Ballot boxes are open 24x7 until 8pm on Election Day, Nov 3rd. Every election, some ballots are rejected. Sometimes that's due to a missing signature or changed handwriting. You can track your ballot and address any issues with your signature, if necessary. In the August primary, a record number of mail-in ballots were disqualified due to changes to US Postal Service postmarking protocols that delay postmarking. KUOW reported that for the August 2026 primary in Washington State, the rate of ballots that were rejected for late postmarks increased by 32%, as compared to the August 2024 primary.

To eliminate the risk of your vote not getting counted due to mail processing changes, find a ballot drop box (there are now three in Kirkland!) to use instead of your mailbox, especially if you are voting close to election day.

The City Council held a study session to decide the scope of the Middle Housing Focused Optimization project scheduled for this year through mid 2027. Councilmembers Tymczyszyn, Arnold, Prem, Falcone, Pascal, Black, and Curtis all expressed support for some form of Option 2, which would look at adjusting Floor Area Ratio (FAR) standards for middle housing to make it easier to include more units in middle housing projects. There was also broad support for Option 1, which is streamlining existing standards to improve consistency and clarity, separate from major regulatory changes. There was also support for Option 3 which would seek to incentivize retaining existing homes during re-development, and promote site designs suitable for aging in place. However, Mayor Curtis cautioned that this could take longer than other options. Deputy Mayor Black did not raise concerns with Option 3 in particular, but stressed that his priority is for this project to be completed quickly and create simple regulations.

Now that the City Council has weighed in on the scope of this project, the Planning Commission is scheduled to take a first look at possible changes in their November 12th meeting. It’s worth noting that the concepts in Options 1, 2, and 3 were included in the original description of the project in the Planning Work Program as developed by the Planning Commission. The City Council requires that project scopes be discussed in meetings by the City Council before the Planning Commission starts deliberation, adding an extra meeting to the process. Ultimately, the City Council seems to support the original concept for the project.

The City Council held two highly attended public hearings on resolutions opposing statewide ballot measures I-638 (concerning athletic participation at K-12 schools) and I-001 (concerning parental rights and student confidentiality). Following extensive public testimony from youth, medical professionals, and community advocates highlighting potential harms and administrative burdens, the council voted 6-1 to adopt Resolutions R-5748 and R-5749 opposing both initiatives. Councilmember Pascal opposed the resolutions saying “I want to be clear that I am not suggesting anyone should stay silent on these important issues. We are all free to express our personal views.” Notably, Councilmember Pascal didn’t state his position on whether he thinks the initiatives should be approved or rejected.

Council reviewed staff options for establishing a shared micromobility program (such as Lime) in Kirkland. Recognizing the upcoming opening of Stride BRT and rapid transit lines, the council approved a motion by Deputy Mayor Black to commence a due diligence process, consult with the transportation commission, and return with implementation options in or around late 2027, subject to budget discussions and available resources.

The City Council voted 5 - 1 in favor of Staff returning with options for an incentive approach to helmet use, and conducting further engagement. Councilmembers Arnold, Falcone, Pascal, Black and Curtis voted in favor, while Councilmember Prem voted against.

Councilmember Prem, who proposed the Legislative Request Memo (LRM), expressed that there are many formal and informal education resources out there, but it’s not having enough effect. She supports adopting an ordinance to require helmet use. Deputy Mayor Black does support the idea of an ordinance as well, but he deferred to the opinion of the Council that another approach may be more effective.

All Councilmembers agreed that riders should use helmets. However, they were wary of the possible other impacts of such an ordinance and unsure if an enforcement based approach would be the best way to increase helmet usage. While several cities and counties in Washington do have helmet laws, Councilmember Arnold noted that some have been repealed within the last 10 years, evidence that this has been discussed at length in the region.

Regarding lot coverage, the City Council voted 6 - 0 in favor of City Staff developing options for simple changes to lot coverage in the Holmes Point Overlay. The lot coverage won’t exceed 50% (which is the standard elsewhere in Kirkland), but it might be as low as 40%. Today in Holmes Point, the first 6,500 sq. ft. of a property can have a lot coverage of 40%, but any area above 6,500 sq. ft. gets lot coverage at a lower percentage.

Regarding tree removals, the City Council voted 6 - 0 in favor of City Staff presenting options to either make the tree removal allowance in the Holmes Point Overlay the same as the rest of Kirkland, or to allow tree removals at half the rate of the rest of Kirkland (i.e. 1 per year). Today in Holmes Point, trees can only be removed if they are hazards, or if they need to be removed for construction.

Councilmembers noted discussions they have had with residents of the area in question, and the comments the City has received from the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance and others. They also noted that critical area requirements for slopes, streams and wetlands will still override any increases to lot coverage or tree removals. In other words, there are many other factors in Holmes Point that will limit how much development can occur or how many trees can be removed.

