Flagger Certification Training at Shoreline Community College

Friday, November 6, 2020

Are you looking for a career change or an opportunity to earn additional income? 

Earn a Washington State Flagger Certification card after completion of a one-day class at Shoreline Community College! 

You'll receive the Traffic Control Flagger Certification Handbook and complete an open-book test. 

State Flagger Certification is valid for three years in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Fee: $85
Dates: December 4, 2020
Time: 8am - 4pm
Location: Room 1508 on the Shoreline Community College campus

Please note that all students must participate in a temperature screening, wear a mask, and adhere to social distancing protocols to attend this on-campus training. Information regarding these protocols will be sent to all registered students prior to the start of class.

Click here to view the full details for this course and register today! Questions? Please email continuing-ed@shoreline.edu.



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Lake Forest Park Town Center process gears up for final push

A conceptual map shows potential open space distribution
in a Town Center redevelopment, taken from a draft Town
Center Framework Design Guidelines Update, dated May 5


By Tracy Furutani

After passing two moratoriums to allow thorough consideration by city staff and the Planning Commission and to accommodate pandemic-related delays, the Lake Forest Park City Council is poised to take action in November on beginning the process of implementing changes to city zoning code to allow applications for work on the Sound Transit parking garage and the redevelopment of the Town Center.

Though City Council votes on finalizing these code changes will not take place until next February, the city is required to submit proposed code changes to the state Department of Commerce 60 days in advance of adopting any of the changes, according to city Planning Director Stephen Bennett, which means in order to beat the latest moratorium expiration date, they must be forwarded to the state by January 10, 2021. 

However, the proposal may include different options of those code changes, though the final code revisions must be drawn from those options.

According to city’s schedule, at a special Committee of the Whole city council meeting at 6pm on Monday, November 9, a Sound Transit representative is making a presentation about the parking garage and Sound Transit’s sustainability policy, such as green building practices. 

“I would like them to come talk about how deep these policies go,” said Deputy Mayor and Councilmember Phillippa Kassover, “so we can match city code with their policies,” adding that she would like to hold Sound Transit accountable to their own sustainability policy.

The next evening at 7pm, the Planning Commission will decide on its final recommendations about “Phase 2,” the part of the Town Center zoning code revisions not related to the parking garage, including issues of housing density (the number of residential units on the property) and open space requirements. 

Those recommendations will be presented by the City Planning Department at a city council work session at 6pm on Thursday, November 12, just before the regularly scheduled City Council meeting.

Though a public comment period is part of every city meeting, there will be two specific City Council regular business meetings dedicated to public comment: the first, at 7pm on Thursday, November 12, will be for the proposed parking garage code revisions, and the second, scheduled for Thursday, January 14, for the proposed “Phase 2” changes.

The Planning Commission’s parking garage code revision recommendations were presented to the City Council in June. The city council is tentatively scheduled to meet as the Committee of the Whole on Monday, November 23 to review the Parking Garage code revision recommendations.

When asked what she thought were the most significant changes in the proposed code revision, Kassover said, “Just the fact that there’s a garage, the inclusion of a park and ride at Town Center.” 

She added that she had posed questions to the Planning Commission, such as how much housing density in the Town Center was desirable and what provisions for open space were possible. “Open space is a climate change issue,” she said, emphasizing the zoning code connection to other city priorities.

“I think the most significant change we are recommending to the council… is the addition of language that defines and guides development of a parking structure in Town Center,” said Maddy Larson, the chair of the Planning Commission. 
“We have also made recommendations for the administration of any development application; however, I feel those recommendations depend on the council's thorough vetting of them since we did not resolve a few concerns a few commissioners had about the recommendations.” 
She hopes “the community is invested in any proposed changes to our Town Center code. Doing so ensures we end up with code that reflects our values.”

City council vice-chair Tom French, who is the council liaison to the Planning Commission, said that the Council was transitioning from deliberating over parking garage code revisions to considering the rest of the Town Center zoning code revisions. 

“I do not believe there will be wholesale changes to the code,” he said, because “the community has said that there don’t need to be such changes.” 
Beyond that, though, he hoped that what modifications made to the code would bring “benefits and considerations to the community is a whole,” such as having better standards than state and federal rules on pollution, thinking about a community gathering space beyond Third Place Commons, and providing more opportunities for green space.

Due to the state’s “Safer at Home” pandemic policies, all of these meetings will be held on the Zoom platform. 

To provide a comment on any of these topics to the city council, go to the city events calendar at https://www.cityoflfp.com/calendar.aspx?CID=14 and select the meeting for which you’d like to provide a comment, then click on the agenda pdf for the meeting, and there will be specific instructions about submitting a comment, and attending the meeting.

The code revisions are located under the Planning Commission Meeting documents, located at https://www.cityoflfp.com/593/Town-Center-Process (scroll down and find documents with the phrases “code updates” or “design guidelines”).




