together. Um we do have

1:32:44metro service throughout our city. We

1:32:46have Red Link now. We have you know, the

1:32:48the scooter and bike share, um obviously

1:32:51light rail, um anything else coming on.

1:32:53So I think it might be good to kind of

1:32:55ground us in like what this this one is

1:32:58this is just one piece of our entire

1:33:00network and I want to make sure that

1:33:02we're underst- we're able to understand

1:33:04to help our community understand what

1:33:05each of these things is for.

1:33:08>> Thank you. And I will note um for those

1:33:10who weren't around that we actually used

1:33:12to have a council subcommittee um that

1:33:14worked on the lead up to this um and and

1:33:18looking at really being prepared for the

1:33:20light rail's arrival and looking at all

1:33:22the different types of first last mile

1:33:23options we were providing to help people

1:33:25get connected. And that subcommittee

1:33:27ended up getting sunsetted as we saw a

1:33:29lot of these things and these plans come

1:33:30online. Um but it has been a really big

1:33:33priority of the council. So um what I'm

1:33:36hearing I I'm just amongst Oh, uh go

1:33:38ahead council member Fakhria.

1:33:40>> Thank you. I just had one quick comment

1:33:42I wanted to add uh which is when it is

1:33:45time to consider future service

1:33:47enhancements, I'd also be really

1:33:48interested in looking into a potential

1:33:50partnership with Bellevue um because I

1:33:52think we use Red Link and Bell Hop use

1:33:55the same

1:33:56um

1:33:57Sorry, my nose is a little bit stuffy

1:33:58right now. I think Red Hot, Red Link,

1:34:00and Bell Hop use the same back-end

1:34:01vendor. Um and I think

1:34:04the purpose of this is to help solve the

1:34:05first mile, last mile problem.

1:34:07Um

1:34:08I think there are a lot of folks in

1:34:09Bellevue, for instance, for whom the

1:34:12uh

1:34:13the Overlake uh center

1:34:15um is the closest stop for them. So I'd

1:34:18be very interested in in exploring that

1:34:20when it comes time to look at potential

1:34:22um future service enhancements.

1:34:24>> Yeah, and I'll just jump in and say I

1:34:25think this goes back to what Mayor

1:34:27Bernie was saying is helping provide the

1:34:28whole picture because there is um Metro

1:34:31does provide Metro Flex in the Overlake

1:34:33neighborhood, which is why we ended up

1:34:34focusing more on the downtown area and

1:34:37can absolutely look at it um uh

1:34:39holistically.

1:34:41>> Thank you. So what I've heard um to

1:34:43summarize from uh different council

1:34:46member comments um and council members,

1:34:48feel free to jump in if you have a

1:34:49different proposal, um is that there's

1:34:51general interest in leaving the current

1:34:54recommended amount um but having a

1:34:57report back at the um year mark on how

1:35:01the pilot's going uh and updates

1:35:03ongoing, as well as potentially um

1:35:05scheduling out for the the council to be

1:35:07able to to talk about the overall

1:35:10effectiveness of our different first

1:35:11last mile solutions um and uh and then

1:35:15at that at that point to be able to

1:35:17revisit whether further expansion or

1:35:19investment would be needed, but for

1:35:20budget at this point to be able to to

1:35:23leave what is currently in the

1:35:24preliminary budget proposed.

1:35:28Okay, thumbs on that.

1:35:32All right, great. Um so we'll close this

1:35:34item out

1:35:35um and uh let's take a 5-minute recess.

1:35:39Um we will come back at

1:35:427:40.

1:35:46Moving along.

1:38:55>> This

1:43:52>> All righty, let's go to the back

1:43:53council.

1:45:42>> I think we're waiting for one more

1:45:43council member, but I think hopefully

1:45:45she'll be about to come in, so

1:45:47um why don't we bring it back?

1:45:51And please let us know when we're back

1:45:52live.

1:45:54>> We're live.

1:45:55>> Great. And we are back with the Redmond

1:45:58City Council budget deliberations for

1:46:01our 2027-2028

1:46:02budget.

1:46:03Hopefully in the upcoming hour, we will

1:46:07actually finish these deliberations. So

1:46:09let's continue on with

1:46:12council deliberation matrix item number

1:46:15eight,

1:46:16which is around the light pollution

1:46:18policy proposal that was proposed by

1:46:20Councilmember Purcy

1:46:23to be able to add $250,000

1:46:26in

1:46:27in funding for consulting and

1:46:29supplemental staffing to fund a study to

1:46:31update a policy regarding light

1:46:34pollution.

1:46:35And I believe that Director Allen is

1:46:37going to share some of the

1:46:40context from from staff around that

1:46:42request.

1:46:43>> Yeah, absolutely. And so we recommend

1:46:46putting this on as a on the 29/30

1:46:50biennium part of our work plan.

1:46:52And

1:46:54staff will ensure in the meantime that

1:46:56we're bringing a light pollution lens to

1:46:58other planning work such as our design

1:47:00standards or our shoreline master plan

1:47:02that will be coming up with, which

1:47:04hopefully we would be doing anyways, but

1:47:06talk to staff about making sure we're

1:47:07doing that as an extra note.

1:47:09And I'm sharing too, it's like as you

1:47:11know from some of the other plans that

1:47:13you've seen that our staff capacity is

1:47:14really focused a lot on a lot of the

1:47:15state mandates that we have coming down

1:47:17the pipeline for some of those other

1:47:19items.

1:47:20And so

1:47:22that's why I'm recommending moving a

1:47:24kind of study around dark skies and a

1:47:27focus in this area for the next

1:47:29biennium. And I did I did note too that

1:47:33the

1:47:34there was also discussion about

1:47:36maybe thinking about it not in a

1:47:38planning effort but more on the capital

1:47:41facilities side for the city and I

1:47:43believe Councilmember Purcy wants to

1:47:45discuss that.

1:47:48>> Thank you.

1:47:50Councilmember Purcy, did you want to

1:47:51make some comments on this?

1:47:52>> Yes, thank you.

1:47:54So I'm supportive of

1:47:56putting this on the next biennium

1:47:59budget

1:48:00and pursuing other opportunities that we

1:48:03can have in the current biennium for

1:48:07light pollution measure light pollution

1:48:09prevention measures.

1:48:11This is something that we've heard quite

1:48:12frequently from Council, from emails

1:48:15that we've heard from the public.

1:48:17From planning commission has heard quite

1:48:21a bit of public comment on this. So this

1:48:23is a item that matters both to the

1:48:25public and to our environment quite

1:48:28deeply. We have a bird in our logo and

1:48:31not many cities do.

1:48:33And the birds have been in Redmond far

1:48:36longer than humans have

1:48:39been residents of the city. So it's

1:48:41really important for me to make sure

1:48:42that we can continue to be respectful of

1:48:45the natural environment as the city

1:48:47grows.

1:48:48So in the meantime, if there is

1:48:50opportunity from Public Works Department

1:48:52for us to have additional small amount

1:48:54of funding or reconsideration of how we

1:48:57grow our kind of lighting to make sure

1:48:59that for example, we have light caps, we

1:49:01have

1:49:03light motion sensors for example. So

1:49:05there is opportunity for people to be

1:49:07able to be safe and to see where they're

1:49:09going, but also not have the lights

1:49:11turned on when they're not needed. That

1:49:14would be a fantastic use of innovation

1:49:16as we grow to make sure that we are good

1:49:19stewards of our electricity and

1:49:23both fiscally and also with our

1:49:26emissions we're on track. So if there is

1:49:29opportunities for us to be to hear

1:49:32hear opportunities for a small amount of

1:49:33funding to support that this biannual

1:49:36from Public Works we'll love to hear it.

1:49:37Otherwise good with the plan moving

1:49:39forward.

1:49:40>> Great. Thank you. And yeah, can we can

1:49:43we get clarification on whether

1:49:46there there would be built into any

1:49:48projects that relate to lighting in the

1:49:50CIP, the opportunity to do the types of

1:49:53retrofits or effective lighting

1:49:57that would be good for that would meet

1:49:58Dark Sky standards and be able to

1:50:00promote some of the city's goals around

1:50:02light pollution as outlined in the ASAP.

1:50:05And I see we have

1:50:07some Public Works

1:50:08>> is going to come answer that question.

1:50:14>> As a side note while we're waiting for

1:50:16him to settle in, Um, we have made some

1:50:18pretty significant investments in

1:50:20particular in this building, um,

1:50:22ensuring that our we've gone we switched

1:50:24over our lighting and um it has

1:50:26functioned much better and I know we

1:50:28[music] had gotten complaints around

1:50:30City Hall being seen as a beacon at

1:50:32night when no one was here and we have

1:50:34um alleviated that problem with a big

1:50:36investment in the lighting in City Hall.

1:50:41>> Hello all. Um, I know on

1:50:44part parts and I cannot state the exact

1:50:46parts of the zoning code or the

1:50:48municipal code, but we talk about the

1:50:50Dark Skies policy as one of the things

1:50:53that we would follow in in a capital

1:50:55projects. Um, I know with this funding,

1:50:58you know, asking for uh

1:51:01maybe a project to research

1:51:03uh the effects on that that some of that

1:51:05scope or capacity of taking a a deeper

1:51:08look to see what current policies and

1:51:10capital and and the programs to see if

1:51:12we can enhance things would be a great

1:51:14idea.

1:51:17>> In in the the upcoming biennium in the

1:51:19the following biennium?

1:51:20>> Co- correct.

1:51:22>> Okay.

1:51:22Um, Councilor Parsee, did you have a

1:51:24follow-up question on that?

1:51:26>> Just a quick follow-up to see if there's

1:51:28any additional like small amount of

1:51:29budget funding that you may need for

1:51:31things like light caps, motion sensors,

1:51:33or things like that in our current um

1:51:36CIP projects that we have planned.

1:51:41>> It's always welcome. I can't answer for

1:51:43most most of the projects taking a look

1:51:45at that, but um those solutions are

1:51:47always welcome. And as Mayor Bernie

1:51:49stated,

1:51:50um in a lot of our projects we you know,

1:51:53we take those into consideration.

1:51:55>> And I what I'm hearing also from your

1:51:57answer is that when we go to design on

1:51:60projects that include a lighting

1:52:01element, um that because we have the

1:52:04some of the Dark Skies direction within

1:52:06our own code, um that you would likely

1:52:09consider that and budget into there and

1:52:11perhaps even come back to council. I

1:52:12guess the perhaps one an item that that

1:52:14could be would be that when we have

1:52:16projects in the biennium that focus on

1:52:18that that we um that the council be

1:52:21apprised of that in the capital, in the

1:52:23project update.

1:52:25>> There's a way to weave that in. There's

1:52:27a way to weave that in in the options of

1:52:29design, correct.

1:52:30>> Yeah.

1:52:31So I'm hearing confirmation on that.

1:52:34Is that that work great? Um and so

1:52:37um

1:52:38so I'm I'm hearing um uh and and

1:52:41actually one other thing I just wanted

1:52:42to clarify um I believe also uh that

1:52:46some of our environmental sustainability

1:52:48team is slated to work on this would

1:52:51would be working on this it wouldn't

1:52:52just be in um the planning department.

1:52:55Can we get a just a little more context

1:52:56on that? I believe it's under Jenny

1:52:58Liebeck's team.

1:52:59>> Yes, so um

1:53:02this kind of item um as it was brought

1:53:04up by council, we realized that it

1:53:06actually touches on multiple departments

1:53:08and so it would be multiple departments

1:53:10would be working on something like this

1:53:11and that's why moving it into the 29

1:53:142930 biennium would be the appropriate

1:53:16place because it'll take us some time to

1:53:17figure out um all the pieces that are

1:53:19involved in it and and what would be um

1:53:21right to do. Um if we did it now, we

1:53:24just don't have the staff capacity, but

1:53:26it'll give us some time to kind of

1:53:27figure out who all needs to be involved

1:53:28in it.

1:53:29>> Thank you. Council President Stewart.

1:53:31>> Yeah, thank you. And if we're going to

1:53:33um be doing the park plan outreach next

1:53:37year also, it would make sense to me

1:53:38that we identify a couple of key

1:53:39questions that can help gather community

1:53:42feedback related to this topic to to

1:53:44help with implementation when we get to

1:53:452029. My question is just um for

1:53:48Director Cochran. Um occasionally when

1:53:51we have items like this, we would

1:53:53actually list the cost. I see in the

1:53:56matrix here it's the 150,000 for the

1:53:58study. We would go ahead and list that

1:54:00as a service enhancement. It would have

1:54:02$0 in this biennium and then the next

1:54:04biennium and then the next one would

1:54:06have the money and that would be our our

1:54:08flag, our commitment to that that's

1:54:10work. Is that the plan here?

1:54:11>> Yeah, we can um definitely go back and

1:54:13update the adopted adopted

1:54:16adopted budget document to reflect um

1:54:19that planned um

1:54:21activity in the upcoming biennium and

1:54:23then it'll become a high priority for us

1:54:26to get that funding in place.

1:54:28>> Great. Thank you. So the I think you

1:54:30said you would update the adopted

1:54:31budget, but we haven't adopted the

1:54:33budget yet.

1:54:33>> but you will see the change

1:54:35>> budget book comes out, we'll be able to

1:54:36find this and it'll be assigned there.

1:54:38Great. Thank you. I support.

1:54:41>> Councilmember Forsyth.

1:54:42>> Thank you. Just really want to emphasize

1:54:43my support for this. Um it's something

1:54:45we've heard a lot about, something I

1:54:46care deeply about, and so just really

1:54:49excited to see that in the uh adoption

1:54:51that we're going to take for the future

1:54:54biennium.

1:54:56>> Councilmember Procria.

1:55:00>> Thank you. And I want to thank

1:55:01Councilmember Parsy for raising this. Um

1:55:03this is very uh very exciting. You know,

1:55:06I think

1:55:07perhaps one of the the greatest

1:55:09tragedies of modern urbanization is just

1:55:11the lack of um being able to see the

1:55:13Milky Way.

1:55:14Um I'm wondering if there's opportunity

1:55:16for

1:55:17uh for partnership with Kirkland or

1:55:20other neighboring cities on such a light

1:55:22study, particularly because, you know,

1:55:24if we're looking at our trails,

1:55:26um

1:55:27many of these trails intersect multiple

1:55:29cities.

1:55:30Uh and uh given that this is a study we

1:55:33would fund uh for a future biennium, I

1:55:35think we have time to be able to build

1:55:37up that relationship and seek

1:55:39uh

1:55:40support and partnership from our

1:55:42neighboring cities. Um so that's

1:55:43something I'd be interested in exploring

1:55:45over the next couple of years as we work

1:55:46towards this.

1:55:48>> Absolutely. We have Oh, sorry. This is

1:55:51Director Laren Hamilton, Parks and

1:55:52Recreation. Um yes, we have I have very

1:55:55strong relationships with the Parks and

1:55:57Recreation Directors on the Eastside. We

1:55:59actually meet um on a quarterly basis,

1:56:01and so it's absolutely absolutely a

1:56:03conversation that we can have and a

1:56:04collaboration we can try to create. Um a

1:56:07lot of it comes down to the

1:56:08prioritization within their own cities

1:56:10and the resources that they can put

1:56:11forward as well. That being said, we're

1:56:14um I think this is to the previous point

1:56:17a great reason for it to be into a

1:56:19further biennium so that we can also

1:56:22determine what scope we want this to

1:56:23have um and the impact.