The City’s biennial budget process is starting up with a special meeting scheduled Thursday, October 29th. For more information, see the City’s website which has the preliminary budget as well as information on the process.

The Planning Commission had a lengthy discussion about concepts laid out by Staff in the packet, ranging from the goal and purpose of neighborhood commercial to specific allowed uses and scales. The Planning Commission largely agreed with the concept in the meeting packet, but there were some key differences and decision points.

Commissioners supported loosening many regulations for home occupations, particularly those that were difficult to enforce anyways. Commissioners shared anecdotes about many types of home-based activities that have a commerce component, but fly under the radar and are beneficial to the neighborhood.

The Planning Commission agreed with a two-tier approach to Neighborhood Commercial. Tier 1 would be allowed anywhere in the city, like how Home Occupations are today. Tier 1 would allow customer-facing spaces up to 500 sq. ft., while tier 2 could allow up to 1,200 sq. ft. Tier 2 would only be allowed in certain places in the city, likely within a quarter mile of higher density zones, parks, or schools.

The dividing line between home occupation and neighborhood commercial is still somewhat fuzzy, but being appointment based vs drop-in seemed like a possible indicator. Commissioners supported having clear and enforceable standards, and leaning on existing regulations around nuisances, noise, glare, and light to prevent bad behavior. Commissioners warned that enacting too many requirements could rule out businesses that would otherwise not be objectionable.

Staff suggested limiting business types that are less about “daily needs” to tier 2, but the Commission supported having a unified list of allowed uses for simplicity. There was discussion about wanting to make the list of allowed uses to be pretty broad, again relying on other regulations to limit any impacts.

The only prohibited uses that arose during discussion were for age-restricted products and businesses. However, alcohol is a special case. Commissioners supported allowing alcohol service (i.e. consumption on-site), especially after Staff explained the State’s licensing and noticing process. Sales for off-site consumption raised concerns and probably won’t be allowed, though commissioners seemed ok with limited sales at something like a corner store which sells other products.

Commissioners are in favor of requiring some form of residence on-site, though there was not a consensus on the parameters. There was an expressed desire to have someone connected to the business live on-site, with the goal of having “skin in the game” and making sure the business meshes well with the neighborhood. However, there was doubt that such a requirement could actually be enforced. There didn’t seem to be a strong preference for requiring the commercial use to be “accessory” (i.e. smaller than the residential use). There was also no support for allowing commercial to be the only use at any given property in these low density zones, at least not now.

Now that some details of the concept have been ironed out, staff will return with an initial draft of code amendments at the December 10th meeting. The City will then hold an open house about the project in early 2027, and the Planning Commission will then hold a public hearing. The City Council could take action to adopt the changes in mid-2027 if things go to plan, though they will likely have a check-in before then.

Every time we turn on a faucet, flip a light switch, or board a bus, we rely on vast networks working behind the scenes. In our November pick, How Infrastructure Works: Inside the Systems That Shape Our World, materials scientist Deb Chachra takes us on a fascinating tour of these hidden utilities—revealing them as the ultimate physical manifestation of our social contract. But as climate change and decades of neglect strain these systems, the burden of failure falls disproportionately on marginalized communities. Chachra maps out a clear path for seeing, transforming, and rebuilding our shared infrastructure so it works equitably and sustainably for everyone.

Even if you haven’t read the full book, all are welcome to join. If you’re short on time or prefer other formats, keep an eye on our book club page for alternate resources like videos or podcasts to get up to speed before the meetup. We hope to see you there!

The City of Kirkland is running a community survey to choose the final wayfinding signage logo for the Green Loop corridor. After feedback during earlier design rounds, community members can now weigh in on the final candidate designs to help shape the identity and navigation of our local active transportation network.

Liveable Kirkland was one of 110 organizations to sign on to a letter to Governor Ferguson expressing concerns over the unlawful disclosure of Washington driver and vehicle information for immigration enforcement purposes. Additional safeguards are needed to protect Washington residents' data.

"What we're seeing is not an abstract policy debate. It's families losing income, children losing parents, and entire communities living with fear and uncertainty," said David Morales of the Yakima Immigrant Response Network.

Washington residents should be able to trust that information provided to state agencies will not be used in ways that undermine protections established under Washington law.

"Washington residents entrust the Department of Licensing with some of their most sensitive personal information, yet existing safeguards have repeatedly failed to prevent that information from being accessed and used for unlawful purposes, including racial profiling and enforcement of civil immigration laws by brutal means ", said Mark Bowers, an attorney with Columbia Legal Services representing Eastside For All.

Check out the press release here.

Join Liveable Kirkland in a conversation about our city’s present and future! We have an active community on Discord and Facebook and we’d love it if you joined in too!

(And if you add a picture you took to #photos on Discord it might get featured in next week’s issue!)

Additional stories, articles, and media for those who want a little more.