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Case updates November 4, 2020; COVID-19 and UW Technology Survey

The University of Washington’s anonymous COVID-19 and Technology Survey closes November 10.

Information from the survey will be used to inform the launch of a technology designed to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

It asks questions about technology, privacy, your activities at this time, and some demographic information, such as your employment and the number of people who live in your household. 

The survey should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.


Case updates November 4, 2020

United States
  • cases 9,463,782 - 106,537 cases since yesterday
  • deaths 233,129 - 1,141 deaths since yesterday

Washington state - *DOH does not report deaths on the weekend
  • cases 112,550 - 1,070 since last report
  • hospitalizations 8,784 - 49 since yesterday
  • deaths* 2,431 - 15 since last report

King county
  • cases 29,465 - 517 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 2,629 - 8 since yesterday
  • deaths 810 - 1 since yesterday

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)
  • cases 713 - 2 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 110 - 0 new
  • deaths 65 - 0 new

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)
  • cases 89 - 2 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 3 - -1 since yesterday
  • deaths 1 - 0 new


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Southbound I-5 lanes to close for night work from 220th St SW to SR 104 the weekend of Nov 20 - 22

Sound Transit crews working on the Lynnwood Link Extension will close all lanes of southbound I-5 from 220th St SW in Mountlake Terrace to SR 104 in Shoreline nightly beginning Friday, November 20, 2020 at 11pm through Sunday, November 22. 

Each night, the lanes will close by 11pm, and reopen the following morning no later than 6:30am.

For more information on the upcoming closure, visit Sound Transit’s project website.



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Jobs: Project Management and Reporting System Lead

WSDOT
Project Management and Reporting System Lead (Transportation Technical Engineer)

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is looking to for a Project Management and Reporting System (PMRS) Lead. This position will focus on the implementation of project management and control systems, integrating current region project management practices with those being recommended and directed at the statewide level. This position works with WSDOT Headquarters, project offices, and region specialist groups to implement and adapt project management systems throughout WSDOT’s Northwest Region.

Job description and application: HERE



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32nd Legislative District incumbents won with big Shoreline area margins

Reps Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis

By Evan Smith

Incumbent Democratic State Reps. Cindy Ryu and Lauren Davis are both on their way to victory in the Tuesday, November 3, 2020 election, with their biggest margins in Shoreline and the parts of northwest Seattle that make up the King County portion of the 32nd Legislative District.

Results posted Thursday evening show Ryu leading her challenger, fellow Democrat Shirley Sutton, by a 72 percent to 26 percent margin and Davis leading non-partisan candidate Tamra Smilanich by an 87 percent to 13 percent margin.

In King County, Ryu leads Sutton 76 percent to 22 percent compared to a 66-31 percent margin in Snohomish County.

The Snohomish County part of the district includes Woodway, south Edmonds, Lynnwood and a small part of Mountlake Terrace.

Davis leads Smilanich 83 percent to 16 percent in King County, compared to 73-26 percent in Snohomish County.

The Davis-Smilanich contest has drawn at least 2,000 more votes than the Ryu-Sutton race, 72,412 to 70,246.

Voter turnout is 86.56 percent in the King County part of the District, 81.59 percent in the Snohomish County portion.

No Republicans filed to run in the heavily Democratic 32nd Legislative District.



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Windy day at Richmond Beach

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Photo by Steven H. Robinson


A family in rain gear enjoys a windy day at Richmond Beach.


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On the Mayor's Mind: Now is a critical time for Covid-19

Shoreline Mayor Will Hall

By Will Hall, Mayor, City of Shoreline

Friends and neighbors,

We are in the eighth month of the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to say we are rounding the corner. 

Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, King County is currently seeing its highest case counts of the pandemic. And the numbers are still going up.

I know we are all tired of this. 

But now is not the time to relax. We must remain vigilant. Now more than ever, we must follow the guidelines set out by experts to stop the spread of this disease.

We have to do that so we can get back to a more normal life. 

We want to spend time with family and friends, send our kids to school, eat at our favorite restaurants, see a good show, go to a concert, enjoy our holiday traditions, and get a haircut without wearing a mask and getting a medical exam. To do those things safely, we need to get COVID under control.


Early in the pandemic we heard about flattening the curve. We wanted to slow the disease to avoid overwhelming our healthcare system, and we were successful. As case counts rise again, we are seeing the number of hospitalizations go up. We need to work hard again to flatten the curve.

Fall is here. Days are shorter. Nights are longer and cooler. Many of us are starting to spend more time inside. Closed windows decrease airflow, which can increase risk if you are indoors with other people. The risk goes up if people don't wear masks or get too close together.

