Monday, May 5th
Human Services Commission
Public Hearing on Human Services Needs
Home Repair Program Presentation
Today, May 6th
City Council Meeting, 6pm
Congratulations to Vishal Bhargava, who will be sworn in tonight as John Stokes’ replacement!
Consent Calendar:
– City support for Medic One EMS levy to appear on the ballot. Rate is $0.25/ $1000 assessed value, and this could raise $1.5B over the five years. In addition to the BLS and ALS services, this will support paramedic and EMT training, development of medical protocols, and medical quality assurance and review. There is also a Mobile Integrated Healthcare program with care coordinators that can help reduce the operational burden from frequent callers.
– Contract renewal with Innovative Data Acquisition for traffic studies and analysis, which are important for traffic safety.
– Purchase of a diesel vacuum excavator.
– Interagency agreement for Bellevue Fire to assist the Department of Natural Resources with wildland fires, 2025-2028.
– Capital and operational funding for Amani Home Project co-living home with 5 bedrooms, to be operated by the Congolese Integration Network. It will be affordable to people below 60% AMI, and the target is five households under 30% AMI. I still don’t understand how they can buy a 5 bedroom home in Bellevue for $1.3M, but perhaps there are additional sources of funding.
– Two year contract with Best Kayak Rental to operate rentals out of Meydenbauer Bay Park and Enatai Boathouse. Two proposals were received for the March RFP, then they were selected, and their contract will run through the end of 2026, with the potential for a 3 year extension. There will be some expected interruptions in service at Enatai due to planned construction in the area. Let’s hope they can get up and running soon!
– Additional $712k for the nonprofit 4 Tomorrow to operate the Safe Parking Program at the Lincoln Center site through the end of 2026. This serves families in up to 20 vehicles, and provides security and indoor services – kitchen, shower facilities, washer/dryer and lounge areas, as well as additional services when there is severe weather and residents need an alternate place to sleep.
Open government training to be conducted tonight for City Council members, led by Jessica Skelton of the Pacifica Law Group. This training is only held once every four years.
Briefing from King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division about sewer rate and capacity charges. Typical customer sewer rates are expected to more than double in the next ten years, from $58 in 2025 to $139 in 2035, and will also rise significantly by 2045 ($173). Drastic rate increases are largely due to the Mouth of the Duwamish CSO project and other CSO project cost estimate updates and timeline acceleration required after the CSO consent decree between King County, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Washington State Department of Ecology was amended in 2024. WTD has shared that there is significant uncertainty regarding the 20-year forecast and WTD has significant doubt regarding future costs, projects and regulatory requirements. Unknowns include: Nutrient removal costs for future permit cycles, Contaminants of emerging concerns, Costs for other CSO updates, and Security upgrades at WTD facilities.
The 2025 typical Bellevue residential utility bill for water, sewer, and stormwater services is $239.40 per month, with sewer representing $114.86, or 48 percent, of the total bill. The 2025 King County sewer charge is $58.28 per month, which is 51 percent of Bellevue’s typical residential sewer bill or 24 percent of the typical total residential utility bill. The remaining 49 percent of the residential sewer bill, approximately $56.58, supports maintaining, operating, and improving the City’s local sewer system. Bellevue may also adjust the rate to cover costs of service for our local needs. Capacity charges for new customers are not expected to exceed $11k by the end of the planning horizon in 2030.
The presentation also talks about a North Mercer/Enatai upgrade project, expected to be completed in 2026, a Coal Creek Sewer Upgrade project, and Bellevue’s programs for utility cost relief for seniors, low income people, and those in need of emergency assistance.
Informational briefing on Bellevue’s new Office of Housing, which is run out of the City Manager’s office. The first phase of the Office combines the Affordable Housing team from the Community Development Department (four positions) with the Homelessness Outreach Program team from the City Manager’s Office (four positions), under the supervision of a new Assistant Director (working title: Office of Housing Director). In carrying out its work, the Office partners with staff in multiple city departments and A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), as well as housing developers, funders, and service providers.
The Office of Housing will work on their own organization development, updating the Affordable Housing Strategy document, updating the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) Program, supporting faith-based property owners in developing affordable housing, facilitating 2025 annual Housing Stability Program funding round, creating internal criteria for use of the Long Term Planning Reserve for Housing, accelerating redevelopment of city-owned properties (half-acre Wilburton site, one-acre Kelly site in BelRed, a second BelRed parcel, and redevelopment plans for city-owned Metro and Lincoln Center sites), and continuing homelessness response effort, with outreach, safe parking, dashboard, severe weather response, and subregional planning and data sharing.
