City Council

November 30, 2023 SPECIAL MEETING- Virtual Meeting Information: There is no virtual option for this meeting.

Council will accept live spoken commentary under 'Items from the Audience' or ‘Public Hearings’ at regular meetings both via Zoom audio/video on a computer or telephone connection, and in person. The Zoom connection links are provided on each individual meeting agenda. The virtual meeting will be broadcast live on KGOV channel 21 and live-streamed on the City's website. Comments will be subject to the Council protocols mentioned above. Please call (425) 587-3190 and leave a message before 5 p.m. on the day of the Council meeting with any questions; City Clerk's Office staff will endeavor to return your call.

For issues that are not quasi-judicial or set for a public hearing: Three minutes per speaker, no more than three speakers per side of an issue.

The process to sign up to speak has been updated to address the hybrid nature of Council meetings going forward. Members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so virtually via zoom, or in person at the podium in the Council Chamber.

Signing up to speak: Sign-ups will be managed via an electronic form, which will timestamp each entry; the QR code or link will begin creating the list at 7 PM on the night of the meeting. Speakers will be taken in that order, whether virtual or in the room. There will be a laptop available at the Chamber entrance where community members may queue to sign-in to address Council.  Any form entries attempted prior to 7 PM will result in a ‘test’ response, and those names will be included at the end of the sign ups registering after the 7 PM opening. To avoid being placed at the end of the list, please complete the form no earlier than 7 PM.  Any questions regarding the process can be addressed by emailing the City Clerk at KAnderson@kirklandwa.gov.

Sign-Up for Public Comment

Council Meetings Streamed Online

Limited socially-distanced seating is now available on site and in the Council Chamber.
To ensure accessibility for the public, in addition to in-person attendance at City Hall, City Council meetings are live-streamed on a variety of platforms such as the City website and the City of Kirkland's YouTube and Facebook pages. Community members can also tune in on their television with Comcast Cable Channel 21 or Frontier Cable Channel 31.

Members of the public may address the City Council live during the ‘Items from the Audience’ subject to the Council protocol of a limit of three speakers on each side of a particular issue, for a maximum of three minutes each, or during scheduled Public Hearings, via the Zoom connection link provided on each agenda. 

Meetings

There are two types of meetings, both of which are open to the public. Regular meetings are those in which the Council makes local laws, policies, and basic decisions relating to the city. Study sessions are public meetings in which the Council conducts more informal and in-depth discussions of special projects and issues of interest. No official action may be taken by the City Council at a study session.

Time

The City Council holds regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 123 5th Avenue. Study sessions are held at 5:30 p.m., prior to the regular meetings, in the Peter Kirk Room at City Hall.

Community Participation

The City Council encourages all community members to express their opinions on any matter within the Council's authority. Oral presentations and written communications are both appropriate methods of expression during public meetings. Written communications also may be directed to the City Council or City Manager at City Hall. All such communications will be answered.

On each regular Council meeting agenda there is an item called "Items from the Audience". This is the time in which a person may present an issue, raise a question or concern, voice a complaint, or even compliment the City. Comments may be made at this time on any subject which is not quasi-judicial in nature or scheduled for a public hearing. Quasi-judicial subjects are specifically noted with an asterisk (*) on Council agendas. (Quasi-judicial matters are typically those which involve obtaining a legal permit for a specific development or land use for which a public hearing has previously occurred.)

Speakers are asked to limit their remarks to three minutes apiece. No more than three speakers may address the Council on any one subject. However, if both proponents and opponents wish to speak, then up to three proponents and up to three opponents of the matter may address the Council.  To participate at a City Council meeting, the speaker must step to the microphone and lectern placed in front of the Council and, after receiving recognition from the Mayor, state their name and neighborhood if it is relevant to the topic you will bring up. All remarks should be addressed to the Council as a group, not to any particular Council member or any member of the City staff or audience.

Whenever a group wishes to address the Council on a subject, the Mayor will normally request that a spokesperson be chosen to speak for the group. Applause or other displays of approval or disapproval are inappropriate and are not permitted during Council meetings.