1:56:26This [clears throat] is a conversation

1:56:27we've been having with King County

1:56:28Parks. They've surveyed us a couple of

1:56:30times around lighting, for example,

1:56:32along the Sammamish River Trail. And we

1:56:34continue to let them know that that

1:56:35would be a pretty significant impact to

1:56:37the city and something that we would um

1:56:39not be heavily interested in without

1:56:41further discussion. So um just want to

1:56:43assure Council that those are

1:56:44conversations that um and partnerships

1:56:47that are very strong and that would come

1:56:48into this project.

1:56:50>> Thank you. And actually, I'll just jump

1:56:52in here to note that I think there is

1:56:54also precedent for the regional

1:56:55collaboration on this um in that uh

1:56:59around salmon recovery specifically on

1:57:02Lake Sammamish. Um there was collective

1:57:04funding uh um for looking at artificial

1:57:07light at night um of all the

1:57:10jurisdictions around Lake Sammamish um

1:57:12to be able to look at some of those

1:57:13impacts and some of the opportunities of

1:57:16things like lighting retrofits. So um I

1:57:18think it it

1:57:20I would just say it's a great suggestion

1:57:21to think about as as we move into this

1:57:23in the future um for how we think

1:57:26interjurisdictionally and how we study

1:57:27it together

1:57:29um on solutions. Um and I will note

1:57:31about that study that the part of that

1:57:33work um I I know that um

1:57:36uh the Director Allen referenced the

1:57:38Shoreline Master Program that um that a

1:57:40lot of the recommendations that came out

1:57:43of that uh likely uh could be

1:57:45implemented with the Shoreline Master

1:57:46Program. And we have seen there's model

1:57:49uh

1:57:50legislation that we can implement when

1:57:51that update happens. Um so I do hope

1:57:55that the Council will take that up when

1:57:56when that comes up. It sounds like in in

1:57:58the upcoming time.

1:58:00Um uh Council Vice President Nika

1:58:02Camina.

1:58:03>> Thank you. Um just very quickly, very uh

1:58:05excited to see this as we continue and

1:58:08to do the study in in the next biennium,

1:58:11um giving us some time to think about uh

1:58:13not only the the the study, but then in

1:58:16the meantime, continued efforts with

1:58:18light caps. Um and also I I see this as

1:58:22another wonderful opportunity for

1:58:23Redmond to really balance between um our

1:58:26technical innovative side and our

1:58:29humanity side and and I I can't help but

1:58:31think about like in the Netherlands they

1:58:34have the solar powered cycle path called

1:58:36Rose Garden that was

1:58:38um inspired by a Van Gogh painting and

1:58:41although I definitely am not suggesting

1:58:43that we do a replication of that I'm

1:58:45looking forward to seeing what

1:58:47innovative solution that we come up with

1:58:49as a city.

1:58:51>> So I am hearing um interest in adding to

1:58:55the um

1:58:572930

1:58:59biennium uh

1:59:00column um within the budget um is that

1:59:03is that right or 29 to

1:59:0629 to 32

1:59:07>> 29

1:59:09>> 29 30 yeah

1:59:11>> 30 column within the budget um 150

1:59:14thousand dollars um to be able to make

1:59:16sure that we have the funding to be able

1:59:17to do the study then and a commitment

1:59:19that we will continue to actually be

1:59:21integrating um uh this work into uh

1:59:25planned work items um that are related

1:59:28in the upcoming biennium.

1:59:30Um council members are are we good

1:59:32proceeding with that?

1:59:35Great okay I saw seven thumbs for that

1:59:36so we will move on to the next item on

1:59:39the agenda.

1:59:40The next item on the agenda

1:59:43is [clears throat] the uh city ethics

1:59:45framework um this was also a proposal

1:59:47from council member Parsee um to invest

1:59:50250 thousand dollars um for the

1:59:52evaluation and modernization of the

1:59:54city's ethics framework. I believe that

1:59:57um director Cochran had some context to

1:59:59share on this um uh

2:00:02uh in response to um uh some of the

2:00:05questions about what we are uh currently

2:00:07planning.

2:00:08>> Thank you very much. Um so we provided

2:00:11in um the uh response in the matrix um a

2:00:15list of things that are currently in

2:00:18place are currently in motion across all

2:00:20departments um in the city.

2:00:23It is something um that we do on a

2:00:25continuous basis to ensure um that our

2:00:29uh

2:00:30guidance our

2:00:31and procedures are updated um to kind of

2:00:34reflect um the changing environment that

2:00:37we work in. Make sure that we are

2:00:39establishing

2:00:41um our expectations and creating um a

2:00:44system that can exist for accountability

2:00:48and to protect the city's um resources

2:00:50and um and people.

2:00:52And so the list that you'll see um gives

2:00:54you highlights of what we're currently

2:00:56working on within the finance department

2:00:58alone. Right now um we are getting

2:01:01kicked off on an effort to take a really

2:01:03in-depth look at payroll. We've been

2:01:05working on um purchasing which includes

2:01:08kind of the

2:01:09um ethical um components that public

2:01:12service um servants are responsible for

2:01:15when utilizing

2:01:16um city dollars.

2:01:18We've also as a part of that been

2:01:20updating our travel policy and our city

2:01:23pro card or credit card um

2:01:25policy.

2:01:27Human resources is um going through um a

2:01:31review to assess um their policies,

2:01:34procedures as we work to onboard a new

2:01:38um director and um get them um going.

2:01:42The um request for um uh consultant

2:01:47dollars could certainly help to um

2:01:50either speed up um the city's work or to

2:01:53ensure that we have um a third party

2:01:56involved in in assessment. Um

2:02:00I just wanted to show you sort of what

2:02:02we have going on um and happy to um

2:02:05answer any questions.

2:02:07>> All right. Thank you. And And for those

2:02:09who are looking in the matrix um since

2:02:11it's kind of buried in there, it's

2:02:12number 23 in the council issues matrix

2:02:14and then looks like there's also in

2:02:16there is also an attachment B with

2:02:18current efforts across the city as well

2:02:20uh that provide more detail in that

2:02:22summary.

2:02:23>> The attachment is where you'll find kind

2:02:24of

2:02:26more detail.

2:02:26>> Okay. Councilor Parcy, go ahead.

2:02:29>> Thank you so much. And once again, this

2:02:31is a critical item in my mind because as

2:02:34our budget grows, as our population

2:02:36grows, we have a commitment to the

2:02:39public to make sure that the funds are

2:02:41um

2:02:43spent in an ethical manner and that

2:02:45we're good [clears throat] stewards of

2:02:46public money. Um

2:02:48it is really great to see that we are

2:02:51currently taking some steps in that

2:02:53direction. I think it's really critical

2:02:55for us to have a third party um come and

2:02:58take a look and make sure similar to how

2:03:00we're evaluating payroll to also come

2:03:03and take a look and make sure that other

2:03:05aspects of um our funding um and uh

2:03:09policies are um with ethics at its

2:03:12forefront. Um ethics is um one of the

2:03:15keywords in our mission um uh in our the

2:03:19first section of our budget and it's

2:03:21really important that we actually make

2:03:22an active investment towards it.

2:03:25Um it's really important for me to make

2:03:27sure that um the so I sent out an email

2:03:29with the list of items that um called

2:03:32out the scope. Um I do want to make sure

2:03:34that we have clarity on if the scope can

2:03:36be covered as a part of this um with the

2:03:39commitment listed

2:03:41um and I also want to make sure that

2:03:45we um the the scope does not cover just

2:03:49staff um but it covers elected as well

2:03:52as leadership in the city as well. So um

2:03:54if you could clarify that, that would be

2:03:56fantastic and um I propose this but I'm

2:03:59in um great support of this and I would

2:04:01love to make sure that we can grow um

2:04:03ethically and with a commitment to

2:04:05ethics. Thank you.

2:04:06>> Thank you. And just to get a

2:04:07clarification, is the question whether

2:04:09the scope that you outlined um could be

2:04:12covered through some of the planned

2:04:14activities that um that finance and HR

2:04:18have planned through our upcoming RFPs

2:04:20and other activities as outlined?

2:04:22Okay, I'm seeing a yes. So um can you

2:04:24confirm um whether the

2:04:27the the goals that that were outlined in

2:04:29the scope would would likely be covered

2:04:31as part of the

2:04:31>> We can um incorporate the requests. I

2:04:34think I need a little bit time to ensure

2:04:36that the um

2:04:38time frame that was proposed could be

2:04:41met. Um I am very much looking forward

2:04:44to our new HR director um joining and

2:04:48would love to be able to work in

2:04:50partnership um there as well as some

2:04:52other spots

2:04:54um across the city. So in order to just

2:04:57get ourselves organized in a time frame

2:04:59in place would be great. But as far as

2:05:01the scope, yes, I think that we can um

2:05:05manage that.

2:05:07>> Council President Stewart?

2:05:09Did you raise your hand?

2:05:10Oh, I thought I hadn't seen you.

2:05:11Apologies.

2:05:13Um

2:05:14so it sounds like um so are are there

2:05:17other council member comments or

2:05:18questions on this? Um Mayor Bernie? Go

2:05:21ahead.

2:05:21>> Yeah, I'm I'm sorry. I'm trying to find

2:05:23um Council member Parse, you sent out an

2:05:25email. Do you Do you um

2:05:28>> Um the title is called Ethics Proposal.

2:05:30I remember you mentioned that Hazel sent

2:05:32it to you.

2:05:32>> just going to try to find it. Thank you.

2:05:33>> Yeah, no problem. Uh I think

2:05:38>> Is there uh council member Vice

2:05:40President

2:05:41Um just a comment on that. I'm I'm also

2:05:43interested making sure that that uh what

2:05:46was outlined in the in the email in the

2:05:48ethics proposal email is within the

2:05:51scope that we've already got laid out.

2:05:53Um I think that um

2:05:55uh

2:05:56over the last few years,

2:05:58local government is the the last trusted

2:06:02level of government and the most

2:06:03trusted. So I want to make sure that

2:06:05that our community continues to maintain

2:06:07that trust. And I think that having that

2:06:09third party independent review

2:06:12will

2:06:13will go quite far.

2:06:15>> And it sounds like so cuz we will have

2:06:17two different third party reviews that

2:06:19will be happening as part of these two

2:06:20RFPs um that we could integrate some of

2:06:22that as well as some of these other

2:06:24pieces. I think the one the one piece

2:06:26that I heard that would be a proposal

2:06:28for council so would be to integrate

2:06:30those goals and potentially I guess the

2:06:33other piece would be for council to

2:06:35follow up and this could be on the

2:06:36council to decide to put it on council's

2:06:38work plan to get report back on this and

2:06:42to be able to have a discussion around

2:06:44this topic should council want to. So,

2:06:46we can put that on the parking lot if

2:06:47council wants to do that for the council

2:06:49to consider actually just talking about

2:06:51the topic of

2:06:53of ethics and getting the updates on how

2:06:56we're updating on our policies.

2:06:59I think the one thing that I heard from

2:07:01Director Cochran was a proposal that

2:07:03there'd be an adjustment. I see that

2:07:05there is a

2:07:07some in the proposal there was proposing

2:07:09selecting by April

2:07:1115th, 2027th and completing review by

2:07:14December 2027. So, I think

2:07:17what Director Cochran was suggesting is

2:07:19is to have some flexibility on adjusting

2:07:22those dates depending on

2:07:25>> If we are to work with an additional

2:07:26consultant, what I want to make sure is

2:07:28that we don't

2:07:31have any overlap. So, we have a lot of

2:07:32work being done and I want to make sure

2:07:34that it's holistic and it's approach we

2:07:37can recognize

2:07:39what areas are of the next highest

2:07:42priority and have that same kind of lens

2:07:45applied

2:07:47would be my thought.

2:07:50>> Thank you.

2:07:51Council President Stewart.

2:07:53>> Yeah, thank you and I appreciate that

2:07:55Director Cochran.

2:07:58Although the

2:08:00HR Assessment RFP committee is still

2:08:03completing its work,

2:08:05the one proposal that the council did

2:08:06evaluate earlier in the fall, for

2:08:10instance, that was a 20-week project.

2:08:12So, I'll just admit my own

2:08:15I I hit my own cliff of my own knowledge

2:08:18about how long of a timeline the budget

2:08:20of $250,000 does say that say to me that

2:08:24it's a significant amount of time that

2:08:26we would be looking to have a consultant

2:08:27partner on.

2:08:29So, I would want to

2:08:32if the if the council supports this work

2:08:34and we budget for it, I would really

2:08:36want to make sure we're going to leave

2:08:38flexibility on the timing of things

2:08:40especially because um

2:08:42uh the HR assessment and the payroll

2:08:45assessment um are gonna have findings

2:08:47that could be deducted in a way from

2:08:50this project and there could be some

2:08:52cost savings realized. Also the

2:08:54listening public um the just the council

2:08:57received

2:08:58our updated materials uh a couple of

2:09:00hours before we walked in the room. So

2:09:02just what we're looking at here it's

2:09:04it's several pages but it's an outline

2:09:06um

2:09:07of

2:09:09uh existing management for for um ethics

2:09:14policies and procedures kind of by

2:09:17department and I I think it's attached

2:09:19in our materials as well. Thank you.

2:09:20>> Yes and just to be clear since I I think

2:09:22you referenced I think the what is

2:09:24currently on the table is to not add an

2:09:27additional amount of funding enhancement

2:09:29and that it would be included as part of

2:09:32the the upcoming RFP. That was my

2:09:34understanding of what you were saying or

2:09:35you were saying for the actual

2:09:37250,000.

2:09:39Um go ahead Councilmember Parsee.

2:09:41>> Yeah so I um that that doesn't match my

2:09:44understanding. I um my understanding is

2:09:46that we are going to move forward with

2:09:49the to of course with council support

2:09:51moving forward with the consultant. I do

2:09:54want to add a clarification that the

2:09:55entire 250 will not be just for

2:09:58consultant. It would be supporting staff

2:10:01time as well as consultant. Um I did

2:10:03have uh

2:10:05um yeah so um the 250 is not entirely

2:10:08for this. Um I do um appreciate the

2:10:11recommendation from uh Director Cochrane

2:10:14to um collaborate closely with HR work

2:10:17to be done. So I'm um happy to be

2:10:20flexible in terms of the timings to make

2:10:22sure that we can have coordinated effort

2:10:25there. Um but I do think that it's

2:10:28really important for us to actually fund

2:10:30this work and I want to also one more

2:10:32time double check that the scope and the

2:10:35email would be covered um as a part of

2:10:38the consultant the additional staff work

2:10:40that would be covered with that um with

2:10:42this funding.

2:10:50>> I I I can forward it to you, Mayor

2:10:52Bernie. Um you have it now? Okay, thank

2:10:55you. Um

2:10:56uh Director Cochran.

2:10:58>> Uh I um

2:11:00it's been a bit since I read the

2:11:01proposal, but it felt as though it it

2:11:05fits right into what we would be looking

2:11:08at each time that we are looking at a

2:11:10business area. It's all sort of

2:11:12you know logical questions um and goals

2:11:15that you would look to achieve.