The good news is there are proven ways to reduce the risk and stay healthy.
  • Avoid gathering in groups.
  • If you must gather, keep it brief, keep it small, and keep it outdoors if you can.
  • Wear a mask around other people, both indoors and outdoors.
  • Keep physically distanced.
It is important to wear a mask AND stay at least six feet away from others.  Do both. It's not safe to do only one or the other.

We can get through this. We proved that last spring. I am so impressed by what I have seen from our Shoreline community. I see most people wearing masks and keeping their distance, even while continuing to help each other. Neighbors helping neighbors is what makes this such a strong community.

There are lots of things you can still do as long as you do them safely. 

You can continue to get take-out from your favorite restaurants. You can still get curbside service from your favorite stores. You can go to medical appointments, and donate blood to help others. If we are all vigilant, limiting our interactions and wearing masks, we can keep our local businesses going and get through this pandemic faster.

Thank you for being part of this great community, and for helping to keep it safe.



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Backyard birds: a small flock of Pine siskins

Half a dozen pine siskins trying to get at the water at the same time
Photo by Steve Schneider


Steve Schneider says he woke up to this group of Pine Siskins trying to drink what is left of the water, then they flew down to the ground to eat. 

They blend in but look carefully. There are a dozen pine siskins on the ground.
Photo by Steve Schneider

Never have I seen this many at one time. They were acting like Bush Tits. 

Shot these photos through my window with my Canon G5X point and shoot.



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Brown Bear “Veterans Day Free Car Wash” Wednesday, Nov 11, 2020

As a way of saying “thank you” to our military, Brown Bear Car Wash will offer free washes to all current or former members of the military on Veterans Day, Wednesday November 11. 

The free “Beary Clean” washes will be offered at 27 tunnel wash locations, including the Brown Bear tunnel car wash at 16032 Aurora Ave N from 8am to 6pm.

The offer operates on an honor system and no verification or documentation is required. Drivers should identify themselves as a current or former member of the military to the wash attendant upon arrival. 

See www.brownbear.com for a list of Brown Bear’s automated tunnel wash locations.

As they have for the past six years, family-owned Brown Bear Car Wash will again make generous donation to support Puget Sound Honor Flight and its mission of transporting Western Washington war veterans to visit memorials in Washington, D.C. 

For more information visit http://pugetsoundhonorflight.org/about/



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Case updates November 3, 2020

Case updates November 3, 2020


United States
  • cases 9,357,245 - 88,427 cases since yesterday
  • deaths 231,988 - 1,095 deaths since yesterday

Washington state - *DOH does not report deaths on the weekend
  • cases 111,480 - 1,469 since last report
  • hospitalizations 8,735 - 60 since yesterday
  • deaths* 2,416 - 16 since last report

King county
  • cases 28,948 - 559 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 2,621 - 22 since yesterday
  • deaths 809 - 0 since yesterday

Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)
  • cases 711 - 8 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 110 - 0 new
  • deaths 65 - 0 new

Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)
  • cases 89 - 2 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 4 - 0 since yesterday
  • deaths 1 - 0 new


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Shoreline Farmers Market seeks board members

The Shoreline Farmers Market is looking for passionate community members to join their Board of Directors and work collaboratively to elevate the farmers market. 

COVID threw us a curve-ball this season but the community came out to support us in full force! 

If you love the market and are looking for a way to give back, this is your chance! 

What's your skill?
digital marketing
fundraising
storytelling
urban planning
farm advocacy
website development 

Above all else we want to work with spirited and creative people who are invested in the future and success of the Shoreline Farmers Market. 

To learn more about this exciting opportunity visit https://www.shorelinefarmersmarket.org/board-of-directors...



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Agenda for Shoreline council meeting November 9


The agenda for 11/09/2020 Shoreline City Council Meeting includes the following:

ACTION ITEM 8(a) Public Hearing on Ordinance No. 903 - 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget and the 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan

This staff report will support the City Council’s continued discussion following the Nov 2 public hearing of the 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget and 2021-2026 CIP. Specifically, this staff report will present any proposed changes to the fee and salary schedules.


ACTION ITEM 8(b) Public Hearing and Discussion of Ordinance No. 908 – Amending Shoreline Municipal Code Title 20 to Adopt Chapter 20.94, Point Wells – Planned Area 4

In accordance with RCW 35A.14.340, Council is scheduled to hold the first of two required public hearings on the proposed pre-annexation zoning and development regulations in proposed Ordinance No. 908. The Planning Commission has recommended the City Council approve the proposed amendments, adding a new Chapter 20.94 entitled Point Wells – Planned Area 4.

All interested persons for the public hearings are encouraged to listen and/or attend the remote online public hearings and to provide oral and/or written comments. Written comments should be submitted to Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director, at slane@shorelinewa.gov by no later than 4:00 p.m. local time on the date of the hearing. Any person wishing to provide oral testimony at the hearing should register via the Remote Public Comment Sign-in form at least thirty (30) minutes before the start of the meeting. A request to sign-up can also be made directly to the City Clerk at 206-801-2230.