Neighborhood Associations

The City of Kirkland is committed to sustaining strong relations with neighborhood associations and residents.

Kirkland's Neighborhood Associations serve as an important communications link between the City and its residents. They also provide an effective way for neighbors to improve the quality of life in Kirkland’s Neighborhoods. There are currently eleven associations meeting on a regular basis. For additional information on organizing, Programs, and upcoming meetings check the Neighborhood Services Web Page. Stay connected to Kirkland by subscribing to Neighborhood E-Bulletins by going to www.kirklandwa.gov and click on the Kirkland Email Alerts icon.

Volunteer Program

The City operates a volunteer program, which allows the City to take advantage of the extraordinary reserve of knowledge, talent, and skill possessed by volunteers within our community. The City's volunteer program involves interested residents in local government by providing the opportunity to perform work of value to the community. To learn more about available volunteer opportunities with the City of Kirkland, please contact the City's Volunteer Services Coordinator at 425-587-3012.

Mayor Penny Sweet
Position #3
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Mayor Sweet began her first term on the Kirkland City Council in January 2010. She served as Deputy Mayor  from 2010-2011, and 2014-2015. The Kirkland City Council selected Councilmember Penny Sweet to serve as Mayor for the remainder of 2019, and again in January 2021 for two more years.  She has lived in Kirkland since 1985 and served as the Chair of the Market Neighborhood Association from 2007–2009.

Current City Council committee assignments:  Legislative Work Group and Transportation Ad-Hoc Work Group.

Regional representation:  Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Large City Advisory Committee, Vice Chair Cascade Water Alliance (CWA) Board, Chair CWA Finance Committee Chair,  King County Metropolitan Solid Waste Advisory Committee (MSWAC), Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Executive Board, Caucus Chair and Vice Chair Regional Water Quality Committee (RWQC) and Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC), Vice Chair Hopelink Board of Directors. 

About Mayor Sweet: Mayor Sweet grew up in Seattle where she attended Roosevelt High School and Shoreline Community College before beginning a career in Health Care. She participated in numerous management and leadership courses throughout her career concentrating on customer service, process and quality improvement and leadership. She trained with the Baptist Health Care Leadership Institute, the University of Washington School of Business, Antioch University and is a graduate of the inaugural class of Leadership Eastside in 2008.

She retired in 2007 as an Associate Director of Business Operations for Group Health Cooperative. Over the course of her 31-year career with Group Health, she managed business operations for five outpatient medical centers in Everett and Monroe and for the Hospitals and Specialty Centers in Seattle and Redmond since 1998. She was a member of the Group Health Community Action Teams in Seattle and on the Eastside responsible for outreach and building community relations.

Mayor Sweet moved to Kirkland in 1985 where she and her husband, Representative Larry Springer, have owned and operated The Grape Choice, a retail wine shop in downtown Kirkland for 34 years. She is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and sits on its Public Policy Committee. She is on the Board of Directors of the Kirkland Downtown Association. She was a member of the Kirkland Downtown Action Team. She is a member of Kirkland Art Center where she served on the Board of Directors from 1987 until 1991. She served on the Kirkland Library Arts Committee and is a member of FOLK (Friends of the Library of Kirkland). She is a lifetime member of the Kirkland Heritage Society and a member of The Audubon Society and The Sierra Club.

In 1999 she founded Celebrate Kirkland, Inc., a non-profit organization that created and organizes Kirkland's annual 4th of July celebration. Since aligning Celebrate Kirkland with the Kirkland Downtown Association, she has continued to chair the event as she has for 20 years. In 2004 and 2005 she served as chair of events on the Kirkland Centennial Steering Committee.

In 2000, Mayor Sweet was the recipient of the Anne G. Owen Award for Community Service presented by the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce. She has been recognized by the Kirkland Chamber as a “Friend of Kirkland” in 2000 and in 2005 received the President’s Award. In 2016 she was awarded the William C. Woods "Above & Beyond" Award by the Chamber for outstanding community leadership.