Wednesday, May 7th
Arts Commission meeting, 4:30pm
Partner presentations from Bellevue Youth Choirs, Sadhana, Evergreen Association of Fine Arts, Theatre33, and the Eurasia Arts Foundation.
Planning for this year’s Special Projects grant application process.
Public Art project updates
Thursday, May 8th
Transportation Commission, 6:30pm
Curb Pricing Study update
This is a new budgetary concept that will ultimately need direct input from City Council, as the roles and responsibilities of the Transportation Commission do not include making budget decisions for the City of Bellevue. The project team intends to engage the Transportation Commission in upcoming meetings to gather programmatic and operational-based feedback on a curb pricing approach. Commission feedback will augment final staff recommendations that will be brought forward to City Council for consideration in late 2025.
Transportation Facilities Plan update
preliminary prioritization of candidate TFP projects. Some items are fully funded and will be included in the TFP by default, and others have partial or placeholder funding. Some intersection projects that had adverse effects on pedestrians are being eliminated, and others are more dependent on transit agency decisions. The TFP funding forecast is still unclear.
Eight projects that are recommended for inclusion with funding and may be discussed at this meeting are:
TFP-110. 110th Avenue NE/NE 7th Street to NE 8th Street.
TFP-219. NE 8th Street/106th Avenue NE.
TFP-243. Mountains to Sound Greenway/142nd Place SE to Lakemont Blvd.
TFP-244. Eastrail/south city limit to north city limit.
TFP-252. Bellevue College Connection.
TFP-260. 120th Avenue NE/NE 16th Street to Northup Way
TFP-270. Spring Blvd (Zone 3)/124th Avenue NE to 130th Avenue NE
Bellevue Grand Connection
Micromobility Code Amendment
The Transportation Department is proposing amendments to Bellevue City Code (BCC) 11.48.210: Motorized Foot Scooters to better align Bellevue’s code with state law. Please see the project website featuring Frequently Asked Questions. We are working on the definition of a Motorized Foot Scooter, where they should be allowed, if they can be ridden at night, age minimum, max speed, and helmet requirements.
Mobility Implementation Plan Update
The Transportation Commission voted at the last meeting to modify some tables and adjust performance targets, and the consultant team will provide a draft before the July 10th meeting. This informational presentation will highlight some of the data they’ll use that is likely to change as it is refreshed.
Upcoming:
5/9 Deadline to file for fall elections
5/10 Downtown Redmond Light Rail Opening
5/12 Meydenbauer Park update to City Council
5/14 Bike Everywhere Day
5/14 Planning Commission: BelRed LUCA introduction, HOMA LUCA, and Downtown Regional Center CPA
5/15 BSD School Board Meeting
5/28 Planning Commission: Environmental Stewardship Plan, Economic Development Plan
6/5 PSRC Economic Development District Board
6/5 Watershed Management Plan Update at Environmental Services Commission
6/7 Eastrail Art walk
6/10 GSP Board of Directors meeting
6/11 Open House for Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) for Bridle Trails
6/11 Planning Commission: Neighborhood Area Planning, Downtown Regional Center CPA
6/12 Transportation Commission: TFP Update
6/25 Growth Management Planning Council (GMPC) meeting
6/25 Planning Commission: HOMA, Critical Areas Ordinance Update, Watershed Management Plan
7/9 Planning Commission: Neighborhood Area Planning, Downtown Regional Center CPA
7/10 Environmental Services Commission CIP Projects tour
7/10 Transportation Commission: MIP, TFP, Shared Micromobility, Curb Pricing
7/23 Planning Commission: Critical Areas Ordinance, BelRed LUCA, Neighborhood Area Planning if needed
7/24 BSD School Board Meeting
9/11 Transportation Commission MIP Update, Environmental Sustainability Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan report, Curb Pricing
9/18 NEP open house at NWAC for Northwest Bellevue
Opportunities:
https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/transportation/planning/micromobility
There’s a form where you can provide input about micromobility and scooters.
https://www.engagingbellevue.com/2025-rsa
Road Safety Assessment questionnaire and interactive map
https://www.engagingbellevue.com/economic-development-plan-update
Recruiting focus group related to Tourism, Small Business, the Creative Economy, District Development, Multicultural Services, and the Eastgate neighborhood.
The Sign Code Update questionnaire is still available