STUDY ITEM 9(a) Discussing Ordinance No. 909 – 2020 Comprehensive Plan Annual Docket Amendments to the Shoreline Comprehensive Plan

The two proposed amendments are:

1. Amend Table 6.6 of the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan to acquire park and open space between Dayton Avenue and Interstate 5 and between 145th and 165th Streets.

2. Amend the Point Wells Subarea Plan to be consistent with Interlocal Agreement between City of Shoreline and Town of Woodway.


STUDY ITEM 9(b) Discussing Ordinance No. 907 - Amending Development Code Sections 20.20, 20.30, 20.40, 20.50, and 20.80 for Administrative and Clarifying Amendments

Staff reports for these Planning Commission agenda items can be found at the following links:

• July 2nd: https://www.shorelinewa.gov/home/showdocument?id=47576.

• August 20th: https://www.shorelinewa.gov/home/showdocument?id=49118.

• October 1st: https://www.shorelinewa.gov/home/showdocument?id=49401.



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Hill's Restaurant and Bar to close November 15

Considered by many to be the only real restaurant in Shoreline, Hill's Restaurant and Bar will close on Sunday, November 15, 2020.

Following is the announcement from owner Chris Hill.

"Hill’s Restaurant and Bar opened October of 2005, 15 years ago. After cooking tens of thousands of burgers, cobblers, fish n’ chips and French fries, we will be closing.

"To all of our loyal guest, friends, and former crew members, we want to give a heartfelt Thank You for all of the support and business over these 15 years.

"Our last day of service will be Sunday, November 15th. We will continue “take out” for dinner only (4-8pm) until the 25th of November.

"Although Hill’s Restaurant is closing out a chapter in the history book of the Richmond Beach Neighborhood, another is starting with the Blackbird CafĂ© and Bar.

"Starting November 16th, owner Chris Hill and his Team will be working all hours putting final touches on the new concept, slated to be open by December 1st.

"Thank you,
"Chris Hill and Hill’s Crew"



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The Crest reopens November 13


The Crest movie theatre has announced their reopening on Friday November 13, 2020.

We are all about making the experience safe for our movie loving friends! We are using guidelines from the CinemaSafe program. You can learn more about it here: www.cinemasafe.org


You can see showtimes and buy advance tickets by visiting their website. Titles will be announced soon on www.landmarktheates.com. They say they will be showing new films.

The Crest is located at the intersection of 5th Ave NE and NE 165th.



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When hive politics got too polarized,

Photo by Gloria Z Nagler


Hedy liked to bury herself in her work...
--Gloria Z Nagler



 

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145th Street and I-5 Interchange online open house and online presentation


The interchange at 145th Street and I-5 greatly influences how traffic moves along 145th Street through Shoreline. 

With the arrival in 2024 of Sound Transit Link light rail and the new Shoreline South / 145th Station for light rail and bus transit, Shoreline residents and regional travelers need safe, efficient ways to connect to these facilities and to an expanding pedestrian and bike network.

To address these needs, the City of Shoreline and WSDOT, in cooperation with Sound Transit, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Metro, plan to replace the signalized intersections on either side of I-5 with roundabouts and update lane configurations on the bridge over I-5. 

These improvements will address today’s and future transportation needs, reduce traffic congestion, and improve safety and access along the corridor for decades to come.

More information about the project here: shorelinewa.gov/145interchange

You are invited to participate in two online events to learn about and provide input on the 145th Street and I-5 Interchange Project.

Online presentation

The online presentation will present information on the current challenges at the 145th and I-5 interchange and how this project will address them. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the project team.

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm


To register, please go to this link or visit the online open house, 145thinterchange.infocommunity.org.

The online presentation will be recorded and posted on the project webpage shorelinewa.gov/145interchange after it takes place.

Online open house and survey

Visit the online open house, open through November 20, at: 145thinterchange.infocommunity.org

The purpose of this online open house is to provide a chance for you to:
  • Learn about the current challenges at the 145th Street and I-5 interchange.
  • Learn more about this project and how it addresses those challenges.
  • Share what’s important to you and provide comment.

If you are unable to participate in these online events, email Bob Earl at bearl@shorelinewa.gov before November 20 to discuss the project, request mailed/emailed drawings, and/or request a copy of the online open house and/or online presentation summary.



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Photo: Slim works the graveyard shift

Photo by Richard A. White

Shoreline FRED MEYER Night Floor Cleaner ~ His Name Is “SLIM”

He works the graveyard shift at Fred Meyer.

Photo by Richard A. White

Like all Fred Meyer employees, Slim wears a face mask and a name tag.