2:11:17>> So so just to clarify, since I think I

2:11:19misunderstood uh what Councilmember

2:11:21Parsy was saying um is that uh it was

2:11:24confirming that for 250,000

2:11:28that the scope of work that was outlined

2:11:31could be achieved. Um so and and we're

2:11:36hearing yes from our finance director

2:11:38and that that

2:11:39>> there are um it's you know it's a lot

2:11:41about reporting and compliance,

2:11:44transparency and accountability,

2:11:47um use of public resources, and a lot of

2:11:51these things are sort of already in um

2:11:56in the works. So we've had a purchasing

2:11:59process improvement going on for this

2:12:02biennium.

2:12:03They covered that

2:12:05um topic and gave us recommendations to

2:12:08strengthen our policies and to include

2:12:11in our training, and that is moving

2:12:13forward

2:12:14um through

2:12:15to provide that final report to council

2:12:18within the first quarter next year. So

2:12:20there is work that's already being done

2:12:23that I think we can share with council

2:12:25and make sure that it

2:12:28meets the mark for you. There is some

2:12:30work in here um about

2:12:34things that fall under the HR realm,

2:12:36investigations,

2:12:38hiring, managing sort of conflict of

2:12:41interest, and I think that there's sort

2:12:43of a bucket for those to be

2:12:46um resolved. Um there is you know it's

2:12:49ethics is a is a broad um topic. But

2:12:54when looking at the scope the things

2:12:55that we already have in motion um really

2:12:59capture quite a bit of them. And so I

2:13:01don't um

2:13:04I'm not I don't

2:13:06think that we would have um

2:13:09uh an issue with um

2:13:13completing the remaining

2:13:15business areas that we haven't looked at

2:13:16yet.

2:13:19>> Let me just ask a quick question which

2:13:21is cuz it sounds like and this is I

2:13:23think why I got confused because we do

2:13:24have two other third party assessments

2:13:26going on that it sounds like in those

2:13:28scopes are included some of the pieces

2:13:30of this scope whether we actually would

2:13:32need $250,000 for what would be

2:13:35remaining outside of those other two

2:13:37assessments that are going on

2:13:39um to be able to to complete that work.

2:13:42>> If um if we wanted to do an assessment I

2:13:45think that an amount of $125,000 would

2:13:48be sufficient to do that. I believe the

2:13:50remaining $100,000 was identified in

2:13:52order to be able to implement um

2:13:55recommendations as they came forward. So

2:13:58in order to be able to um conduct an

2:14:00assessment that is not included in the

2:14:04scope of work that we already have I

2:14:06think that would um be sufficient um to

2:14:09help us either move faster or be broader

2:14:11quicker.

2:14:13>> Councilmember Sony.

2:14:15>> Thank you so much for this

2:14:16clarification. This was the doubt in my

2:14:18head. Like you know if it's already in

2:14:20progress why we are putting another 250

2:14:22and then I think Director and you just

2:14:24explained it well. So it's like

2:14:26basically extra 125k for the other

2:14:30studies that is not in the current scope

2:14:32with HR and other departments and

2:14:34remaining 125k for any any findings that

2:14:38they are there so that you know it can

2:14:39be helpful for implementing. So yeah

2:14:41with this I'm I'm in favor of this.

2:14:46>> Councilmember Forsythe.

2:14:47>> Thank you. I'm fully in support of this.

2:14:49Um

2:14:49>> I really appreciate that we're going to

2:14:51get a holistic view of the entire city

2:14:53through this additional funding and the

2:14:55actual funding to implement what we hear

2:14:58back. So fully in support.

2:15:03>> Thank you. Um, I think it might be part

2:15:05of why it's a little challenging to

2:15:06follow along is because the original

2:15:08email um didn't come to me or the COO

2:15:11and it's also not included in the

2:15:12packet. So I think that we just need to

2:15:14um

2:15:15figure out a pathway to make sure that

2:15:17information that's in there is included.

2:15:19Um,

2:15:20I I don't I don't think it at this

2:15:22moment matters to allocate a budget

2:15:24item, but it does matter in order to

2:15:26make sure that we are um meeting what

2:15:29the council wants um thoroughly because

2:15:31it currently isn't um isn't a easily

2:15:34accessible public document. So we'll

2:15:35make sure that it gets pulled in to this

2:15:38work.

2:15:39>> Thank you. Um, are there other comments

2:15:42on this um or questions

2:15:46um on this item? Council President

2:15:48Stewart.

2:15:49>> I'll just admit I got a little bit lost.

2:15:51So when it comes time to evaluating

2:15:54the latest version of the proposal,

2:15:55having it restated would be helpful.

2:15:57Thank you.

2:15:57>> Great. Um, and I guess the last question

2:16:00that I will ask also to our finance

2:16:02director is um if the council wanted to

2:16:05move forward with the 250,000, can you

2:16:06speak to the funds that that might be

2:16:08available for

2:16:10uh the council to utilize for this?

2:16:12>> There is um funds remaining from um

2:16:17changes that we have been um working

2:16:19through in um the budget. So they would

2:16:23either go towards um this item or that

2:16:26we could put them back into that

2:16:28affordable housing

2:16:30area.

2:16:31So they're they're kind of one time in

2:16:32nature.

2:16:33>> And would it be also the same source we

2:16:35might look at for any of the remaining

2:16:37items as

2:16:37>> Correct. Yeah.

2:16:39>> Um, so just so the council is aware as

2:16:41well. Um, so just to recap on this. So I

2:16:44think what we would what we would uh

2:16:47what is proposed here would be um

2:16:49allocating $250,000

2:16:53um towards the scope as Councilmember

2:16:55Parsi outlined in uh her email um for a

2:17:00um an

2:17:01third-party ethics evaluation and then

2:17:03modernization of the city's ethics

2:17:05framework. Um I think with the change

2:17:08that that uh we would take out the the

2:17:11timeline specifically um just knowing

2:17:13that it would get implemented in the

2:17:14biennium. So it would be through kind of

2:17:16proposed scope as it follows in the

2:17:18email and we could get that if the

2:17:20council approves we can get that

2:17:21attached as a um a part of some of the

2:17:24items that that show up with the um

2:17:26final budget adoption so that that's

2:17:28documented as well.

2:17:31Um Council President Stewart.

2:17:33>> Thank you.

2:17:34I appreciate where that is currently and

2:17:40since um we are just

2:17:43looking at this and we we're talking

2:17:45about these other two. I understand the

2:17:48need for this scope as presented in the

2:17:50email to stay on the table.

2:17:54I would just feel more comfortable if we

2:17:57could say

2:17:59with this general scope to be worked on

2:18:02in Q1 so that we have a chance to get

2:18:07these other RFPs underway and to know

2:18:09what they are working on so that we are

2:18:11clear on what's left and what we need to

2:18:15put in an RFP to do this work. Like what

2:18:17work is remaining after those other two

2:18:20independent consultants conclude their

2:18:23work in HR and payroll.

2:18:27>> Yeah go ahead Councilmember Parsi.

2:18:30>> I um just want to make sure I fully

2:18:32understand. So are you recommending not

2:18:35adding the scope to the plan um as we

2:18:38see it or to keep it more broad? I think

2:18:41the scope can be included as a

2:18:43recommendation and just to make sure to

2:18:45ground us but we I'm willing to kind of

2:18:47reconsider and kind of be flexible but I

2:18:49do think that it's important for the

2:18:51scope to be called out and kind of be

2:18:53clear on that.

2:18:57>> Thank you, uh Councilmember Forsythe.

2:18:59Um,

2:19:01I I can see where this is headed and

2:19:03both the sides of the conversation. So I

2:19:05do think that including the scope as we

2:19:08currently see it, but then having a Q1

2:19:10review

2:19:11to make sure that if there are any

2:19:13missing pieces from the RFPs that have

2:19:15gone out, that that takes place at the

2:19:18beginning of the year. So it's kind of a

2:19:19happy medium of both

2:19:21um suggestions so that yes, we include

2:19:23it with a with a line that says

2:19:26to also be re-evaluated in quarter one

2:19:28to make sure that there are no missing

2:19:30pieces.

2:19:31>> Thank you. So uh to bring those together

2:19:34um

2:19:35the proposal would be to establish a

2:19:37budget item for a city ethics framework

2:19:41to be developed using $250,000

2:19:45um of of the these the funds identified

2:19:49by Director Cochran. Um, and we and we

2:19:52could include as the attachment would be

2:19:55um uh

2:19:58Council with with

2:20:00Council

2:20:01will um review the scope

2:20:05in 20 in Q1 of 2027

2:20:08um

2:20:10proposed scope includes. So that way the

2:20:13proposed scope could get included and

2:20:17then the actual scope could be refined

2:20:20by Council in Q1 of 2027.

2:20:24Um, so that that would be the the

2:20:26proposal. So um Councilmembers, I will

2:20:29ask um unless there's other comments on

2:20:32that, whether there are thumbs for um

2:20:35for bringing that forward.

2:20:38Okay, I see seven thumbs. So we will

2:20:41move forward with that and we'll move on

2:20:43to the next item, which is the Home to

2:20:44Storefront Seed Fund, which was

2:20:47Councilmember Sony's proposal to

2:20:49establish a $250,000

2:20:52as a seed fund for local businesses to

2:20:54move from home to home to storefront

2:20:57opportunities.

2:20:59And I believe Director Allen is going to

2:21:01give us an update

2:21:03on what that might look like if we

2:21:06wanted to move forward with that and

2:21:07potentially

2:21:09what we're already doing in this space.

2:21:11>> Yeah, thank you. And first want to

2:21:13acknowledge that we are fast and furious

2:21:14trying to work on responding to some of

2:21:17these things and so I think this will be

2:21:18a bit of a more dynamic conversation.

2:21:21So first I want to share that Council

2:21:23has already supported a number of

2:21:25enhancements in the proposed budget

2:21:27package. Staff within the Economic

2:21:29Development Division are grateful for

2:21:31the Business District and Place Making

2:21:33Program Manager, the Business District

2:21:35Organizational Seed Funding and some of

2:21:37the other economic development items

2:21:39that that team will lead.

2:21:41Per Council Member Soni's request and

2:21:43comments from the last meeting, I wanted

2:21:45to verify we do hear

2:21:47from small businesses how difficult it

2:21:49is to open brick and mortar locations

2:21:51due to the cost of tenant improvements

2:21:54and

2:21:55associated permit fees. And that's

2:21:56especially true as we have these newer

2:21:58buildings that have these

2:22:00updated commercial spaces. And so

2:22:03we took this back and thought about it

2:22:05and want to say that I think we have a

2:22:07bit of a unique opportunity right now

2:22:09that staff are already working with

2:22:11Plymouth Housing

2:22:12regarding how to help them find a retail

2:22:15tenant

2:22:16in

2:22:17space that would pay below market rent.

2:22:20And so staff would propose

2:22:24a pilot program utilizing a portion of

2:22:27the suggested funds, 50,000 instead of

2:22:29250,000

2:22:31by Council Member Soni to track the city

2:22:33costs and challenges associated with

2:22:35opening retail locations in Redmond and

2:22:38then provide a detailed recommendation

2:22:40to the council for

2:22:42retail opening relief or grant programs.

2:22:45So we would use this as an example to

2:22:47work with Development Services to really

2:22:49study how this might work in the future.

2:22:52And

2:22:54shared that staff would

2:22:57the potential that we have right here is

2:22:59potential nonprofit coffee shop that

2:23:01Plymouth is working with, but they're

2:23:02having

2:23:03trouble knowing how to pay to get into

2:23:06the space due to some of the barriers

2:23:08that

2:23:09Council Member Sawant was talking about.

2:23:11And so we would look at waving or

2:23:12subsidizing their pre-application and

2:23:14formal application fees, permit fees

2:23:16associated with the land use review,

2:23:18building, fire,

2:23:20engineering, transportation that are

2:23:22things that the city requires and needs

2:23:25and that the economic development staff

2:23:26would coordinate very closely with the

2:23:28new department

2:23:30and then again use this as an example

2:23:33for us to study how that process might

2:23:34work and how it might be something we

2:23:36look to do more in the future if that's

2:23:38something that the council is interested

2:23:39in.

2:23:40So that was a bit of a explanation

2:23:42there, but open open to questions.

2:23:46>> Thank you so much.

2:23:48Council Member Sawant, since you

2:23:49proposed this, would you like to speak

2:23:50first?

2:23:52>> Thank you so much first of all for the

2:23:54consideration and working on some of

2:23:56these things. Definitely it needs a

2:23:58study to be done.

2:23:60Do some pilot to understand how it

2:24:02works. So if I'm understanding

2:24:03correctly, this will be specifically for

2:24:06the Plymouth housing retail area for a

2:24:09coffee shop like you know as a one

2:24:10business to do to understand how it

2:24:13works and then based on that we'll make

2:24:15the recommendations for if this is

2:24:17required if this can be you know

2:24:19simulated for the other businesses just

2:24:22to just for the clarity.

2:24:23>> I think we we see it as a good example

2:24:26because there's still a lot more for us

2:24:28to look into in terms of the gift of

2:24:29public funds and

2:24:32other things for supporting

2:24:35small businesses and because this will

2:24:36be a nonprofit business that would work

2:24:38with Plymouth housing it feels a little

2:24:40bit cleaner and then we can use that as

2:24:42an ability to kind of track how waving

2:24:44fees or working with development

2:24:45services might look and then we would

2:24:47come forward to the council with some

2:24:49adopted policies overall for if we're

2:24:51thinking about how to support businesses

2:24:53where we would adopt a policy that

2:24:56shows that supporting small businesses

2:24:58is a public benefit. This is something

2:25:01that the city of Seattle has done and

2:25:02their ability to help um uh do

2:25:04storefront um

2:25:07uh improvements and things like that.

2:25:09And uh

2:25:11other cities um um are kind of also

2:25:13looking in that way. Um and we just have

2:25:16a It's a little bit different than in

2:25:17other states um where because of the

2:25:20state of Washington's gift of public

2:25:21funds is very strong. We just have to

2:25:23make sure we define what the public

2:25:25benefit is to the city if dollars are

2:25:27going to be going to that. And so that's

2:25:28why we thought there's just more policy

2:25:30work to be done that we think um needs

2:25:32to happen. And that's where we thought

2:25:33but we could still maybe pilot this as

2:25:35an opportunity. Um but also we're going

2:25:38to be working with them regardless um as

2:25:40well.

2:25:40>> Uh just a follow-up question.

2:25:42When uh like you know what's the

2:25:44timeline for the pilot?

2:25:47>> Uh well the Plymouth housing is supposed

2:25:49to be opening in Q1 of next year. And so

2:25:52the um tenant it would be looking to

2:25:55start their tenant improvements in 2027

2:25:58and then hopefully opening in 2028. So

2:26:00it would be in this biennium.

2:26:01>> Sure. So just again one more follow-up

2:26:03please um

2:26:05so based on that finding if suppose if

2:26:08we want to think that this is working

2:26:10great and we want to do it, will there

2:26:12be funding available because we are

2:26:14talking about 27 28 budget. So I just

2:26:16want to

2:26:17like yes we are doing the pilot but if

2:26:20we find that it's good like you know

2:26:22thumbs up, will there be funding

2:26:24available from any sources?

2:26:27>> I think I I'd I'd look to the council

2:26:29for what's available from on the funding

2:26:30side.

