Redmond today is a community of 55,000 residents and almost 90,000 jobs. As Mayor, my primary focus is on our local community but many of our challenges require collaborative working relationships with other players in our region. Transportation and economic development are regional concerns, and Redmond is best served when its elected leaders partner with others who share our interests to ensure our community needs are met. Our citizen surveys

have consistently emphasized traffic and growth as top concerns – issues that transcend our city borders and whose solutions require we work with other communities and regional, state and federal agencies to get the job done. This is a significant and growing part of your local leaders’ responsibilities, and one I welcome as Mayor to deliver on the issues and services important to you. From Sound Transit and transportation infrastructure investments to growing jobs and our local innovation economy, I and members of the Redmond City Council work with neighboring cities and regional agencies to advance the issues important to Redmond. Beyond King County, Redmond works with elected representatives in Olympia to secure transportation and infrastructure investments for our urban centers in Downtown and Overlake, and to ensure local agencies have the tools they need to address community priorities. Statewide, Redmond has led the formation of the Washington Tech Cities Coalition, leaders focused on supporting our shared priorities of competitiveness, education and infrastructure – all in support of the tech industries that make our cities work. Taken together, these regional and statewide efforts and initiatives further our local interests and demonstrate the merits of thinking globally while acting locally for our Redmond community!

John MarchioneRedmond Mayor

Redmond

$5 million

508

Grant to help fund Overlake

Ped-Bike Bridge

Year inReview

Volume XXVII No 1 Spring 2014

2013

Live. Play. Work. Invest.

Trees planted

Redmond Lights attendees

10,000+

Advancing Innovation

Overlake

South Detention Stormwater Vault The project will be the first regional facility to serve Overlake and is one of three large underground stormwa-ter facilities scheduled for construction. The effort will be constructed in two phases:

The first phase, involving the relocation of storm-water facilities and power service, was completed in 2013. Phase two – constructing the vault and restoring parking atop the vault lid – is scheduled to begin this spring and meet completion in 2015.

Visioning the Future

Overlake today is the third largest employment center in the Puget Sound region, with about 46,000 jobs and a mix of office, commercial and residential land uses. The neighborhood is already an important hub of activity on the East-side, with immediate access to and from SR-520 and public transit service to Downtown Redmond, Downtown Bellevue, and Seattle. Redmond has adopted an ambitious vision to enhance these assets by making plans to accommodate significant urban growth in the Overlake area. When these plans are realized, thousands of new residents and employees will enjoy safe, convenient access to their jobs, a wide variety of restaurant and retail offerings, and a diverse array of other amenities and services.

152nd Ave NE Rain Garden Facilities As part of the City’s efforts to improve stormwater mitigation in Overlake, the Rain Garden projects were created to:• Treat urban runoff & pro-

tect downstream creeks • Provide a more attractive

& pedestrian-friendly streetscape

Work on the projects, which spanned 151st Place NE and 152nd Avenue NE, was completed fall 2013.

In 2013, the City continued to make strides in the development of two major urban projects, Downtown and Overlake – both designed to accommodate future growth, stimu-late economic vitality and enhance quality of life for Redmond residents and businesses.

Strengthened by a collaborative vision for success – along with environmental stewardship and smart investments in infrastruc-ture – the City of Redmond is positioning Overlake Village and the Overlake Neighborhood as a model for sustainable development.

Completed improvements:• pedestrian ramps • bike lanes• Intersection adjust-

ments at NE 24th St. to enhance safety

2

Overlake Village Park Capstone Partners and the City of Redmond hosted a series of public forums in late 2013, designed to encourage discussion and feedback on plans for a new urban park project. The park will be built at the center of a master planned private development on the former Group Health Site. The developer, Capstone Partners, will build and main-tain the public park, and the City will provide programming.

For more information about Overlake visit: www.redmond.gov/overlake

Overlake Ped-Bike BridgeIn December 2013, the City received final approval from the Puget Sound Regional Council for a $5 million grant to help fund the Overlake Pedestrian-Bike Bridge at Overlake Village. The project will be funded by the City and constructed by Sound Transit.

East Link Light Rail Project Sound Transit and City staff hosted an open house in November 2013 that debuted design concepts for the Over-lake segment of the East Link light rail extension. The project is part of the extensive Link Light Rail project, which begins construction in 2015 and is tar-geted for completion in 2023.

70,000JOBS

2030 forecast 16,000

living in Overlake

The endeavor will pro-vide a fast, frequent and reliable connection from the Eastside’s biggest population and employ-ment centers to down-town Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport and the Universi-ty of Washington.

Two stations – located in Overlake Village and at the Overlake Transit Center – will serve Redmond.