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Dia de Muertos Virtual Latinx Art Exhibition


Presented by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council

Live Now - December 31st

Part of our Dia de Muertos celebration now includes a Virtual Latinx Art Exhibition showcasing artwork by 13 local latinx artists. All of the artwork is for sale or labeled as NFS (not for sale). 

Arturo Torres

Contributing artists include: Bruce Rivera, Arturo Torres, Joseph Géigel, Jose Trejo-Maya, Allicia Mullikin, Veronica Lund, Vivi Colelli (Rubio), Gabriel Marquez, Yessica Marquez, Abdy Velasquez, Dovey Martinez, Amaranta Sandys, and Elida DeHaan.

The artwork will be available to view and purchase now through December 31st. Thank you for supporting local artists!

Questions? Email Terri at programs@shorelinearts.net


The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to cultivate creativity and inspire our community through the arts.



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Notes from Shoreline council meeting November 2, 2020

Pam Cross, Reporter
Shoreline City Council Meeting
November 2, 2020

Notes by Pam Cross

The meeting was held remotely using the Zoom platform.



Mayor Hall called the meeting to order at 7:00pm.

Councilmember Chang was excused for personal reasons.


Proclamation Recognizing Native American Heritage Month

WHEREAS, Native American Heritage Month is recognized annually to honor Indigenous cultures, histories, traditions, art, and achievements; and

WHEREAS, in the face of broken treaties, violent displacement, and genocide, Native Americans have persevered and continued with remarkable strength, resistance, resilience, and self-determination; and

WHEREAS, Native Americans, including local Duwamish, Snoqualmie, Snohomish, Suquamish, Tulalip, and many others have been protectors and stewards of our natural resources and environment since time immemorial; and

WHEREAS, the City of Shoreline values the many contributions made to society by Native people in technology, science, philosophy, the arts; and especially our local Indigenous volunteers and leaders; and

WHEREAS, the City of Shoreline recognizes that we must work to combat the impacts of discrimination and racist policies on Native people, past and present, and eliminate inequities stemming from colonization; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Will Hall, Mayor of the City of Shoreline, on behalf of the Shoreline City Council, recognize that November is

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

And encourage all residents to learn more and support the work of Native people and organizations.


Report of the City Manager, Debbi Tarry

COVID-19 Update

Case counts in King County are still high. The average over the past 14 days was 105 new cases per 100,000 residents. The target is 25. Over 75 is considered high risk for in-person schools.

In Shoreline we’ve had 55 new cases and 3 deaths in the last two weeks. So even though we’re getting tired of this, please continue to take prevention measures seriously. It’s not too late to make a difference.

As a reminder, our playgrounds are technically closed and should not be used. There should be no games going on for soccer and there should be no spectators on the sidelines.

Wear a face covering, especially indoors in public settings regardless of the distance between people. Remember the guidance is "wear a mask AND maintain at least six feet of distance from others." Limit the number of people you are with, and the time you are with them. Avoid large gatherings. Do what you can to improve indoor ventilation by opening windows as much as you can. More fresh air means lower risk of infection. Wash hands frequently and clean surfaces often.

Get tested at the first sign of illness.

More information available at shorelinewa.gov/covid

145th Interchange Online Open House

Learn about the current challenges at the 145th and I-5 interchange and our plans to address those challenges. Share what’s important to you and provide your comments October 26 through November 20. Go to 145thInterchange.infocommunity.org

If you are unable to participate in the open house event, email Bob Earl, Shoreline Engineering Manager at bearl@shorelinewa.gov before November 20 to discuss the project, request mailed or emailed drawings and/or request a copy of the online open house.

For more information: shorelinewa.gov/145interchange

Recycling Workshop

Learn What Goes Where on Thursday November 5. 6:60-7:30pm online via Zoom. Become a recycling expert! Get tips and tricks to make recycling less confusing, easier and faster. More information is available at shorelinewa.gov/calendar

Public Reminders

The Planning Commission will meet on Thursday November 5 at 7:00pm via Zoom.

They will be discussing a Housing Choices Project to expand the types of housing in Shoreline by exploring the “missing middle” suite of options including cottages, tiny houses, vacation rentals and accessory dwelling units.

Council Reports

Mayor Hall: The Puget Sound Regional Council had its General Assembly. It was well attended by representatives of King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce Counties and the cities within them, along with the Ports and several Tribes. After good vigorous debate they adopted Vision 2050. One amendment that we and other cities opposed but passed anyway was the one allowing more growth in rural areas.

Go to the website for a copy of Vision 2050: psrc.org

Public Comment

Comments for the Public Hearings (Biennial Budget) will be heard under Action Items 8(a) and 8(b)

Derek Creisler, Shoreline: Thanked Council for funding the environmental mini grant program. Diggin' Shoreline used it to arrange for goats to clear off the area by the Interurban Trail where it crosses 192nd street. This might make a good location for another park. 