2:26:31>> And I guess the the question might be to

2:26:34um uh our finance director whether if

2:26:37say within you know the after the first

2:26:39year of the biennium the council wanted

2:26:41to look at this whether there might be

2:26:43some additional funding say um in

2:26:45surplus or or one-time funding that that

2:26:47might

2:26:48come available um to be able to fund

2:26:50something like this.

2:26:51>> That would be um an opportunity. I think

2:26:54um you know working to get um this to be

2:26:57an ongoing problem will be more of a

2:26:59challenge but finding one-time um

2:27:02dollars to make incremental progress I

2:27:04think is is an option.

2:27:08>> So it sounds like the proposal that

2:27:10Director Allen made would be to do

2:27:12$50,000

2:27:14um to be able to How would How would you

2:27:17categorize it if we wanted to add the

2:27:19enhancement in the budget?

2:27:21>> Yeah, I I can send over some language

2:27:22but be to do a pilot um project uh that

2:27:26would um

2:27:28uh subsidize pre-application and formal

2:27:30application fees, permit fees associated

2:27:33with um land use.

2:27:35>> For For affordable um

2:27:38>> For for affordable commercial as we

2:27:39could make broad.

2:27:41>> Um Council Member Forsyth.

2:27:43>> Thank you. I support the proposal put

2:27:46forward by staff tonight on this. It's

2:27:48something that we've been talking about

2:27:49for a long time as far as helping

2:27:51businesses that are being displaced or

2:27:54are wanting to start up, our small

2:27:56business community. We've seen a lot of

2:27:58displacement over the years with the

2:27:59growth and I think that that's another

2:28:02element that we need to wrap into this

2:28:04sort of work. So I I fully support the

2:28:06proposal that was brought forward

2:28:08tonight from staff

2:28:09with the understanding of there's been a

2:28:11lot of conversation that can also be

2:28:13folded into this uh body of work over

2:28:16the last many years and I know our

2:28:18economic development team has been hard

2:28:20at work looking at all of that. Um so I

2:28:23think this is a bigger body of work than

2:28:24just the proposal that um was graciously

2:28:27put forward um but I think that there's

2:28:30a lot of policy work that also needs to

2:28:32happen within this. So I appreciate the

2:28:33work on the

2:28:35pilot aspect and the quick thinking that

2:28:37you all put together to make this happen

2:28:40so that we can continue studying it.

2:28:44>> Council Member Parsey.

2:28:46>> Thank you. I appreciate that and I I

2:28:48appreciate the recommendation from staff

2:28:50and the proposal from um Council Member

2:28:53Soni. Um I am curious before we kind of

2:28:56commit to this uh proposal, um would it

2:28:58be possible for you to share if we had

2:29:01$50,000 that we wanted to um put forward

2:29:04for economic development based on the

2:29:06current plans that we have identified,

2:29:08if we wanted to put something forward,

2:29:10is there a higher priority or higher

2:29:12value item that maybe has been

2:29:14identified so far in our current plans

2:29:16that we could also consider as we're

2:29:19kind of evaluating this or you've

2:29:21evaluated that already and the proposal

2:29:23that you shared is kind of in

2:29:24consideration with that?

2:29:27>> Yeah, and I think that's where I was

2:29:28appreciating that the council already is

2:29:30funding some of the higher priorities

2:29:31that we kind of brought forward, which

2:29:33is around some of that district

2:29:34development and um seed funding for

2:29:38district organizations that we think

2:29:39will then help support these the kinds

2:29:42of businesses that we've been talking

2:29:43about. So I would say that's definitely

2:29:45more on the priority for the economic

2:29:48development strategic plan and for our

2:29:50staff, but as I said, this is also

2:29:52something we've been talking about for a

2:29:53long time and is going to take and we've

2:29:56developed some kind of initial

2:29:58proposals, but we're still more on that

2:29:59policy setting phase and that

2:30:01based on what council member Sony was

2:30:03sharing, we were like, oh, maybe we can

2:30:05use this as an opportunity to deepen our

2:30:06learning with just a a little bit of

2:30:08funding

2:30:10with this opportunity that we have right

2:30:11now.

2:30:16>> Council President Stewart.

2:30:17>> Yeah, thank you. Appreciate the

2:30:19discussion. I just kind of want to yes

2:30:21and it all by saying I super appreciate

2:30:23our colleague bringing this forward.

2:30:25We have been talking about affordable

2:30:27commercial

2:30:28and the needs there and I appreciate

2:30:31staff being nimble and responding to an

2:30:34opportunity that is

2:30:36knocking at the door. I think that that

2:30:38is also important for the city to do.

2:30:40Additionally, we're only really talking

2:30:42about enhancements and reductions in

2:30:44these final deliberations, but

2:30:48with our baseline budget this biennium,

2:30:52we are

2:30:54continuing to invest in new investments

2:30:57from the current biennium including

2:31:00the staff who are doing the support for

2:31:02small businesses. They're holding the

2:31:04office hours and the like and that is

2:31:07just an investment that we saw so much

2:31:09value in

2:31:10we know there's more to do, but I just

2:31:12since we're talking about some of these

2:31:14moving pieces, really want to call out

2:31:16that work. I knew although he has moved

2:31:19on to another role, I knew Dominique

2:31:20Meeks was being successful

2:31:23when I just kept hearing his name

2:31:24everywhere I went around town. So

2:31:27and of course we have great staff in

2:31:29that world now. So

2:31:31appreciate the conversation and I

2:31:32support the proposal. Thank you.

2:31:35>> Thank you. And perhaps I would actually

2:31:37request I think it might be helpful

2:31:38since I think some of this conversation

2:31:40is also being able to share with our

2:31:41community about how we're investing in

2:31:43our small businesses and what are some

2:31:45of those tools to

2:31:47have within the final matrix just the

2:31:49answer to kind of the all up between

2:31:51baseline and enhancements what what our

2:31:53investments look like

2:31:55especially in supporting our small

2:31:56business community

2:31:59if if that's possible not too difficult.

2:32:01>> So just to make sure I'm you're saying

2:32:04perhaps include in the matrix kind of

2:32:07all the investments that we're making in

2:32:08small businesses holistically.

2:32:10>> Yeah.

2:32:11>> Okay.

2:32:12Yes, we can do that.

2:32:13>> Thank you.

2:32:14So

2:32:16it sounds like

2:32:18from what I'm hearing and I I will of

2:32:20course take a moment in case Councilor

2:32:22Brasoni wants to make a counter

2:32:24proposal, but I will say it sounds like

2:32:27I'm hearing support for moving forward

2:32:29with the proposal that Director Allen

2:32:30had shared. Councilor Brasoni, do you

2:32:32have any other comments before we move

2:32:33on from that?

2:32:35>> No, I do support the proposal. See for

2:32:38me this is very important to give this

2:32:40confidence to our business of our small

2:32:42businesses that we are taking some step.

2:32:45This pilot is the first step.

2:32:47We are we are providing them

2:32:50you know all assistance in the different

2:32:52forms, but finance when it comes to

2:32:54finance is something that they really

2:32:56struggle.

2:32:57So this is this is a first confidence

2:32:59that we are giving it to them that we

2:33:01are also taking some other steps that

2:33:03can help them to be successful in their

2:33:06businesses. So I support this proposal.

2:33:09However, like you know I just wanted to

2:33:10ensure that in case if our pilot study

2:33:12is successful, that we have

2:33:14one-time money to be able to consider

2:33:17that in future.

2:33:21>> And actually, before we go to thumbs, I

2:33:24do want us to all be clear from our

2:33:25finance director. Do we think there is

2:33:27funding available within

2:33:31the the kind of flex amount that you

2:33:32noted in the previous item if we're

2:33:34going to go with 50,000 here?

2:33:35>> This is an area where there is also

2:33:39funds available that are

2:33:41from the development area that we can

2:33:45utilize for this. So this would not have

2:33:47an impact on the amount that we have

2:33:50discussed for affordable housing. It is

2:33:53available in sort of

2:33:55another bucket.

2:33:57>> So council members, is there support for

2:33:58moving forward as director Allen

2:34:01described with the $50,000 enhancement?

2:34:04Okay, I see seven thumbs. So we'll move

2:34:06forward with that.

2:34:08Thank you. And And if we could also have

2:34:09that that matrix item just noted for the

2:34:11record, I think that would also be

2:34:13really helpful.

2:34:15All right. So the next item on the

2:34:17agenda

2:34:18is

2:34:20So and actually I'll say these next

2:34:21three items, these final three items are

2:34:23ones that we actually discussed in

2:34:25previous parts of deliberations and

2:34:27we're coming back on a final touch on

2:34:29them. So the next one is on the tenant

2:34:33protections and housing rental housing

2:34:36policy related staffing position.

2:34:40And the

2:34:41tenant protection subcommittee spent

2:34:44time given council direction at the last

2:34:46deliberation working on a proviso which

2:34:49we provided to the council in advance

2:34:52as well as

2:34:54cleaning up the the related document

2:34:56that's referenced in that proviso that

2:34:58provides kind of clear direction on on

2:35:00the position. And I'll turn it over to

2:35:02our

2:35:04our chair of the subcommittee, council

2:35:06member Pro Riata, to walk us through

2:35:08that proviso.

2:35:10>> Thank you. And

2:35:12is the proviso in the packets, the

2:35:13physical packets we were given here

2:35:15today. I was going to I was going to

2:35:17share my I'll go ahead and share my

2:35:18screen anyway, why not.

2:35:32Okay. So we touched on this last

2:35:35Thursday um and council kind of gave us

2:35:37directions on two items. Number one was

2:35:40turning the overall uh position

2:35:43description document into a condensed

2:35:47budget proviso. Um council said they

2:35:49prefer it be on the shorter side, so

2:35:51uh we limited it to a couple of pages.

2:35:54Um council also gave us direction uh

2:35:57that they would like the

2:35:59um the position level to be a principal

2:36:01planner. Um so this proviso has five

2:36:04sections. Um the first section

2:36:07um talks about the the funding for the

2:36:10position. So because of the principal

2:36:12planner status, it's going to be

2:36:13$442,000

2:36:15for the biennium.

2:36:17Um this section basically just

2:36:18authorizes uh makes clear that these

2:36:21funds are only authorized for

2:36:23um

2:36:24the role

2:36:26described in the document. Um this one

2:36:29and the the attached one that that we

2:36:30had sent last week. Um so yeah, it's a

2:36:33it is a principal planner um item.

2:36:36Um this section here, section two

2:36:40um

2:36:41we we mandate that

2:36:44this position has to start hiring at the

2:36:46beginning of 2027 and should be hired by

2:36:48June of 2027. Uh but let's say that the

2:36:51position is hired out in May, you know,

2:36:53there's a considerable amount of cost

2:36:55savings because the $442,000

2:36:58is budgeted uh for the entire biennium.

2:37:01Um this section here number two um

2:37:04mandates that

2:37:05uh any savings from the delayed in

2:37:08hiring delay in hiring or a vacancy has

2:37:11to go to the purposes described in the

2:37:14overall larger uh budget direction

2:37:16document.

2:37:18Um so we have the the recruitment

2:37:20timeline here. And the last section, D,

2:37:23um

2:37:24talks about the updates that council is

2:37:26going to get.

2:37:27Um we say minimum quarterly, but uh

2:37:30among further discussion we maybe we can

2:37:33change that to just quarterly. Um

2:37:35probably more than quarterly would

2:37:37be counterproductive.

2:37:39Um

2:37:40and yeah that's that's kind of the

2:37:43the budget proviso. It's it's a uh it's

2:37:45a condensed version of

2:37:47um the document that we had shared last

2:37:49week. Everything in this document or

2:37:51most everything in this document is uh

2:37:53in the previous document.

2:37:55Um what we need direction from council

2:37:57now is

2:37:58A, if they're good with most of the

2:38:00items presented in this proviso. Uh and

2:38:02B, we do still need direction on the the

2:38:05title of of this position. We had put in

2:38:08uh a temporary placeholder title, rental

2:38:10services and rental housing policy.

2:38:13Um

2:38:13I think

2:38:15maybe one or two folks um my my memory's

2:38:18a little bit fuzzy, but I think one or

2:38:19two folks on council had supported um

2:38:22this position title last week, but we

2:38:24didn't hear direction from the full

2:38:26council.

2:38:27Uh I want to call out that uh in meeting

2:38:29with advocates um there are folks who

2:38:32support their advocates who support uh

2:38:34putting tenant protections or rental

2:38:36protections explicitly in the title of

2:38:39this position.

2:38:40Um I think

2:38:41staff recommends that

2:38:44we like we uh I think staff recommends

2:38:46that the placeholder title that we have

2:38:47currently. Um so

2:38:50this is up to council

2:38:52discretion. Um but yeah that's that's

2:38:55pretty much this this proviso.

2:38:59>> Thank you so much. Uh the only other

2:39:00thing that I will note um which I I

2:39:02called out when we had sent these this

2:39:04around is that um we did after having a

2:39:07little discussion add into the section

2:39:10on recruitment and hiring um a note that

2:39:13the um that it would be council

2:39:15leadership and the chair of the relevant

2:39:17subcommittee, if if is currently

2:39:19selected, um shall be provided an

2:39:21opportunity to review the job

2:39:22description and be updated during the

2:39:24hiring process. Um just so that way um

2:39:27we had talked previously about the fact

2:39:29that the um that we had put council

2:39:31leadership since there may be a

2:39:33reshuffling or or change on that

2:39:35subcommittee, but we decided to

2:39:37reference that if there is a relevant

2:39:39subcommittee and there is a current

2:39:40acting chair that they also be included,

2:39:42which would be three council members and

2:39:44not constitute a quorum. Um Council Vice

2:39:46President Nueva Comina.

2:39:48>> Thank you, chair. Um I'm curious as um

2:39:51why

2:39:52staff wanted to go with the uh the

2:39:55proposed title of rental services and

2:39:57rental housing policy. Not that I

2:39:59necessarily have an issue with it, but

2:40:01just wanting to have a better

2:40:03understanding of it.

2:40:05>> Sure. Absolutely. I can speak to that.

2:40:06So I I did bring up that I thought um

2:40:09if you're expecting we we are expecting

2:40:11this person to also be reaching out to

2:40:13our landlords and developers um that

2:40:15having tenant protections in their title

2:40:17when they're emailing them might

2:40:19automatically make them feel like

2:40:20they're not going to be hearing what

2:40:22they might be representing as a

2:40:23stakeholder. And so that having um

2:40:26uh language that's more about the um

2:40:28rental services um felt like it it would

2:40:32set this position up to be successful in

2:40:35um uh engaging with multiple

2:40:37[clears throat] various stakeholders and

2:40:39um bringing forward policies that

2:40:43uh

2:40:44are what we would recommend the planning

2:40:46department always is to be neutral and

2:40:49thoughtful about how we do our policy

2:40:50making.

2:40:52Thank you.

2:40:55>> I saw some hands over here. Um

2:40:57Councilmember Percy.

2:40:59>> I support the staff recommendation for

2:41:01the title. I think it makes sense to um

2:41:05um follow the um recommendations and

2:41:08also it's helpful to make sure we also

2:41:11consider what um a person coming in with

2:41:14their title might be in terms of hiring,

2:41:16in terms of their career. I think um I'm

2:41:18supportive of that direction.