Capstone is working tofinalize the project’s design and will unveil renderings to the public in 2014.

The bridge connects the future East Link station and surrounding area in Overlake Village on the south side of the freeway with the 520 Regional Trail and the surround-ing office and housing developments on the freeway’s north side.

Construction begins: 2015Completion target: 2023

82Overlake Walkability Score

2 Light Rail

Stations in 2023

3

Cleveland St

Beark Creek PKWY

164t

h A

ve N

E

161t

h A

ve N

E

Redmond Way

Downtown Redmond is an essential piece of our community’s overall eco-nomic vitality, representing a major component of both public and private investment. Several projects compris-ing the revitalization of downtown will ensure the City’s amenities will continue to be integrated with green spaces, rec-reational opportunities and an infra-structure engineered to help downtown businesses thrive.

Grand opening of the Redmond Central Connector Phase I The first one-mile segment runs from Bear Creek Trail to Sammamish River Trail parallel to Cleveland Street and Red-mond Town Center.

Expanded Parking Downtown parking has expanded to provide more options for City residents, visitors and the business community.

Find the monitored parking area map at: redmond.gov/transportation/ downtownparking.

Downtown Park Design Consultant Selected

• With the community’s input, a design consultant was selected last year to create the Down-town Park.

• The City is now focused on initial park design concepts.

• Located on 161st Avenue NE and bordered by Redmond Way and Cleveland Street, the two-acre space will be a gathering spot for arts, music, family events and more.

• The plan is to establish an award-winning park with a heavy art element, complete with multi-use gathering plac-es, making Downtown an urban oasis and key destination.

Downtown

What’s Next

The Bear Creek Parkway extension opened for traffic

The Redmond Central Connector Phase 1 opened

The City selected a design consultant for the Downtown Park with the community’s input

For more information about downtown visit: www.redmond.gov/downtown For more information about the environment visit: www.redmond.gov/environment

Everyone Has a Stake in Downtown Park Be a part of the Downtown park design selection process and claim your stake in providing feedback. The first community participation meeting was held on February 19, and the next meeting will take place this summer. To get involved, go to redmond.gov/downtownPark.

Cleveland Streetscape Improvements Enhances the the heart of downtown by widening sidewalks, improving the street, and preparing for two-way street operation. Located in the heart of the historic downtown, between the future Downtown Park and the Redmond Central Connector Trail, Cleveland Street will become the new “main street” of downtown and will serve as a main hub of activity.

Enhancements include:• Expansion to the

City’s monitored parking program

• New downtown paid parking lotThe Connector when fully

completed will be a key destination in downtown featuring integrated art and landscaping. Small parks and public art will be set along the trail.

To learn more and see how you can be part of the design process go to

redmond.gov/downtownPark

4

Environment & Naturally Redmond

64.6%

Recycling Rate

Commercial

31.9%

Multi-Family

16.9%

The City successfully demonstrated its ongoing commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable practices through a wide variety of programs, investments and initiatives last year.

This program recycled

(448 tons) of food/organics last year, a 49% increase in tonnage from 2012.

Commercial Organics Recycling Program

50%of businesses that have significant organic waste participated (141 of 278).

8 new multi-family complexes (repre-senting 428 units)

joined the endeavor, bringing the total to 19 participating complexes.

Waste Reduction and Recycling Year after year, Redmond ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in waste reduction and recycling efforts:

896,000 pounds

Green Redmond Partnership A successful collaboration between the City of Redmond and Forterra, the Green Redmond Partnership celebrated its 5th year in 2013. The Partnership currently has 12 active Forest Stew-ard volunteers leading community-wide events. Since its inception, the endeavor enrolled more than 258 acres into restoration

Residential

For more information about the environment visit: www.redmond.gov/environment

Re-Energize Your Lighting Event In conjunction with Puget Sound Energy, the City held its annual Re-Energize Your Lighting event in fall 2013 (open to both City employees and residents).

1,814 energy-efficient light bulbs (CFLs & LEDs) were purchased at the event

$77,571

508 trees planted

savings inreplacement

costs

$7,705savings in

electricity costs

Approximate savings during the bulbs’ lifespan:

5

Bear Creek RehabilitationIn an effort to restore Chinook and other Salmon runs to the entire Bear Creek system, the City of Redmond is in the process of implementing a floodplain restoration project at Lower Bear Creek.

2014 Garbage RatesSince last year, the City of Redmond has been offering a new 10-gallon micro-can as its smallest garbage container for single-family residents, available through Waste Management. Single-family residents interested in downsizing their garbage container may contact Waste Management at 1.800.592.9995. Downsizing your garbage container will not affect the size of your recycling or yard waste container.