Speakers expressed their opinions about issues that they felt weren’t addressed by the enhanced shelter decision:
  • Nancy Morris, Shoreline
  • Jacqueline Kurle, Shoreline
  • Margaret Willson, Shoreline
  • Ed Jirsa, Shoreline
  • Diane Pfeil, Shoreline

Approval of the Agenda adopted by unanimous consent.

The Consent Calendar adopted unanimously by roll call vote. 6-0

Action Items

8(a) Public Hearing on the 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget with Special Emphasis on 2021 Regular and Excess Property Tax Levies, to be Set by Ordinance No. 902, and Other Revenues

Staff report was presented by Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director

The Biennial Budget is available online at the City’s website shorelinewa.gov
  • Click on Budget and CIP Policies under the Government Plan
  • Budget Books on CD available for purchase at City Hall


The City of Shoreline Proposition 1, which was approved by voters in 2016, allows the City to increase its property tax levy annually by the June-to-June percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue Area (CPI-U). When this is applied for 2021, it results in an increase of 0.87%. Since inflation is less than 1.0%, staff recommends a resolution of “substantial need” allowing it to increase the levy up to the full one percent (1.0%) as allowed by statute.

Public Hearing opened

Public testimony: None

Hearing closed

DISCUSSION

In order to maintain basic services, even if that meant increasing property taxes by inflation instead of just 1%, our community enthusiastically voted in favor of the 2016 Proposition 1.

In order to maintain the same level of basic services, we need to have staff draft a resolution of “substantial need” allowing us to increase the levy up to the full one percent (1.0%) as allowed by state statute. It’s a better approach than using part of our reserves since we have this option available to us.

No vote is scheduled for tonight. Council agrees to have staff bring the resolution forward.

8(b) Public Hearing on Ordinance No. 903 - 2021-2022 Proposed Biennial Budget and the 2021-2026 Capital Improvement Plan

Staff report by Sara Lane, Administrative Services Director



Public Works
presentation by Randy Witt, Public Works Director

There have been areas of continuous improvement in processes and equipment.

Public works provides a variety of services: road surface maintenance, right-of-way maintenance, grounds maintenance (newly added), wastewater (newly added), surface water, emergency response, asset inventory and management, and special events. They will now be responsible for durable pavement marking maintenance (crosswalks, turn arrows etc). This is expected to save the City $90k biennially and will eliminate the problems they have had contracting out this service. The one-time costs for equipment is estimated at $40.5k.

Surface Water Utility one-time budget changes

Early replacement of existing street sweeper

Vactor truck

Surface water rental and operation of down-fleeted wastewater vactor to clean sewer lines 


Wastewater Water Utility one-time supplemental budget changes

Sewer line rapid assessment tool


Data reconciliation of Ronald Sewer District records with the City's Sewer Line - Rapid Assessment Tool (SL-RAT), a portable onsite assessment tool that provides a sewer line blockage assessment in less than 3 minutes.

Capital Improvement Program presented by Tricia Juhnke, City Engineer

Several projects were quickly presented in Powerpoint.

Public Hearing opened

Public testimony: None

Hearing closed

DISCUSSION

I-976 funds (Transportation Benefit District Funds). How do we budget and allocate those funds? The City continued to collect them while they were being challenged in court.

Reply: We don’t need to amend the budget to collect the funds, but only when we use them. The program is budgeted, so it would be a choice of how you would want to appropriate those funds for transportation purposes.

Staff was asked by Councilmember Roberts to obtain the cost of 160’ of sidewalk on 200th from 25th Ave.NE along the Aldercrest Campus.

How were the Vehicle License Fees (VLF) allocated?

Reply: They were allocated 50% to annual road surface maintenance and 50% to sidewalk rehabilitation. We have enough for 2021 and into 2022 from VLF funds that were already collected.

Staff is asked whether or not CM Roberts’ request would move the priorities around putting the 160’ on 200th first in line. Staff to look into it.

Shoreline contracts with the King County Sheriff’s office for police staffing. King County has a number of vacancies in the Sheriff’s department, and they essentially allocate some of those vacancies to us. So even though we budgeted for 53 (now 54) police officers, we routinely have 3 to 5 vacancies at any given time. As a result we try to fill in with overtime which has cost implications. Also, while struggling with minimum staffing we face inconsistent police response when we have two major events at the same time.

We are looking at supportive services for times when the police may not be the solution to a given instance, but even with that, we are targeting one police officer for every 1,000 people.

If we want our community to benefit from having 54 officers, maybe we should authorize 58 police officers. After the Sheriff’s office allocation of 4 or 5 vacancies, we would then end up with 53 or 54 on the street. The missing officers will be still be vacancies but we would no longer have to rely on overtime because we would have 53 or 54 officers on the street.