2:41:22>> Council President

2:41:25>> Thank you. Appreciate that. I think the

2:41:26title is great. I also think as a

2:41:28resident you have a question about

2:41:30rental services or rental housing. I I

2:41:33think this title fits a little bit

2:41:35better.

2:41:36I have a couple of comments and I do

2:41:39appreciate the comments that were made

2:41:40regarding the

2:41:44the fixes for potential changes to the

2:41:47subcommittee. I'll just share

2:41:50that one of the pieces of feedback that

2:41:53I received from a group of community

2:41:55members following

2:41:57one of council's touch points with the

2:42:00subcommittee this past summer was it

2:42:02looks like we may be getting to the

2:42:03point where

2:42:05the work needs to be integrated into a

2:42:07committee of the whole and and perhaps

2:42:11this this subcommittee in its current

2:42:13iteration has fulfilled its charter and

2:42:16I am really grateful for that. So I want

2:42:18to really I do we're not going to solve

2:42:21for that tonight whether or not we still

2:42:22continue to have a subcommittee and what

2:42:24its charter might be, but I do want to

2:42:26make sure that these documents give us

2:42:28the flexibility. So the two ways that I

2:42:31see that in the proviso in C, I

2:42:34appreciate the the

2:42:36change that was offered. It could be

2:42:38slightly

2:42:40tighter

2:42:42by removing the parenthetical text and

2:42:44read council leadership and the chair of

2:42:47any relevant subcommittee.

2:42:50Just I I don't mean to copy edit on

2:42:53stage, but

2:42:55because of the quorum issue, I'm sorry

2:42:57to the public. We kind of have to do

2:42:58that. And I think it carries through if

2:43:00we go to the other document with the

2:43:01policy FTE framework.

2:43:04In the very first

2:43:07bullet, the text reads

2:43:09that the new staff member will

2:43:14study, develop, recommend,

2:43:17provide comprehensive support for

2:43:19tenants and property managers beginning

2:43:22by working with the council subcommittee

2:43:24and I think it could just say council.

2:43:27Um and if council chooses to delegate

2:43:28that to a subcommittee, that's totally

2:43:30fine.

2:43:31Um but I do want to leave that

2:43:32flexibility for for the council. And my

2:43:36only other like substantive piece of

2:43:38feedback on the um

2:43:40on the FTE document is

2:43:43I don't see that it references the work

2:43:47we gave direction on through the Housing

2:43:50and Human Services Action Plan that we

2:43:51adopted on Tuesday. I see actually that

2:43:54some of what is described is um we put

2:43:57in the plan, but a reference to that

2:44:00council adopted plan

2:44:02um with with a phrase or something um

2:44:04could empower this document a bit more.

2:44:07Thank you.

2:44:11>> Thank you.

2:44:13Um

2:44:14are there uh council member Forseth?

2:44:17>> Thank you. I uh support uh council

2:44:20president's comments on the document and

2:44:23um

2:44:24support the

2:44:26suggested by staff title

2:44:29uh just

2:44:30because of that push pull that that

2:44:32position could face um when trying to

2:44:35have those interactions with our um

2:44:39our community and the uh

2:44:42facilities that will be rented.

2:44:44Um I do question if the double rental in

2:44:48the title is a bit much. We could

2:44:50shorten it to rental and housing.

2:44:53Um sorry, I don't have it pulled up

2:44:55right now

2:44:56um

2:44:57because I'm having some computer issues,

2:44:58but there's there the word rental is in

2:45:00the title twice and that feels quite

2:45:02redundant. Um so just thinking of a

2:45:05business card, that's going to be a

2:45:06mouthful. Thinking of them calling and

2:45:08introducing themselves, I feel like we

2:45:10could shorten it by taking one of those

2:45:11out.

2:45:12>> Thank you. I will note actually I think

2:45:14the original uh proposal that we had

2:45:16heard from staff was rental services and

2:45:18housing policy, and uh we had um as kind

2:45:22of an in between of hearing because we

2:45:24also hearing the feedback

2:45:26the the concern both from council as

2:45:28well as from some community members that

2:45:31this position could be too broad in

2:45:33terms of its scope. That we that we add

2:45:36that word rental in twice to say it's

2:45:38rental housing policy rather than just

2:45:40housing policy.

2:45:42Which it could be read that way. So that

2:45:44that was when council member and I were

2:45:46were working on that that piece. Council

2:45:48member Forsyth, go ahead.

2:45:49>> Yeah, we could just flip it. Rental

2:45:51housing and services policy.

2:45:54Or rental

2:45:55rental housing policy and services

2:45:58position. If you just flip them, we can

2:46:00take out one of the rentals.

2:46:03>> Rental housing policy and services

2:46:06would be the the proposal.

2:46:10Okay, so rental housing policy and

2:46:13services. I thank you so much. I'm

2:46:15actually just going to pause here for a

2:46:17moment because we had

2:46:19one one proposal that I just want to

2:46:22kind of take these to get a quick touch

2:46:24from council on whether

2:46:26we had a couple

2:46:27couple notes from council member

2:46:29Stewart, council president Stewart,

2:46:33of a couple of potential edits. One that

2:46:35would be simplify the discussion around

2:46:38the subcommittee as well as take out

2:46:40subcommittee reference in the budget

2:46:43directional documents so it just be the

2:46:45council

2:46:47by working with the city council as well

2:46:49as

2:46:50and potentially if the council agreed,

2:46:52we could just get language from council

2:46:53member Stewart on the way that we

2:46:55might reference the housing and human

2:46:57services. So just adding an extra line

2:46:59into the scope that would reference our

2:47:01housing and human services

2:47:03plan that that we updated. Our council

2:47:05members generally good with that if this

2:47:07if we were to get

2:47:10in the spirit of that get council member

2:47:11Stewart to send those edits so we don't

2:47:13have to line edit at this moment but get

2:47:16those small tweaks.

2:47:18Okay.

2:47:18Great. And then

2:47:21and then and then I think we are still

2:47:22discussing the the title. So council

2:47:25vice president

2:47:26Thank you. While we are [laughter]

2:47:29workshopping on the fly, Um, I I know

2:47:31that in um Redmond 2050 we did

2:47:35painstaking work and staff did a

2:47:37phenomenal job at going through and and

2:47:40de-gendering language and um doing the

2:47:43scope on this. I know that we've got

2:47:44another round of of code review that we

2:47:47were just entering into. Um, I don't

2:47:50know, so I'm I'm throwing it out for

2:47:52consideration because in some circles

2:47:55landlord is becoming antiquated. I don't

2:47:57know if Redmond wants to do that or not,

2:47:59but just throwing it out there for

2:48:00consideration for staff to consider.

2:48:04>> Go ahead.

2:48:05>> Yeah, I I I just I think this is one of

2:48:07the challenges with including a budget

2:48:09proviso uh in language that will then be

2:48:12in perpetuity because language does

2:48:13change and so even I mean I think rental

2:48:17services sounds good now and in 10 years

2:48:19from now there we might I don't know

2:48:21what, but we might use different terms

2:48:22or things like that and so and my

2:48:24understanding is that we would have to

2:48:25come back and change the title of the

2:48:27position and so um I recognize the need

2:48:30to and the desire of Council to show

2:48:32that this position is going to be

2:48:34focused on the work that we kind of

2:48:35discussed. Um, and I think this is kind

2:48:38of an example of where having

2:48:40flexibility for um

2:48:43what a title uh or the words that we use

2:48:46um change over time to best match the

2:48:49services that we're trying to provide at

2:48:50the time too is uh an example. So I'll

2:48:53just put staff I would say I would still

2:48:55prefer the uh rental uh housing and uh

2:48:59housing policy because I think it

2:49:01provides the most broad broadness. Um,

2:49:03but I will I will leave that to the

2:49:05Council to decide.

2:49:07>> Uh, Council Vice President.

2:49:08>> Thank you. Um, just to clarify Acting

2:49:10Director, I have absolutely no issue

2:49:11with with the title of it. It's

2:49:13literally the word landlord and whether

2:49:14or not it's that's an antiquated term

2:49:17because we spent so much time

2:49:18de-gendering um Redmond 2050. We're

2:49:21currently doing code review and this is

2:49:24kind of in the gray cuz we're it's it's

2:49:26almost completely antiquated. Folks have

2:49:29started. I don't know and that 's why I

2:49:31was throwing it out for staff discretion

2:49:33as to how we want to go or to see

2:49:35temperature check on council how council

2:49:38is feeling about that.

2:49:41>> So I think the question is is whether we

2:49:43want to use the term landlord. Is there

2:49:44an alternative term? Uh is landlord is

2:49:48also is that the term that is used in

2:49:50state policy as well?

2:49:52>> Yeah, I think they do landlord tenant

2:49:53affairs is the way that it's used. I can

2:49:56check that.

2:49:59>> And sure, I I would be happy to defer to

2:50:01state language. It's just I know the

2:50:03work that that we as a city have have

2:50:06been doing. I just if if we can catch it

2:50:08at the beginning before we get too far

2:50:10down the road.

2:50:12>> And it looks like maybe

2:50:13>> It's the landlord tenant act is um what

2:50:16was passed and so that's how it's

2:50:17referred to but

2:50:18>> All right, Mayor Bernie.

2:50:21>> Um I might

2:50:23There are a couple of suggestions. One

2:50:24that the proviso could sunset at some

2:50:26point. The other thing you could put

2:50:27language in the proviso that just says

2:50:30um that

2:50:32to something around staying with the

2:50:33intent but the terminology might change

2:50:35over time or something like that. Just

2:50:37some kind of caveat in it so knowing

2:50:40the intent is there

2:50:41like

2:50:42even if

2:50:43I don't want to get It's getting late.

2:50:45Even the title the the intent continues

2:50:48to stay there even if the name might

2:50:50change.

2:50:53>> Yes, thank you.

2:50:54And and I will note I don't

2:50:56I I don't think we need a sunset

2:50:59provision in this given that this is a

2:51:01proviso for the 27 28 budget that

2:51:03directs the hiring of this position and

2:51:07uh as an ongoing position. So it

2:51:10it will It is It is about this budget um

2:51:13specifically. Um uh council member

2:51:15Forsyth.

2:51:16>> Um thank you. Couple of things. Um I do

2:51:19think the idea of a sunset is

2:51:20interesting and making sure that um

2:51:24because there are there is the notion of

2:51:26the quarterly check-ins. So that would

2:51:29potentially be in perpetuity.

2:51:31Um so I do think that there should be

2:51:34some

2:51:36boundaries on that um cuz I don't don't

2:51:39know that we're going to need quarterly

2:51:40updates 10 years from now. Um so I do

2:51:43think that the idea of maybe putting the

2:51:45bounds on this to the end of the

2:51:47biennium because this does phase out

2:51:49with the hiring of this position could

2:51:51be a good addition. Um on the topic of

2:51:55the the phrase landlord, this is

2:51:57something that's been heavily on my

2:51:58mind. I know we have a body of work

2:51:59that's going to be looking at all of our

2:52:01code to bring it up to the standards

2:52:04that we're hoping to achieve. Just some

2:52:06options are housing provider, property

2:52:08owner/lessor,

2:52:10and rental host. Um those are all

2:52:14even Ohio now has property owner and

2:52:16lessor which good job my home state. Um

2:52:20but I do think that that is something

2:52:21that I would like us to keep in mind um

2:52:24moving forward because that the term is

2:52:26um antiquated.

2:52:29>> Thank you. Um so I guess there are there

2:52:32are two pieces here and one actually I

2:52:34will follow up on the um

2:52:36on the reporting piece. It the current

2:52:38proviso reads the administration shall

2:52:40provide a minimum of quarterly updates

2:52:42by presentation to council during the

2:52:45biennium beginning with the first

2:52:47quarter. Um and and we actually had that

2:52:50that phrase of during the biennium since

2:52:52we recognized that over time um this

2:52:55this may update. So so that gives the

2:52:57flexibility for both council and staff

2:52:59to identify what it looks like after

2:53:01this biennium but it gets us through

2:53:03both the hiring as well as the um policy

2:53:06development in the upcoming biennium. I

2:53:08think the the so and so I've heard the

2:53:10proposal housing provider. Can you

2:53:11remind us um councilor Forseth what were

2:53:13the other options?

2:53:14>> Housing provider, property owner/lessor,

2:53:18and then rental host is the other one.

2:53:21>> Okay. Um so um I guess I will I will ask

2:53:25whether council members would like us to

2:53:27put in in this document in these

2:53:30documents an alternative word for

2:53:33landlord um at this moment

2:53:37um as as

2:53:39for this budget. Um, let's say housing

2:53:42provider.

2:53:43Um,

2:53:44or property owner. Property owner. I'm

2:53:47seeing some property owner.

2:53:48Okay.

2:53:49We put property owner. The only place

2:53:51that I would ask um whether we want to

2:53:53continue keeping it would be

2:53:56additional landlord tenant policies just

2:53:58cuz that is also connected to kind of

2:54:00the the state um but maybe wherever

2:54:03otherwise we see for example engaging

2:54:05landlords we could say property owners.

2:54:08Does that sound sound good?

2:54:10Okay, I'm seeing thumbs on that. All

2:54:12right. Um, so we'll add that

2:54:15property owners.

2:54:17Um, and then going back just on the

2:54:19position um title

2:54:22um uh it sounded like there was a

2:54:25proposal to change the position title to

2:54:28uh rental housing policy and services

2:54:32as the a principal planner rental

2:54:35housing policy and services instead of

2:54:38rental services and rental housing

2:54:40policy. Um, is there support for that

2:54:43title?

2:54:47Okay.

2:54:48Yes, go ahead.

2:54:48>> Can I just I think

2:54:50sorry to get into the it may this title

2:54:53makes it sounds like they're providing

2:54:54services um

2:54:56which they're going to be more focused

2:54:58on the policy development and

2:54:59stakeholder development and I'll I'll

2:55:01just share this this goes back into the

2:55:03moment we're posting depending on our

2:55:05title it does really depend on the kind

2:55:06of applicants that we get and my

2:55:08understanding from the council is really

2:55:09looking for um someone who can recommend

2:55:12and research policies for the council um

2:55:14related to this issue and um that that

2:55:17would just I mean we can see but uh

2:55:20I just you know.

2:55:21>> So are you saying that you'd prefer

2:55:22rental services and rental housing

2:55:24policy or rental services and housing

2:55:26policy?

2:55:28>> Might be getting late

2:55:29on [laughter] the end yeah.

2:55:31Um [gasps]

2:55:31>> I I see a couple hands so uh council

2:55:33member Parcy.

2:55:35>> Is it possible instead of us deciding on

2:55:37the fly for staff to evaluate this

2:55:40thoughtfully and back with the next um

2:55:42iteration for us to

2:55:44>> Unfortunately, we have to decide tonight

2:55:45can put it in the budget packet for next

2:55:48week. So that's why I'm pushing everyone

2:55:49to decide. Um Council President Stewart.

2:55:52>> Thank you. My comment on this is um

2:55:55similar to some of the related topics I

2:55:58discussed last week, but

2:56:00um I think that we should empower staff

2:56:02with what they need to find us the right

2:56:05person. It's super common even in my

2:56:07line of work for a certain title to be

2:56:09used during recruitment and a different

2:56:11title but to actually be printed on the

2:56:12business card um based on the customer

2:56:15base that they're interacting with. Um

2:56:18so although we are doing a lot by even

2:56:22taking the time to to craft this

2:56:24proposal, I I think this is a detail

2:56:26that I really would like to entrust the

2:56:27staff to um

2:56:29be the decision maker on.