The 2014 rates for Redmond single-family garbage, recycling and yard waste service listed do not include any city, county and state taxes or fees, which will be added to the Waste Management fee on your quarterly bill. Call Waste Management at 1.800.592.9995 if you have any questions.

Service Level Waste Management Rates ONLY

Monthly Service: One 35-Gallon Can $5.09 Weekly Service: One 10-Gallon Can $7.06One 20-Gallon Can $9.04 One 35-Gallon. Can $12.81 One 64-Gallon Cart $25.43 One 96-Gallon Cart $40.52 Recycling & Yard Debris Only $5.09

R-TRIPRedmond residents and employees used more sustainable methods of traveling last year, making a huge impact on not only Redmond’s economy, but on their own personal health and budget as well. From vanpools (65,516 trips reduced) to bus use (255,737 trips reduced),

Cascade Water Alliance is of-fering free gardening classes to help you have beautiful, healthy landscapes while using water efficiently. Secrets of Companion Planting in Your Edible Garden Laura Matter & Carey Thornton, Seattle TilthThursday, March 20 7:00 - 8:30 pmbrownpapertickets.com/event/530947 Doing it Right the First Time – Successful Garden DesignMeghan Fuller, HorticulturistThursday, March 6 7:00 - 8:30 pmbrownpapertickets.com/event/530962

Classes LocationRedmond Senior Center, 8703 160th Ave NE, Redmond

More info:1.800.838.3006.

Free

Gardening Classes

of native trees and shrubs will be planted

14 acres

Completion Date 2014

The project is scheduled for full completion this year and will include the remaining in-stream channel construction elements and planting more than 14 acres of native trees and shrubs.

Phase 1 of the project was completed last year and featured construction of more than 1,000 feet of new channel – including logs, boulders and streambed gravel.

2013 A partnership between the City and the WSDOT

R-TRIP users collectively reduced a total of 598,663 trips.

6

SuStainability PledgeTake the pledge to create a list of actions you’re willing to

take to make Redmond a cleaner and greener community for you, your neighbors, and wildlife. For more ideas about living

green visit www.ImpactRedmond.com

For a limited time, when you take the pledge you get a free EcoKit including:Reusable stainless steel bottle • Reusable shopping bag

Think Redmond discount card • Faucet aerator • Much, much more!

Complete the pledge, send in your information, and an EcoKit will be mailed directly to you.

Please circle all of the small, medium and large actions you are willing to take. (Please choose at least five, and the more the better!)

CuT hERE

Thank you for pledging! Keep the pledge above and post it where it will remind you of the actions you’ve committed to take. Send this portion to: EcoKit, City of Redmond, MS:2NPW, PO Box 97010, Redmond, WA 98073

I pledged: _______# of Small Actions _______# of Medium Actions _______# of Large Actions

Name___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________________________ Zip Code_______________

Email:____________________________________________________________________________________________________

By receiving an EcoKit, I agree to take an email survey about my use of the tools in the kit.

PLEdgE SIgNATuRE: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Check here ONLY if you DO NOT want to receive an EcoKit. Please note, EcoKits are available only to those residents living within Redmond city limits (zip code 98052). EcoKits are paid for in part by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

At Work

• Print double-sided to conserve paper

• Recycle

• go paperless whenever possible

• Bring reusable dishware and utensils from home

• Recycle office printer toner cartridges

Getting Around Town

• Register online at goRTRIP.com

• Research local transit routes

• Combine errands to reduce number of car trips

• Commute without my car a minimum of once a week

• Telework

My Lifestyle

• use a reusable bottle or mug for drinks

• Visit the website ThinkRedmond.com and buy local

• use fewer napkins

• Take a reusable bag to the store

• Buy fruits and vegetables in season

In the Homeand Garden

• Turn off the lights when I leave a room

• Turn off the faucet when I brush my teeth

• Compost food in my yard waste bin

• Swap incandescent bulbs for CFLs

• Start a food garden

Get aFree

EcoKit! Reusable coffee cup

7

Recreation Buildings Master Plan It is the City’s overall vision to create a dynamic urban core that will become a hub for recreational, social, cultural arts and community-friendly events.

A community visioning process began last year to conduct the master plan study and create conceptual designs. The City shared concepts for the Recreation Building plans at two community meetings and held public discussions for input on the importance of and priorities for: The Redmond Senior Center, Old Fire House Teen Center, Redmond Pool at Hartman Park, and Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center.

The City of Redmond’s vibrant arts and culture scene attracts many visitors and residents each year. From cutting-edge art exhibitions and spectacular concert performances, to traditional cultural celebrations and historical landmarks, the City offers a symphony of rich talent.