This will be proposed to Chief Ledford for his feedback. Staff will look into other options to get closer to our desired staffing given the current reality.

Our level of service is important. We don’t want to be like other cities who are paying more in overtime than in regular salaries. We have to be financially responsible in staffing police and mental health professionals.

Study Items

9(a) Discussing Ordinance No. 904 - Amending the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget (Ordinance Nos. 841, 852, 854, 855, 861, 872, 883, 886)

Sara Lane continues with this staff report



Details are available in the staff report.

No discussion

Ordinance 904 will return on Consent Calendar for November 16.


9(b) Discussing Park Improvements and Property Acquisition Priorities and Funding

Christina Arcidy from the City Manager’s office made the presentation

Should the City move forward with a ballot measure for the April 2021 Special Election?

There are three main considerations:

COVID-19 economic impacts. Early impacts were severe with an unknown trajectory for recovery. Now we have a better sense of the impact in Shoreline. Unemployment has stabilized (although it remains relatively high), general fund tax revenues are higher than projected and the REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) income is overall positive.

Other potential ballot measures as listed below (the Harborview Bond was approved by voters)


Approval and Validation requirements

A bond measure requires a 60% “yes” vote to pass, and at least 40% of number of votes cast in the previous general election need to be cast in the special or primary election. King County Elections anticipates 90% turnout for this November 2020 general election. This results in a high, but not impossible bar.

What is the overall bond measure cost?


What park improvements and park land acquisitions should be included in a bond measure?

The staff improvements and estimated costs are outlined in the staff report.

The favored plan: Alternative 1a (Staff Recommendation) - $38.5M



This would place a 20-year $38.5M bond measure on the April 2021 Special Election ballot. As noted above, this alternative includes in the ballot measure $19.2M for the four priority parks that were included in the 2019 Proposition; $5.3M for park amenity improvements at James Keough, Town Center, Ridgecrest, Shoreview parks and Kruckeberg Botanic Garden; $10M for park land acquisition; and $4.0M in improvements on newly acquired park land.

Staff recommends a bond measure of 20 years for $38.5M for the April 27 Special Election. Staff has looked at alternatives shown in the staff notes.

DISCUSSION

Enthusiastic response to proposed improvements to various parks and moving forward in April 2021 for $38.5M and 20 years.

What is the timing of the art installation at Park At Town Center?

Reply: The ground has been prepared so probably early spring.

Would like to see the park improvements to support the installation of the artwork.

Would like to see more money spent on James Keogh Park by shaving off some of the amenities at the other parks. There are concerns about spending too much on Keogh. It is right on the freeway and on a dead end road. Bad location. It will never be an active park no matter what investment is made. Perfect for a dog park. Hard to hear due to the I-5 traffic. Maybe Sound Transit can plant some of their trees in this park to act as a sound buffer. It would also help the neighborhood and make the park more attractive as drivers pass by on the freeway. Trees are a great visual buffer. But they aren’t a very effective noise barrier which is why WSDOT uses sound walls. Off leash dog park people will wear headphones. And there be part of it for a small park for kids.

We need to be concerned about validation. Hope staff will be able to get the actual number. We almost always meet it but not always, and it’s not free to run a ballot measure. There will be costs, and debates, and a lot of work for staff, committees pro and con. We don’t want to set up the vote only to not have it validated. Just pencilling it out, we have 40k registered voters in Shoreline so we would need 15k voters for validation. 15k voters would really put us close based on historical trends. We need to schedule the vote when most people will participate. Validation requirement will be there until next the general election in November 2021. If we don’t go in April 2021, then we would have to wait until April 2022. That would leave us with a year when no parks tax is collected. Then it wouldn’t be a renewal, but a new measure.

We have had community support for parks so don’t think saying this is a renewal or not is going to weigh heavily on most voters' minds. They will either want to invest in our parks or not. Safest way is wait until November.

We have until late November or early December, when we have the actual validation numbers, to discuss moving forward this April.

We need to prioritize the levy lid lift to make sure that it passes. It goes to maintenance of parks. If the levy lid lift doesn’t pass, we need to think about how would pay for park maintenance.

There was loss of some of the baseball fields. The Shoreline Little League had conversations with Eric Friedli who had made some assurances to the Little League that the second field in Richmond Highlands could be saved. This should be looked at as we move forward. We need to get an update to see what their current field needs are.

Trails along the creek in Boeing Creek Park are terrible. People going around them creating damage and erosion. Besides the damage to the park, this could be a liability issue.

Can’t see spending a lot on Rotary Park 910 NE 185th St. It won’t be used unless it has a lot of expansion.

Park acquisitions have to remain part of the conversation because those opportunities don’t often come up and the longer we wait the more it will cost.

Meeting adjourned.



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Autumn leaves

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Photo by Jan Hansen


At least we had a few days to pretend we could compete with New England for beautiful fall colors. Now the rain and wind have come and the trees are being stripped. Jan Hansen captured these while they were still on the vine.