2:56:32>> Thank you. Um uh Council Member Prokria.

2:56:36>> I was just going to offer a suggestion

2:56:38that we go minimalist and just say

2:56:40principal planner renter policy.

2:56:43Um

2:56:44I would like to hear the staff's

2:56:45perspective on that.

2:56:50>> Director Allen.

2:56:52[laughter]

2:56:53Okay.

2:56:53>> Um let me look at it. Principal planner

2:56:57rental

2:56:59policy.

2:57:04>> In the meanwhile, go to Council Member

2:57:06Forsythe.

2:57:09>> I was going to withdraw my suggestion

2:57:11just because I wanted to um give space

2:57:13for the staff suggestion. Um but I want

2:57:17to give

2:57:18Director Allen a moment to digest the

2:57:21new proposal on the table.

2:57:23>> Yeah, I'm going to How about rental

2:57:25policy principal planner?

2:57:27Would that work?

2:57:30>> I'm in support.

2:57:32>> Or I I think whichever order it would go

2:57:34in um since I think we currently just

2:57:36have principal planner before the name

2:57:38of the title. So

2:57:40um Council Member Sony.

2:57:43>> Is this

2:57:44>> specific for housing then rental policy

2:57:47can also be misleading

2:57:50>> Yeah.

2:57:51>> Commercials.

2:57:54>> So so it sounds like we may be going

2:57:56around and landing back to

2:58:00rental services and housing policy. Is

2:58:03there general support for for that?

2:58:07Council members thumbs on that one.

2:58:10Okay, we'll go rental services and

2:58:11housing policy.

2:58:15And rental housing policy as written in

2:58:16here.

2:58:17As written. Okay, we're going to go back

2:58:19to as as what is showing in in the

2:58:21document that was that was sent rental

2:58:23services and rental housing policy and

2:58:25the staff will likely

2:58:28be advertising this

2:58:31and and making it clear to the

2:58:32applicants.

2:58:33>> I will ask that all council members

2:58:34share on your

2:58:36channels and help us recruit.

2:58:38>> [laughter]

2:58:39>> Wonderful. So

2:58:40so council members

2:58:42with the some of the language changes

2:58:45that we talked about

2:58:47and affirming now we have the the name

2:58:50of the position.

2:58:53Does council approve of us moving

2:58:55forward also with this proviso included

2:58:59in the packet as well as the

2:59:02and will what we will have is the

2:59:04proviso will actually be included in the

2:59:06budget document

2:59:08and then in the packet that we'll see

2:59:10and that will go in the record that

2:59:12we'll be adopting will also be the

2:59:13attached budget direction document so

2:59:16that way it can be referenced later

2:59:18since it's referenced in the proviso.

2:59:21Council President Stewart, did you have

2:59:22a comment?

2:59:24>> Yes, thank you and it's

2:59:26related to these logistics. So on the

2:59:29budget proviso

2:59:31section B conditions on use of funds

2:59:35section one ends with the phrase

2:59:40that

2:59:41endorses this other document we've been

2:59:45discussing

2:59:46and it says approved by council majority

2:59:48on November 5th, 2026

2:59:51and attached to the adopted budget.

2:59:54We are in a special meeting um so there

2:59:56is no items of new business so I just

2:59:59think logistically this phrase needs to

3:00:01actually refer to the budget vote.

3:00:04>> That that's that's a very good point. I

3:00:06think I was trying to reference maybe

3:00:07directed by but we put approved in there

3:00:10so I think if we're going to keep

3:00:11approved let's we can change that that

3:00:13to the date that we will actually

3:00:15approve the budget which would be

3:00:16November 10th.

3:00:17>> Thank you.

3:00:18>> All right, we'll just add that to the

3:00:19list. So with that additional change

3:00:22thank you for that catch council

3:00:23president.

3:00:24Um did you also have a comment council

3:00:26member Soni?

3:00:28>> I

3:00:29just want to

3:00:31say thanks to our tenant subcommittee

3:00:34for putting all of all these things

3:00:35together. It was a lot of work so thank

3:00:37you for that.

3:00:39>> Thank you so much. Um

3:00:41I really appreciate that and I I am I

3:00:44will just say I'm really excited about

3:00:46supporting this um and making a

3:00:48significant investment um into having

3:00:51the capacity to do this work to be able

3:00:53to make sure that we can engage um

3:00:56engage stakeholders in the work that

3:00:59we're doing um and be able to continue

3:01:02to make the city a really great place

3:01:04for um people to be able to live and

3:01:06rent in. Um so and that's really the

3:01:08goal is is the outcomes um for that we

3:01:11have around keeping people housed,

3:01:13getting people housed um and and really

3:01:15making sure that that Redmond's a great

3:01:17place to live. So um thank you also

3:01:19director Allen for your collaboration on

3:01:20this.

3:01:21Um and mayor Bernie?

3:01:22>> I just want to follow with that. Um I

3:01:24think this is really pretty great. I

3:01:26also want to thank the subcommittee for

3:01:28I know a lot of work um that you did to

3:01:30put this together and staff thank you.

3:01:32Um but I think it's um

3:01:35why I'm really excited about this is

3:01:37because I feel it's the right

3:01:38progression at the right time. We talked

3:01:39about um probably a millennium plus ago

3:01:43talking about you know having a staff

3:01:45member working on this and um I just

3:01:47feel like the time is right for it. So

3:01:48thank you. Thank you for doing this. I

3:01:50think it's a great addition to the

3:01:51budget.

3:01:53>> All right. Thank you very much. Um and

3:01:55uh with that, I'll just ask council

3:01:56members, so with the discussed changes,

3:01:59um are we good to move this forward uh

3:02:01into the packet?

3:02:04Thank you. Wonderful. So, we'll do that

3:02:05bit of follow up

3:02:07um and uh move that forward.

3:02:10So, the next item on the agenda is the

3:02:12um tourism promotion area um uh FTE. And

3:02:17there were this was a an item that got

3:02:19added into our deliberations because of

3:02:21the evolving

3:02:23um situation around the the management

3:02:27um of the the TPA

3:02:29um and uh and the the change from one

3:02:32Redmond to having an FTE within the city

3:02:35be able to do this work. We actually

3:02:36have some of our our friends from One

3:02:38Redmond here with us tonight in case

3:02:39there there are any questions um about

3:02:42that aspect. Um but um uh I'll turn it

3:02:45over to Director Allen just to give us

3:02:48one more summary about what the proposal

3:02:50is here and also to answer any more

3:02:52questions since the council had a couple

3:02:54of questions on this and we flagged it

3:02:55for follow up.

3:02:56>> Okay. I will um

3:02:58uh do my best here. Uh

3:03:01so I sent uh a very long email with a

3:03:03lot of context earlier uh this week and

3:03:06so I think in in summary um just wanted

3:03:08to go back through that

3:03:10um this is about the management of the

3:03:13Redmond zone of the Bellevue um Redmond

3:03:16Tourism Promotion Area also known as the

3:03:18BRTPA.

3:03:19Uh so One Redmond had notified the um

3:03:22city of Bellevue uh

3:03:24last week

3:03:26two weeks last week uh and uh in a a

3:03:29letter that I also shared with the city

3:03:30council about its interest in moving

3:03:33away from kind of more the

3:03:34administrative role

3:03:36um as it currently is contracted for

3:03:38through the end of this year and to

3:03:39focus more on its destination sales and

3:03:42specific tourism um activities. And so

3:03:45um

3:03:46we felt this uh could work well in

3:03:48collaboration as it um One Redmond and

3:03:50our Redmond hotels also support moving

3:03:52towards a destination management

3:03:54organization um which the staff will

3:03:57also be working on and thank you again

3:03:58for the council's investment in that

3:04:00enhancement. Um

3:04:02and that would be to create an

3:04:03organization that would um uh create a

3:04:06full focus on tourism similar to Visit

3:04:08Bellevue or Visit Issaquah.

3:04:10Um so this FTE request is specifically

3:04:13to help manage the administrative and

3:04:15operational responsibilities of the

3:04:16Redmond zone. Um the proposal is uh not

3:04:20intended to bring all tourism services

3:04:22in house. Um it uh would provide overall

3:04:25program management, direct the budget

3:04:27and work plan in collaboration with the

3:04:29city of Bellevue um TPA uh and include

3:04:33fiscal oversight, contract

3:04:34administration, and accountability while

3:04:37continuing to use outsourced

3:04:38organizations potentially like One

3:04:40Redmond um for specific services. So the

3:04:43cost of this FTE would be um uh

3:04:47uh budget neutral [clears throat]

3:04:48because it would be um

3:04:50uh uh

3:04:52Sorry, it's getting late on that.

3:04:54reimbursed uh from the city of Bellevue

3:04:56as a part of our um uh potential

3:04:58contract. And I did want to share too

3:05:00that the reason why we're asking this is

3:05:02that we still need to um work with the

3:05:04city of Bellevue to create our contract

3:05:06and um we just met with them yesterday

3:05:08and they gave us a deadline if we are

3:05:11approved by the council to kind of move

3:05:13forward with this direction um to start

3:05:15negotiating with them and hopefully have

3:05:17a contract um by the end of the year. Um

3:05:20so that's where we go from that.

3:05:21Um

3:05:22I think there's a lot more details and

3:05:24questions that were asked um in about

3:05:27the ILA and the TPA in general, but I

3:05:30don't want to go too much into detail

3:05:31because I know it's getting late, so um

3:05:33we'll turn it back over to the council

3:05:35to see if there are additional questions

3:05:37I can uh answer.

3:05:39>> Council members, are there any

3:05:40additional questions on this item?

3:05:44I'm not seeing any, so I will just ask

3:05:47um if uh council members are good with

3:05:49us proceeding to add um this additional

3:05:52FTE in the tourism program um with the

3:05:55funding as the the reimbursement from

3:05:57the TPA. Um Council President Stewart.

3:05:59>> My apologies for being late and raising

3:06:01my hand. Um but I did want to say uh

3:06:03thank you so much to uh acting director

3:06:06Allen for the very thorough memo which I

3:06:08have attached to my notes regarding this

3:06:10meeting um and our guests for being here

3:06:12just in case we needed to rely on them

3:06:13tonight. I really do appreciate that and

3:06:15I support this direction. Thank you.

3:06:17>> Council members uh

3:06:20see I'm seeing someone ready to do

3:06:21thumbs. Can we uh do thumbs if we're

3:06:23we're ready to move forward on this?

3:06:25Great. Okay, seven thumbs. So we're

3:06:27we're good to to add this in

3:06:29um and thanks to our partners for being

3:06:32here and waiting all the way until the

3:06:33second to last item.

3:06:35[laughter] Um

3:06:37uh so the the final item that we have is

3:06:40um staff pay plans. This isn't one that

3:06:42we've actually talked about in budget

3:06:43deliberations, but the council's seen it

3:06:44a couple different times um in committee

3:06:47and in some other touches and we wanted

3:06:49to wait until we uh the last time we saw

3:06:52it we said and actually I think it was

3:06:53me who said that that I thought we

3:06:55should wait until we looked at

3:06:57everything else going on in the budget

3:06:58um just to make sure that there wasn't

3:07:00anything um that we would want to change

3:07:02within uh the proposed staff pay plans

3:07:04for for 2027. Um the all the details of

3:07:08that were in our packet actually at

3:07:09committee um this

3:07:12this past um Monday.

3:07:14Um so council members are are there any

3:07:16other questions about this or um do we

3:07:20want uh to tee up with the budget to

3:07:22also approve um the staff pay plans that

3:07:25would help to to implement? Um council

3:07:27vice president Nucifera.

3:07:29>> Thank you chair and just to to to ground

3:07:31the conversation we are talking about

3:07:33the 4.1 and also making the adjustments

3:07:36uh to I believe it is moving

3:07:39um E 30 to 33 to 30. I might have that

3:07:45reversed um but just making sure that's

3:07:48that is what it is that we're talking

3:07:50about.

3:07:51>> Yes, I I believe is it including the

3:07:54cola is is a part of that that decision

3:07:57as well. So it would be approving the

3:07:59the um cost of living adjustment um for

3:08:02the positions at 4.1% and then also um

3:08:05as outlined uh there's several a couple

3:08:08of pay plan changes um that are

3:08:10proposed.

3:08:15Any comments, questions?

3:08:19Okay. Um council members if if we if

3:08:22council members are ready we can um

3:08:25uh if you're supportive of us moving

3:08:26forward as was uh last presented to us

3:08:30um with those pay plans to be integrated

3:08:32into uh our upcoming votes um uh

3:08:37raise your

3:08:38thumbs up um.

3:08:41All right.

3:08:42Um I saw seven thumbs. So um there we

3:08:46go. Um so

3:08:47that brings us to the end of of our

3:08:49items. Um

3:08:50>> point of [clears throat] information.

3:08:52>> Yes.

3:08:52>> I am so sorry, but back in our tenant

3:08:54protections conversation, was there a

3:08:56third piece of the conversation

3:08:58regarding a potential investment in ELAP

3:09:00that needed to be revisited?

3:09:02>> There was. Thank you so much for for

3:09:05calling that out. Um we were I was just

3:09:07moving on so fast.

3:09:07>> are so close. Oh my gosh. Staff right

3:09:10behind you. We'll be quick. I

3:09:13>> Um thank you very much. Uh yeah, 13

3:09:16items. We should have called it uh

3:09:18yeah, I think we we did not include that

3:09:20uh that as the call out. So apologies.

3:09:23Um council member Forsyth?

3:09:25>> Thank you. I did mean to bring that up

3:09:26um while we were having that

3:09:27conversation. Um from my perspective, I

3:09:30would like to see whatever cost savings

3:09:32in the gap from January to the June

3:09:35hiring be moved towards funding ELAP for

3:09:39these purposes.

3:09:41>> Oh, thank you for that proposal. And

3:09:42yes, and I will summarize to the council

3:09:44last time we talked about this item um

3:09:47in our last deliberation, we talked

3:09:49about um uh either waiting uh and and

3:09:54seeing um what what was needed and

3:09:56potentially using community stability

3:09:58funding um for this this work.

3:10:01Um the opportunity to fund a 0.5

3:10:03additional FTE with ELAP to be able to

3:10:05support additional legal services um

3:10:10and that would be at $150,000 I think it

3:10:13was

3:10:14for

3:10:15for those up to 400% of the federal

3:10:18poverty

3:10:20level which is about 80% AMI or

3:10:24we could at this time decide to allocate

3:10:26funding to be able to fill the gap

3:10:29between the request and what is

3:10:31currently proposed from the Human

3:10:33Services Commission.

3:10:35What I'm hearing from Council Member

3:10:36Forsythe would be

3:10:38to wait and see if there is actually

3:10:40funding from

3:10:42the hiring from the the delayed hiring

3:10:45even though we hope that you'll hire as

3:10:47soon as possible but if there is any

3:10:48delay that any of those salary savings

3:10:51be

3:10:52attributed to the

3:10:55to funding for additional ELAP services.

3:10:58Council Member Forsythe.

3:10:59>> Wasn't necessarily to wait

3:11:01>> Not wait.