Community engagement is a significant part of the City’s vision. En-gagement is woven into the numerous services we provide through community outreach and event programming and will continue to strengthen the ties to our neighborhoods, business communities and residents.

Creating Community

2013 MilestonesCity staff had an active year facilitating dialogue with hundreds of residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to advance community participation and input regarding...

Neighborhood Planning

The Recreation Master Plan

Public Art Master Plan

Cultural & Musical Events

“My two favorite City accomplishments from last year are the dedication of the Erratic sculpture, and the passage of the change of our Commission’s name to the Arts & Culture Commission. The Redmond Arts & Culture Commission is better aligned with City Council than in any year in recent memory.”Robert Leavitt, Arts & Culture Commissioner

8

Did you know...

3,000 steel railroad plates were used to build The Erratic sculpture (recycled material)

55 block parties featuring

more than 2,000 citizens participated

in National Night Out

1,876 hours were logged by 378 volunteers during Derby Days, Redmond Lighs & Eggstravaganza

residents completed Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

training

3,500 recreation programs were

offered by the City

We all shape the City we live in. Get involved by attending a Council meeting, volunteering at a park, joining an advisory group or commis-sion, or the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)! These are just some of the things you can do to get involved in your City and community. The City of Redmond offers a wide variety of programs and initiatives to help you.

Get Involved!!

Participate and Help Shape the Vision!

Get involved in the Downtown Park design process.

Visitredmond.gov/downtownPark

Give us Your Feedback!

fill out the citizen survey at

redmond.gov/ citizensurvey2014

Learn about volunteering

opportunities atredmond.gov/

volunteer

Southeast Redmond NeighborhoodA Citizen Advisory Committee recommended a set of plan policies that address the long-term evolution of the neighborhood, including:

• Recognizing the impor-tance of Redmond’s groundwater and surface water and supporting City-wide plans and policies to protect them

• Planning for new resi-dential and employment opportunities north of Woodbridge

• Improving mobility by planning for new motor-ized and non-motorized connections

• Prioritizing transportation corridors for efficient heavy-duty truck travel & freight transit

• Completing planned trail connections & developing existing parks

2,000attendees enjoyed a

weekend of more than 15 performances at Redmond’s Acts Out

111

more than

“City Planners continued their ex-traordinary effort in 2013 to engage the community. I’m particularly impressed with the outreach and citizen participation effort in the update of the Southeast Redmond Neighborhood plan.”

Franz Gregory, Planning Commissioner Chair

9

Innovating for the FutureThe City invested in eight innovation projects across a broad range of operations that reduced costs and staff time, built in new revenue, and added safety measures.

• Leaves collected are disposed as organic compost and con-verted into such reusable prod-ucts as fertilizer. In contrast, debris collected by traditional street sweepers is shipped to landfills as hazardous material.

• Effective leaf collection is necessary for responsible maintenance of City parks, street trees and open areas. Uncollected leaves block storm drains, causing flooding, and also interfere with sidewalks and bike lanes.

• Disposing of leaves as organic compost is not only ecologically friendly, but it incurs no additional costs for the City.

Leaf Vacuum: One of the City’s most successful innovations in 2013 was the introduc-tion of the Leaf Vacuum, an efficient and cost-effective replacement for traditional street sweepers.

$8,250 saved on disposal in 2013

300cubic yards of leaves collected

between September-November 2013

• cloud testing & developing

• $90 K potential savings

• more reliable applications & upgrades for web users

• year-round horseback arena

• increased safety and reduced risk

• projected increase yearly revenue by $15 - $20 K

• improved snow & ice mitigation

• safer commute for residents and visitors

• increased equipment longevity

• direct access for community to talk with City representatives

• share ideas, list concerns & get timely answers

• detects counterfeit bills

• reduces poten-tial human error

• over 40hrs/year saved for cashier

• reduces over-time & over/under staffing

• respond to changing demands faster

• ensures compli-ance with union & labor rules

EquestrianSpace

Cloud Resources

LiquidDe-Icing

Ideascale

CurrencyCounter

EmergencyResponse

SchedulingSoftware

$• volunteer

recruitment tool• saves more than

50% staff time• increase number

of volunteers• improves

customer service & timely interaction

• improves com-munications with Emergency Communica-tions Center & partners

• view live news feeds & real-time traffic cameras

Shiftboard

Innovation Highlight: Equestrian Space

Staff at Farrel McWhirter Park made improvements to the Equestrian Space with innovation funds. The improvements included an all-weath-er recycled rubber mix, straightening of fences for rider safety, and overhead lighting. As a result of the new lighting improvements, the City can now hold evening classes that will allow avid horse enthusiasts more opportunities for riding lessons, as well as offer more rentals throughout the year.