 

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Week 5 of the 4-Corners fund raiser for Hopelink: sharing our good fortune with those that need help

Wow, we have been swept off our feet with the kindness and generosity of our neighbors. 

People have stepped up with big hearted, unstinting donations to the 4-Corners fund raiser for Hopelink.  
During the month of October we have received more than $12,000 dollars.

This is more than double the goal we set.

http://fundraise.hope-link.org/4Corners

This is a substantial amount to help distressed families in Shoreline. We are so proud to live here with such generous people.

There is still much need however, and we have decided to continue our fund drive through the holidays. 

Hopelink’s shelves will need a lot more to see people through the dark months of winter and to help with holiday meals. Consider giving a small amount each month for a few months. It is a safe secure way to share our good fortune with those that need help now.

http://fundraise.hope-link.org/4Corners

This is a worthwhile endeavor and you can be part of it. Donate something, whatever you can, today.



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Big buck came to dinner

"I'm busy eating your foliage. I'll pose in a minute."
Photo by Dave Neander


By Brenda Mallet

Big Buck came to dinner. 

I was walking down our garden path and suddenly this big buck came bounding across our yard in front of me.

Try everything once. Photo by Dave Neander

He crossed 15th and most likely entered the next ravine. Luckily our neighbor got good photos!!

The buck is fairly far from home but it's not the first time a deer has walked the streets of Innis Arden.

We are at the corner of 15th NW and NW 185th. This is the largest one I’ve seen here.



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Case updates November 2, 2020

Case updates November 2, 2020

United States
  • cases 9,268,818 - 86,190 cases since yesterday
  • deaths 230,893 - 510 deaths since yesterday
Washington state - *DOH does not report deaths on the weekend
  • cases 110,011 - 657 since last report
  • hospitalizations 8,675 - 41 since yesterday
  • deaths* 2,400 -  22 since last report
King county
  • cases 28,389 - 127 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 2,599 - 5 since yesterday
  • deaths 809 - 3 since yesterday
Shoreline - population 56,752 (2018)
  • cases 703 - 1 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 110 - 0 new
  • deaths 65 -  -1 new
Lake Forest Park - 13,569 (2018)
  • cases 87 - 0 since yesterday
  • hospitalizations 4 - 0 since yesterday
  • deaths 1 - 0 new

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Executive Constantine releases statement on approval of Harborview bond measure

Tuesday, November 3, 2020


King County Executive Dow Constantine released the following statement on the $1.74 billion Harborview Medical Center bond measure after King County Elections posted that it was passing by 77 percent of the vote in early returns:

"While there are still many votes to be counted, I thank the voters of King County for their support for Harborview Medical Center. 
"These investments will ensure that our region continues to be the best place in the country to receive emergency medical care, and needed seismic upgrades will protect the lives of patients, employees, and visitors to Harborview. 
"Besides helping people with behavioral health needs and better preparing the region to fight pandemics, the measure creates thousands of family-wage construction jobs at a time when our region needs them the most.

"Every generation has stepped up to support Harborview Medical Center. I am proud that this generation is no different."



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With few exceptions most incumbents on our ballots win handily


Considering the lopsided results in the primary election, it is no surprise that most incumbents on our ballots won re-election.

The 46th legislative district includes Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, and Lake City as well as a large section of northeast Seattle.

Rep. Gerry Pollet and Rep. Javier Valdez handily won re-election to the state legislature.

In the 32nd legislative district which includes Shoreline and part of south Snohomish county, Rep. Cindy Ryu and Rep. Lauren Davis will continue their work in Olympia.

Congressmember Pramila Jayapal will continue to represent the 7th congressional district in the Federal House of Representatives.

At the state level, these were the winners / leaders:
  • Governor Jay Inslee will serve a third term.
  • Lt. Governor - in this open seat, Denny Heck leads Marko Liias by a wide margin
  • Secretary of State Kim Wyman narrowly leads challenger Gael Tarleton 52 - 48%
  • State Treasurer incumbent Duane Davidson seems headed for defeat by Mike Pellicciotti
  • State Auditor Patrice McCarthy
  • Attorney General Bob Ferguson
  • Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz
  • Superintendent of Public Schools Chris Reykdal fended off a challenger to continue overseeing Washington's schools.
  • Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler


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Senior Center spaghetti dinner is a sell-out - next event Cinnamon buns and cocoa


Shoreline/Lake Forest Park Senior Center thanks everyone who came out on a beautiful fall evening to enjoy the sold out Trick or Treat Spaghetti Dinner.


On November 21st the Cinnamon Bear will be serving cinnamon buns and cocoa from 9 – 11am (or when sold out). So get in line early at the Senior Center for some gooey deliciousness to start your weekend.



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