3:11:02>> but

3:11:04any of that ex

3:11:07savings to be used for that instance in

3:11:10addition to potentially

3:11:12funding filling the gap.

3:11:14>> I see. Okay.

3:11:19Council Member Partee did you have a

3:11:20comment? I thought I saw your hand

3:11:22raised. Okay.

3:11:25Council Vice President Noa de la Comuna.

3:11:27>> Thank you. I would be in favor in moving

3:11:29forward with the 0.5 FTE.

3:11:32I I think that

3:11:34it's it's

3:11:36it's a difficult thing to navigate when

3:11:38when you need those services to begin

3:11:40with

3:11:41and then to find that

3:11:43whomever the the provider is does not

3:11:45have the capacity it then puts the

3:11:48burden on on the person seeking the the

3:11:51support that they're that they're

3:11:52looking for

3:11:53and I I would hate for that to to be the

3:11:56the stop especially when we can we can

3:11:58kind of see that as being the obstacle.

3:12:00So I'd be in favor of um funding the 0.5

3:12:02FTE and also with hopes for our um our

3:12:06neighbors um as they're

3:12:08having a very similar conversation then

3:12:11to be able to to fill in with the rest

3:12:13of it.

3:12:15>> Thank you. Um Council President Stewart.

3:12:19>> Thank you. And I I do think that there

3:12:22is some confusion in the room um that

3:12:24I'll just acknowledge, but um I

3:12:27I believe where our conversation left

3:12:30off was [snorts]

3:12:32um

3:12:34regarding the potential not just to

3:12:37support an FTE, but to support uh a

3:12:40provider to build out an entire new

3:12:43program with our support.

3:12:45Um and there's already been a new

3:12:47proposal for for how we could do that

3:12:48here tonight if I'm understanding things

3:12:50correctly and and I think we should

3:12:51maybe reset the table.

3:12:53Um

3:12:55here's but but generally speaking, I

3:12:58want to be sure that if we are building

3:13:02um out a new service with a new partner

3:13:07that there's time for those ideas to

3:13:09develop um and to call in uh our

3:13:13neighbors to to help us do that. I think

3:13:17it is

3:13:19the the need for the service we're

3:13:21discussing is very important. Um I don't

3:13:24argue that

3:13:25one little bit. Um would love to help us

3:13:29come to a solution to do that. We have

3:13:33um over $700,000 that we didn't spend

3:13:36this biennium to support stability of

3:13:39our community while we experienced uh

3:13:42time in American history that

3:13:44many would call unprecedented and

3:13:46certainly hasn't been very comfortable

3:13:48for most. So um I would like us to

3:13:51consider the possibility of using those

3:13:55dollars.

3:13:56And inherent in that is the next

3:13:58question, which is about if we are going

3:14:00to support service a new line of service

3:14:04in a provider.

3:14:06Um,

3:14:07I want to make sure that we're thinking

3:14:08about a one-time investment

3:14:11um,

3:14:12on our own versus a smaller one-time

3:14:15investment but with other partners to

3:14:16help reinforce stability of an ongoing

3:14:19service.

3:14:20Um, so those are some of the things on

3:14:23my mind. Again, acknowledging that I

3:14:25think I got a little lost in what

3:14:27proposal was on the table. Um, but

3:14:29overall I support

3:14:32the

3:14:33conversation about how to apply our

3:14:35stability dollars to this um, potential

3:14:39need but for to to take the time to make

3:14:42sure we're we're getting that right not

3:14:44just for ourselves and the residents who

3:14:46would benefit most from that but also

3:14:47for the potential provider. Thank you.

3:14:50>> Council President Stewart, um, can I ask

3:14:52just to clarify what you may be

3:14:54proposing um, or you may just be asking

3:14:57the question um, but is would be the

3:15:00proposal that we actually use community

3:15:02stability dollars instead of rolling

3:15:04over the amount we've talked about but

3:15:06to use some of that if we are going to

3:15:07budget safer piloting something new um,

3:15:11to use some of those dollars at this

3:15:13time um, and roll over less um, or to

3:15:18uh, to look at um, at this as part of

3:15:22the allocation of those community

3:15:24stability dollars. Or a third piece. I I

3:15:27may not have understood what the

3:15:28proposal was from from you.

3:15:34>> I think I only had

3:15:36at this point I don't know what money

3:15:38we're talking about. So my apologies,

3:15:40but if we could reset the table on where

3:15:42the conversation was left off and I hear

3:15:44that we have an additional proposal that

3:15:45we should consider um, but if we could

3:15:47maybe reset the table on where what what

3:15:50was the decision that we left off that

3:15:51would be helpful.

3:15:54>> Director Allen, go ahead.

3:15:55>> Give it an attempt. Um, okay. So if I

3:15:57recall the conversation um, we uh,

3:16:00Council had their request and we reached

3:16:02out to ELAP about what it might look

3:16:04like.

3:16:04As we learned um, we learned that they

3:16:07would be able to provide services for

3:16:08people over the 400% poverty level. And

3:16:11so

3:16:12um uh instead there we looked at um ELAP

3:16:16had requested 80,000 a year as a part of

3:16:19the Human Services grants. And so one of

3:16:21the options was to say that the city of

3:16:23Redmond had funded the Human Services

3:16:25grant at I'm just going to round up to

3:16:2730,000. It's 28,000 and their request

3:16:30was for 80,000. And that um when we

3:16:33talked to ELAP, they said that they

3:16:34would be able to serve more households

3:16:37in um Redmond. And I believe and I'm

3:16:40looking it's uh

3:16:41it they said it would be 52 folks that

3:16:44they would be able to support each year

3:16:46with that funding um versus the lower

3:16:48amount of uh folks they were going to

3:16:50serve.

3:16:51So that was one option is fully fund

3:16:52them. And so that would look like an

3:16:54increase of

3:16:55uh 50,000 each year

3:16:58um one one time in in terms of the Human

3:17:01Services.

3:17:02The other um part was kind of the

3:17:04original thing that we were looking at,

3:17:06which was funding a part-time FTE, which

3:17:09they had given it um

3:17:11uh

3:17:12uh a 75 or it was yeah 75,000 per year

3:17:16because the original proposal was one

3:17:18FTE.

3:17:19But that was when they were going to be

3:17:20able to serve people at a higher income

3:17:22level and then learned that they can

3:17:24cannot do that. And that's when it went

3:17:26back down to the 0.5 um so that would be

3:17:29that um 75 per year.

3:17:32So I think that the two options outside

3:17:33of the third option you just added, it

3:17:35would be [clears throat] to um add to

3:17:37their contract, which I would also say

3:17:39would be the simplest for staff um

3:17:41because we already have um a request in

3:17:43from from them um that would be able to

3:17:45uh serve people um a higher number of

3:17:48people at the 40%

3:17:50um poverty level um with an addition of

3:17:53uh

3:17:5450,000 per year.

3:17:56Um or we can look at trying to create a

3:17:59separate contract with them and and

3:18:00doing that 0.5 FTE for the kind of pilot

3:18:04project we had done. Um

3:18:05I think the reason why I'm suggesting if

3:18:07the council does want to try and invest

3:18:09in these services right now, is that

3:18:11looking into this kind of pilot project

3:18:14and how we can get better legal services

3:18:15could also be something that's on the

3:18:16plate of our new

3:18:19rental services and rental housing

3:18:22principal planner.

3:18:24And so they could come back with more of

3:18:25a flushed out proposal on how to

3:18:29support legal services and work with

3:18:30ELAP.

3:18:32>> So to recap, if the council wanted to

3:18:34just fully fund ELAP's request, it would

3:18:36be an increase of $100,000

3:18:40over the biennium versus if the the 0.5

3:18:43FTE would be $150,000 over the biennium.

3:18:45>> Correct.

3:18:47>> Um council vice president Neva Comina.

3:18:49>> Thank you, chair.

3:18:51Acting director, would would we

3:18:54if we were to fully fund

3:18:57ELAP through human services, then would

3:19:00we be able to direct those funds or

3:19:02would it then be ELAP's discretion?

3:19:05Whereas if we

3:19:08do the latter, then those funds would

3:19:11would only be able to be directed at the

3:19:130.5 FTE.

3:19:19>> That's a good question.

3:19:22I did look at their contract and at the

3:19:24four areas kind of above their contract

3:19:26as they'd be providing legal services

3:19:28and also see what Brooke messages me

3:19:29here. But

3:19:31they could work on a scope.

3:19:36I'm not sure I understand that.

3:19:37The

3:19:40they would be within the existing

3:19:41contract that we're having already with

3:19:43them and I believe it

3:19:44they're already providing like tenant

3:19:47support for legal services related to

3:19:49that and so this would go to adding more

3:19:51support within that category.

3:19:55I'm [snorts]

3:19:56asking Brooke to confirm whether it's

3:19:58something that we could

3:20:02have more

3:20:04stipulations on versus the 0.5, but I

3:20:06think it's pretty similar work.

3:20:08But I'll I'll ask

3:20:10yeah, Brooke is saying the eligibility

3:20:11is the same,

3:20:12but we could consider other services

3:20:14that we may want them to offer and would

3:20:16be part of the

3:20:17negotiations.

3:20:18>> But if there were if ELAP itself was

3:20:20experiencing

3:20:22other emerging issues, then that may

3:20:24take priority over this if within the

3:20:27contract, yeah?

3:20:29[snorts] I I just want to make sure that

3:20:31that if if this council is saying, hey,

3:20:33this is a priority, then that that that

3:20:36carries through

3:20:37with whomever the provider is.

3:20:40>> I think the mayor has a comment.

3:20:41>> Yeah, um

3:20:44I think this should go to answer your

3:20:45question. Part of how remember our Human

3:20:48Services Commission gives funding is

3:20:50they look in previous in organizations

3:20:52that have previously gotten funding,

3:20:54they ensure that they're serving the

3:20:56the residents of Redmond, people who

3:20:58live here. And so that would still be

3:21:00part of their contract is to ensure that

3:21:01this money goes to serving the people of

3:21:03Redmond.

3:21:05And I hope that sort of answers your

3:21:06question. But that that would be my goal

3:21:08too is like we're giving them more

3:21:09money, it we wanted to serve Redmond.

3:21:12>> Yeah, and I and I appreciate that

3:21:14clarity. Um and I'd still be interested

3:21:17in taking it a step forward that if we

3:21:19are setting this this money aside for

3:21:23we'll call it tenant protections for the

3:21:25overall, that then this increased amount

3:21:28goes specifically for that.

3:21:31And I don't know if if we can if we can

3:21:34direct that the funds and be that that

3:21:36granular inside of a total funding.

3:21:40>> I think I think I see what you're

3:21:41saying. Um

3:21:47I think we would have to look more into

3:21:48the contract and how how that would be.

3:21:51So I guess that's a question for the

3:21:52council is us if you want to set aside

3:21:54the dollars that we could create

3:21:55something more specific that's an

3:21:57additional contract that we would have

3:21:58with them outside of the kind of current

3:22:00contract. Um

3:22:02or if you want to fully kind of fund

3:22:05fund the request that I think hits at a

3:22:07lot of the things that the council is

3:22:09looking for and they they do provide

3:22:11legal support within the broad spectrum

3:22:13and what we heard from them, is both

3:22:14like

3:22:15um if uh uh

3:22:18a property management company is not um

3:22:21you know

3:22:22given correct notice for the time, which

3:22:24is what the council had, they can send a

3:22:26letter of corrective action. They also

3:22:28will follow up on mold complaints or

3:22:30other kinds of things. And so it is kind

3:22:31of a broad spectrum. And what we heard

3:22:33from them is different cases take

3:22:35different amounts of time. And so um

3:22:39uh

3:22:40at the risk of it saying I think it's a

3:22:42bit tomato tomato, but I I also

3:22:44recognize the desire for us as this is

3:22:47something we're kind of looking into in

3:22:48the future.

3:22:50>> Thank you. Council member Forseth.

3:22:52>> Thank you. Um I'm in support of fully

3:22:54funding the initial ask through the

3:22:56Human Services

3:22:58uh ask that of that

3:22:59what would be 100,000 I think for the

3:23:01biennium.

3:23:02And I will withdraw my other suggestion

3:23:06after hearing more from Director Allen

3:23:08about the potential for the new hire to

3:23:12then take that cost savings and figure

3:23:14out where it could be best spent within

3:23:16this scope. I I felt like the the

3:23:19language we had in the proviso

3:23:21didn't allow that clarity for me, but

3:23:23with Director Allen's um comment, I

3:23:26support that approach.

3:23:28>> Thank you. And I do think the the the

3:23:30intent of the language in the proviso is

3:23:32to say that any any savings that we have

3:23:35would be reinvested into this work,

3:23:37whether it's going to something like

3:23:38ELAP or into but as directed by that

3:23:42that new position as well. So I think um

3:23:45to your point it um it it should cover

3:23:48it and appreciate that. Um

3:23:51I I I thought I saw a hand. Council

3:23:53President Stewart.

3:23:54>> Yeah, thank you. And thank you so much

3:23:56everyone for your patience, but I think

3:23:57that that was super helpful Director

3:23:59Allen to lay that out, so I really do

3:24:00appreciate the time.

3:24:02Um

3:24:06I struggle with

3:24:09um

3:24:12having a conversation

3:24:14about

3:24:16fully funding

3:24:18one

3:24:20request

3:24:22when our inboxes, our email inboxes

3:24:25currently have several messages from

3:24:27folks and organizations doing good work

3:24:30in our community who also didn't have

3:24:32their human services um asks fully

3:24:35funded.

3:24:37And that includes folks just like in

3:24:38ELAP case who who did get funding but

3:24:40maybe not the full amounts.

3:24:42Um

3:24:44Director Allen, if

3:24:46[sighs]

3:24:47the council

3:24:49wanted to

3:24:51when we work on our process next quarter

3:24:54to distribute the rest of the community

3:24:56stability dollars, could one of the

3:24:59options be to use what you described as

3:25:01very useful, which is to give

3:25:03funding to folks we already have

3:25:04contracts with to expand existing

3:25:06contracts?

3:25:07>> Absolutely, and the council did that

3:25:09already for the first time. Um

3:25:11>> It felt familiar. So I'll I'll share

3:25:13with my colleagues that um I think that

3:25:15we can can do good work on this. And my

3:25:18my second question specifically on the

3:25:20ELAP um request Director Allen is

3:25:24um

3:25:25was the $80,000 total of request just to

3:25:28the city of Redmond or did that $80,000

3:25:31um was that inclusive of the asks made

3:25:33to other cities and do we know what the

3:25:35other cities did with their investment?

3:25:37>> We do. Um that was just to the city of

3:25:38Redmond and we do have a a chart um that

3:25:42says what uh was requested to other

3:25:43cities and then what those other cities

3:25:45uh funded.

3:25:46>> Understood. Okay, thank you. So I will

3:25:48uh yield the microphone and say I would

3:25:50love to settle this um next year with a

3:25:53process using our existing community

3:25:55stability dollars. Thank you.

3:25:58>> Thank you. Um and just to confirm uh

3:26:02Director Cochran because I think

3:26:04what I can tell part of the decision

3:26:06would be here in if we think about what

3:26:09dollars would be able to pay for this,

3:26:10it likely would be community stability

3:26:12dollars. So the question is whether we

3:26:14would want to allocate it now or just

3:26:17give the intention that we'd like to

3:26:19have the touchback on this um and and

3:26:22and finalize it as part of the community

3:26:25stability conversation that will

3:26:26hopefully happen in Q one of 2027. Um

3:26:28council member Forsyth.