Watch a video of all these innovations at redmond.gov/Videos10

Built Green Hammer Award The City was selected as the 2013 Built Green Hammer Award winner in the Built Green program’s Advocate, Public Sector category. The award was presented at the 2013 Built Green Conference, held at the Brightwater Education Center in Woodinville, WA.

The City of Redmond was also recognized three times this past year with awards for its Digital Planning and Development Suite which con-sists of Redmond’s digital Compre-hensive Plan, E-Zoning Code and Property Viewer, and E-Track online permit portal. The suite provides a new level of transparency and access to planning and development information for all customers.

VISION 2040 Award The Puget Sound Regional Council awarded for promoting a livable region by helping to implement the regional growth management, economic & transportation strategy.

Governor’s Smart Communities Award The Washington State Depart-ment of Commerce awarded a Judge’s Merit Award in the Governor’s Smart Communities program.

APA & PAW Award The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and the Planning Associa-tion of Washington (PAW) awarded for outstanding contributions.

Awards RCTV

Get Social

Redmond City Television (RCTV) was created in 1996 as a comprehensive and convenient way for residents to receive information about issues, services and events within Redmond.

There are two channel options:

RCTV: Available on Comcast channel 21 and Frontier chan-nel 34, and streamed live at http://bit.ly/RCTVlive. RCTV cablecasts live coverage and replays of City Council and Planning Commission meetings, as well as other City-relat-ed programming.

RCTV Arts: Available on Comcast channel 75 and Frontier channel 35. RCTV Arts highlights the City’s vast library of Arts in the Parks concerts, as well as other art-related programming.

Common to each option is the RCTV ReaderBoard, which cycles 24/7 between scheduled programming. The Read-erBoard includes a Community Calendar and a variety of information, such as City initiatives, events, departments, boards and commissions, videos and public hearing notices.

NewsJet: A new addition to the Readerboard section, NewsJet overlays news from a variety of sources, gath-ering information related to everything from a Redmond three-day weather forecast to tweets from the City’s Twitter account. New background music has been added as well.

Also, don’t forget to visit our social media sites for the most up-to-date City-related news and events:

@CityofRedmond

www.facebook.com/CityofRedmond

www.youtube.com/CityofRedmond

Digital Planning and Development Suite Awards:

11

The City of RedmondOffice of the Mayor - Communications15670 NE 85th StreetRedmond WA 98073-9710

E C R W S SPostal Customer

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDJR Mailing

Services Inc.

City of Redmond | Office of Communications | communications@redmond.govwww.redmond.gov

Looking Back, Moving ForwardHank Margeson, 2014 Council President:

As incoming Council President, Hank Margeson is excited about what 2014 holds, particularly after witnessing the emergence of the City’s ambitious Downtown and Overlake projects last year.

“Our buildings downtown are starting to grow, and more economic development will be occurring in our downtown core,” he said. “At the same time, we’re also starting to see things happen in the Overlake neighborhood, and that’s a great opportunity to, at the ground level, really influence change, make the open space work for future residents and employees.

“It’s a really exciting time for what’s going to be happening in the Overlake neighborhood.”

Moving forward, Margeson says community engage-ment continues to be a top priority for the City.

“It’s a budget year, and we’re going to go through the process of engaging with our citizens, and getting their input on what they’d like to see in the budget,” he said. “We have some decisions to make on where we take the budget over the next several years, and that’s exciting for us. It’s a chance for us to set the course, from a financial standpoint, through the next 5-6 years.

“There’s a lot going on, that’s true – but we’re up for the challenge.”

Pat Vache, 2012 - 2013 Council President:

Pat Vache has seen a lot of change during his tenure serving the City, and he counts last year’s debut of the Central Connector as a shining example of the City at its progressive best.

“The Redmond Central Connector, the trail that now goes through Redmond, is an exciting accomplish-ment,” he said. “It’s much more than a trail – it’s a terrific gathering area for folks, it’s an art walk, and it’s a critical piece of our transportation infrastructure. The trail connects us regionally, and will eventually have on it the transit system, which will be another amazing connection to the region.”

Although he retired from Council last year, Vache is confident in the City’s direction moving forward.

“We have a government system that really works, and we are able to provide services that the people of Redmond have said they want to have, and do it in a very cost-effective manner,” he said. “Redmond is going to continue on that path to mature into a place where anybody would want to live work and play.”

Watch City Council video interviews and find out more about community-wide initiatives at redmond.gov/videos