3:26:30>> Um I'm not willing to wait on this. I

3:26:31want to direct this now because when

3:26:34someone is facing um an eviction uh

3:26:39potential an inability to pay their rent

3:26:42or whatever the issue may be, they don't

3:26:44have time to wait. So I want this

3:26:46funding to be available um

3:26:49you'll have to be able to respond

3:26:51immediately starting January one making

3:26:54sure this funding is there. If we use it

3:26:56from our the $700,000 that we had

3:26:58already set aside, I think that's great

3:27:01um but I want to see this

3:27:04in this budget document and the ability

3:27:07for this money to be used immediately

3:27:09because our community members can't

3:27:11wait.

3:27:12>> Council member Parcy.

3:27:14>> I have a question about our existing ELA

3:27:17funding and where we are with how much

3:27:20that has been used to see to help make

3:27:23that decision for whether we should fund

3:27:25it now or not or later in the quarter. I

3:27:29think I'm very curious if fund if we

3:27:33fund this now um if it's actually going

3:27:36to be supporting um people the way that

3:27:39we intended or if could that be

3:27:41potentially surplus and unused. So I

3:27:44think I'm I'm I'm I would like a little

3:27:46bit more information to make that

3:27:48decision.

3:27:49>> Yeah um absolutely and um luckily I

3:27:53wondered if these questions might come

3:27:54up.

3:27:55And so uh from uh 2020 um from 2025 they

3:28:00had um projected serving 34 people with

3:28:03the dollars that we had allocated and

3:28:05they ended up serving 52 people um at

3:28:08the time and so they are exceeding um

3:28:10kind of our our contract expectations.

3:28:12Uh and then

3:28:15uh

3:28:16work of you would be possible to say

3:28:17what we funded them at last year that

3:28:19would be helpful as you're listening um

3:28:21and uh

3:28:25yeah, I guess I just want to say there's

3:28:27definitely a high demand for services.

3:28:29The other thing I want to say is that um

3:28:31I was kind of describing the scope

3:28:32earlier, but what it um the scope of the

3:28:35contract with ELAP um previously and

3:28:37what it would be in this upcoming year

3:28:39for under our grant process is called

3:28:41the housing stability and supporting um

3:28:43tenants. And so again that's it's kind

3:28:45of

3:28:45broad, but it's about ensuring that um

3:28:48helping back to our goal of like keeping

3:28:50people housed. Um, and so if someone's

3:28:52getting an eviction notice or any of

3:28:53those kinds of things, that's where they

3:28:55would be supporting those tenants and

3:28:57navigating that situation.

3:28:59>> And I I hear um from council member

3:29:02Forsyth the the interest in making sure

3:29:04that the the money and the services are

3:29:06there when people need it starting

3:29:08January 1

3:29:09and and then what I might be hearing in

3:29:11in this question as well is just if if

3:29:14say the council were to delay on uh

3:29:17making the decision around the

3:29:19additional community stability

3:29:21allocation until say Q1 of 2027, but did

3:29:24did fund at the recommended level from

3:29:27the Human Services Commission, would

3:29:28there be sufficient funding to be able

3:29:31to meet the needs during that that

3:29:33initial period of time?

3:29:36>> I'm I'm not sure if I'd be able to

3:29:37answer that. I feel like I'd need to ask

3:29:39ask ELAP. Um, I think that they would

3:29:41definitely be able to serve some tenants

3:29:43because they have um the funds available

3:29:45that we would have awarded. And so um

3:29:47they would be able to uh

3:29:50uh burn that down and the contract we

3:29:52have for them for the next year is

3:29:5321,000.

3:29:55Um, so this would

3:29:57would um definitely add a lot uh to

3:30:01their ability to be proactive and um

3:30:03have additional

3:30:04uh staff uh support, but

3:30:07um I think I think they would be ready

3:30:09to go, but um

3:30:11it's hard for me to say exactly what the

3:30:13amount would be without knowing and

3:30:14talking to them.

3:30:15>> Uh

3:30:16council member Forsyth, a quick

3:30:17follow-up?

3:30:18>> Yeah, I was just um thinking that

3:30:20without having that information, it

3:30:22makes it a a bit difficult to make that

3:30:24decision because we all want to make

3:30:26sure that our money goes a long way, and

3:30:29to me, it's a little bit unclear if, you

3:30:32know, 52 people served in the past year,

3:30:35if that is the um the best way for

3:30:39spending that money now and making that

3:30:41decision for how that money is spent

3:30:43now. Um I think we all um share the

3:30:46intent of the goal to is to keep people

3:30:48housed, is to make sure that we have

3:30:49stability in our community, but I feel

3:30:51like I'm not having all the information

3:30:53I need to make that call tonight.

3:30:55>> Councilor Pakria.

3:30:58>> I was going to say something similar,

3:31:00which is that I believe if we don't have

3:31:03the information right now and we don't

3:31:04know uh necessarily where the

3:31:06bottlenecks in E-Lab are, um then I

3:31:09believe it's better to hold off on

3:31:10making that decision um until January,

3:31:12and particularly if we are making um

3:31:15cash infusions with community uh

3:31:17stability fund dollars. I believe in the

3:31:20past we've been able to do this very

3:31:22swiftly in general. Um so if we do get

3:31:25that information, I believe um is it if

3:31:28it is of council interest, we would be

3:31:30able to make um grants um at a pretty

3:31:33swift rate.

3:31:34>> Yeah, I think I think I do want to be

3:31:35clear that with any service provider,

3:31:38with increased funding, they're able to

3:31:39make an increased impact. And so if we

3:31:42did increase their funding and they knew

3:31:44about that um from this biennium, if the

3:31:46council took action tonight, we would be

3:31:48able to include that extended amount of

3:31:51people that they would serve. We would

3:31:52need to negotiate that amount depending

3:31:54on what the council decided, and then

3:31:56they would be able to staff up starting

3:31:57Q1 to deliver on those results. So I do

3:32:00want to say that clearly we've been

3:32:01contracting with them for a very long

3:32:02time. They've been meeting their

3:32:04results, and while I can't give you the

3:32:06specific numbers tonight based on the

3:32:08budget amounts that we're throwing

3:32:10around, I do want to say that I think

3:32:11that they would have an increased

3:32:13impact.

3:32:14>> Thank you. And just uh before I take us

3:32:17to uh to decide on on this because I

3:32:19think we are coming around two different

3:32:22proposals, um can you confirm for us um

3:32:25Director Cochran that the likely funding

3:32:28source for this would be to to if we

3:32:30were to do it with this budget would be

3:32:32to actually draw down the amount that

3:32:34will roll over of community stability

3:32:36funds and use some of those funds from

3:32:37this biennium.

3:32:38>> That would be the first option, yes.

3:32:40Correct.

3:32:41>> Thank you.

3:32:42Um, so council members, I think there

3:32:44there are two main proposals now. One

3:32:47would be

3:32:49to use community stability dollars and

3:32:51to allocate additional funding to ELAP,

3:32:54um, $100,000. Actually,

3:32:57um, and I will I will note that council

3:32:59member also brought up the 0.5 FTE,

3:33:01which would be the 100

3:33:03the 150,000.

3:33:05Um, so but I didn't hear Actually, I

3:33:08will pause here and just say do you want

3:33:10me to put that proposal also on the

3:33:11table or should we talk about the two

3:33:13proposals of the 100,000 versus

3:33:16waiting?

3:33:17Um, and I will just ask that as I give

3:33:18the the options.

3:33:20>> Thank you. Um, I'd I'd be interested to

3:33:22see who else is interested in the 0.5

3:33:24FTE. That way the the money would be

3:33:26specific for that reason instead of

3:33:30going into a general fund understanding

3:33:32or ELAP's general funding. I do

3:33:34understand the

3:33:37the that they would be able to increase

3:33:39the people the Redmond residents

3:33:42in the overall.

3:33:44I I think that with the amount of time

3:33:46that we've spent to to get this right

3:33:49for

3:33:51or to get it to get the the the tenant

3:33:53protection proposal

3:33:55in the position where we want it,

3:33:59I would feel more comfortable if those

3:34:01the dollars that we're setting setting

3:34:03aside have a specific job.

3:34:06>> Great. Thank you. Okay, so we have three

3:34:07proposals here. One would be to use

3:34:12community stability funds

3:34:13and in this budget to budget $100,000 to

3:34:17fully fund the request that ELAP made

3:34:19through the Human Services grant

3:34:21process. The second would be to use

3:34:23$150,000 of those of those funds to to

3:34:28fund a pilot

3:34:30with um with ELAP um for a a specific

3:34:34position that would would work with with

3:34:36residents up to 400 percent of the

3:34:38federal poverty level

3:34:40um on legal services um related to to

3:34:43rental housing. Um and then the third

3:34:45option would be um to wait on to not

3:34:50allocate specific money in this but in

3:34:52Q1 of 2027 to have further conversation

3:34:56on these options um as part of the

3:34:58overall um discussion on community

3:35:01stability funding. Um so we'll start

3:35:04with with option one which would be um

3:35:07you have one more comment and then I'm

3:35:08going to

3:35:09>> Can you Can we do them in reverse order

3:35:11of what you Thank you.

3:35:12>> Um [snorts] all right well we'll do

3:35:13reverse order I I'll I'll take that that

3:35:16suggestion. Um so council members uh who

3:35:19uh who is supportive of us um waiting um

3:35:22until January of 20 or or Q1 of 2027 um

3:35:26to have further discussion on this

3:35:28topic.

3:35:30Um all right I'm seeing I'm seeing five

3:35:33thumbs for that so I think um

3:35:36uh that [snorts]

3:35:37we we have that um

3:35:40uh

3:35:41as the the direction. Um so we will come

3:35:43back to this and I think this is clearly

3:35:45a really good discussion. The good thing

3:35:47is that we have funding for these

3:35:49services um already proposed in our

3:35:51budget and we can spend a little bit

3:35:53more time hopefully the council can get

3:35:55more information soon because we made

3:35:56this request we even were just getting a

3:35:58lot live feedback from the ELAP ED on

3:36:01different options so maybe it'll give

3:36:03our staff a little bit of time to just

3:36:05figure it out um with them and come back

3:36:07with clearer options.

3:36:10Um do you have any comments Director

3:36:11Allen we made you make a lot of comments

3:36:13tonight so

3:36:13>> No I I think that uh sounds good.

3:36:16>> Okay.

3:36:17Great. Um well uh council I think that

3:36:20actually brings us to the end of our

3:36:22budget deliberations hooray.

3:36:24[laughter]

3:36:26Um uh and um I will note a few things

3:36:29we're going to um I'm going to turn it

3:36:31over in a moment to Director Cochran

3:36:32just uh so we can review what you're

3:36:35going to see in the packet that will be

3:36:37there on the 10th. There's a few things

3:36:39we talked about tonight that maybe we'll

3:36:40get added in as as line items in here as

3:36:42well. But um but I also wanted to note

3:36:46uh since it's going to be a half hour

3:36:48special meeting, so we'll have the

3:36:49chance if there's any you know uh for

3:36:52for council members to each get to say

3:36:54their piece since we spent a lot of time

3:36:56during these deliberations about um

3:36:58talking about the enhancements and some

3:37:00of these kind of additional issues, but

3:37:03there's a ton that's in our baseline

3:37:05budget and a lot of things that I know

3:37:08that many of us were really excited

3:37:09about that we didn't really get the

3:37:11chance to say thank you to highlight. So

3:37:13we'll get the chance to do that in that

3:37:15special meeting as well. Um so just

3:37:17wanted to note that if you want to come

3:37:19and be prepared to uh we'll have a

3:37:21chance for each council member to kind

3:37:22of say their piece about the budget,

3:37:24about your thoughts on it um and

3:37:26obviously to vote on it. [laughter]

3:37:29So I will turn it over to um Director

3:37:31Cochran to share with us a little bit

3:37:32about what we'll be seeing as we move

3:37:34towards the budget adoption.

3:37:36>> Uh very exciting. Thank you all so much

3:37:38for your engagement and discussion. It's

3:37:41been um really great.

3:37:43The um budget adoption materials are

3:37:45going to be humongous.

3:37:48Um so they will include um all of the

3:37:50work that you've been um doing

3:37:52throughout this biennium to update

3:37:54fiscal policies, long-range financial

3:37:57strategies, all the deliberations that

3:37:59you've done as well as public comment

3:38:01that's come in. So really documenting um

3:38:04the work from the beginning of the year

3:38:06and through your review of the

3:38:08preliminary um budget and we'll uh put

3:38:11together a list of all the changes that

3:38:13have been made

3:38:14um through uh your council

3:38:16deliberations.

3:38:18We then um will include in the same

3:38:20packet all of the ordinances that go

3:38:23along with the revenues that are

3:38:25supporting the balanced budget. So

3:38:27property tax ordinances, business

3:38:29license as well as utilities.

3:38:32Um because of um the change that we've

3:38:36to public art and the inclusion in the

3:38:38CIP,

3:38:39the public art ordinance is included um

3:38:42as well just to sort of move us away

3:38:45from the 1% from for the arts um

3:38:47structure to a dedicated

3:38:50annual um funding amount with a CPI

3:38:54adjustment being made.

3:38:56We have a new sales tax um that you'll

3:38:58be implementing um for children and

3:39:01family services that is um allocating or

3:39:04bringing those revenues to Redmond

3:39:07instead of being collected at the county

3:39:09level.

3:39:10And then two actions that have been

3:39:12um decided upon within this last week

3:39:14when it comes to the mayor's salary and

3:39:16the rest of the city's um pay plans, we

3:39:19will go ahead and include those so that

3:39:21we'll be making

3:39:22um one big action.

3:39:27>> Thank you so much. Um uh so council

3:39:30members, are there any questions on that

3:39:32um as we move forward um uh towards um

3:39:36our budget meeting?

3:39:38All right. Well and I will just say um I

3:39:41really appreciated the beginning of this

3:39:42year we set some um some council

3:39:46uh values and norms that that we wanted

3:39:48to to live by and I think one of the

3:39:50things that that we set was um debate,

3:39:53decide, move on and I think we did that

3:39:56a lot through this process and also

3:39:58really listening to each other, bringing

3:40:00different perspectives to the table um

3:40:03and I just really appreciate how

3:40:04everybody showed up and everybody was

3:40:06able to um have these these

3:40:08conversations with each other throughout

3:40:10this process and respect each other's um

3:40:12perspectives um and make an even

3:40:14stronger budget through this. So um

3:40:16we'll have more more conversation uh

3:40:18more opportunity for everyone to reflect

3:40:20on this process and and to share your

3:40:22thoughts on the budget at the next

3:40:23meeting but um I will ask if there are

3:40:26thumbs for us to proceed to putting this

3:40:28onto the special meeting um at uh

3:40:32on November 10th.

3:40:34All right. Cool.

3:40:36Great. Um so uh with that I will the

3:40:40gavel back over to the mayor. Thank you

3:40:42all.

3:40:42>> Well, thank you so much. Look at that.

3:40:44Not even 10:00.

3:40:47This concludes the business of this

3:40:49meeting and we are adjourned.

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