Mayor Sweet can be reached at psweet@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3534.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

 

Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold
Position #1
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold began his first term on the Kirkland City Council in January 2014. He was served as Deputy Mayor, selected by Councilmembers, since January 2016.  

Current City Council committee assignments:  Legislative Workgroup, Disability Board, Transportation Ad-Hoc Work Group.
 
Regional representation: Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) I-405 Executive Advisory Group, Sound Transit 405 Bus Rapid Transit Elected Leadership Group, Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Growth Management Policy Board, Eastrail Regional Advisory Council (Co-Chair), Eastside Transportation Partnership (Chair), King County Cities Climate Collaboration, alternate to Cedar River / Lake Washington Watershed Salmon Recovery Council (WRIA-8).  Appointed by the Governor to the State Building Code Council.

About Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold: Deputy Mayor Arnold seeks to protect Kirkland's quality of life through long-term planning, forward-thinking investments in transportation and parks, and a focus on sustainability as we grow with grace. His leadership in advocating for bills in the state legislature to help address affordable housing and homelessness earned him the 2019 Advocacy All-Star Award from the Association of Washington Cities.

Prior to being elected to the Council, he served on Kirkland’s Planning Commission from 2009 through 2013, including a term as Chair. In 2011, he was appointed to the Parks Funding Exploratory Committee that put together Kirkland’s 2012 Parks Levy. Arnold co-chaired the successful campaign that won the support of voters, providing dedicated funding for Kirkland Parks.
 
Deputy Mayor Arnold has volunteered in the community as a board member and President of Futurewise, the state’s leading smart growth advocacy organization, and as a board member at Northwest SEED (Sustainable Energy for Economic Development) developing community-based renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. He has worked for open, accountable and transparent government as a trustee for the Municipal League of King County, a citizen's watchdog group dedicated to good government. He served as Chair of the Capital Finance Review Board, a project of the Municipal League, Greater Seattle Chamber of Chamber of Commerce, and the League of Women Voters, researching the impact of various local taxing measures.

Deputy Mayor Arnold runs his own web development business and also works as a Technology Consultant at Fuse Washington, the state’s largest grassroots progressive organization. Previously, Arnold was a group manager at Microsoft, leading test teams on flagship products such as Internet Explorer and Windows. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Arnold has earned the Certificate in Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).

Deputy Mayor Arnold and his wife, Mary Beth Binns, live in the Norkirk neighborhood. They have three teenage daughters.

Deputy Mayor Arnold can be reached at jarnold@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3535.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Neal Black
Position #5
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Councilmember Neal Black has served on the Kirkland City Council since November 2019. He has lived in the Central Houghton neighborhood since 2003 and has lived in Kirkland since 1998.

Current City Council committee assignments:  Legislative Work Group, Disability Board

Regional representation: Eastside Transportation Partnership (ETP), King County Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C), Representative for Sound Cities Association (SCA) on the Regional Law Safety & Justice Committee.

Councilmember Black received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in May, 2023. 

About Councilmember Neal Black:  Councilmember Black is a long-time resident of Kirkland having lived in the Lakeview neighborhood, the Everest neighborhood, and now the central Houghton neighborhood.  For 10 years he was a fixture at Everest Park where he coached Kirkland American Little League baseball. 

Councilmember Black has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University.  He is a licensed member of the bar in Washington and Oregon.  He has taught intellectual property and business law courses at the University of Washington School of Law (2009-2016), Seattle University School of Law (2008), and the Seattle University Albers School of Business and Economics (2007) as an adjunct professor and part-time lecturer.

For over 10 years, Councilmember Black has been a partner at the law firm Adkins Black, where he advises clients in the software technology and interactive entertainment software industries.  Before joining Adkins Black, he was Vice President and General Counsel of Square Enix, a global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software.  He also previously served as Vice President and General Counsel of Emergent Payments, a provider of digital payment solutions for the interactive entertainment software industry.  He began his legal career as an associate at the Seattle law firm of Perkins Coie in 1998.

Councilmember Black has been involved in public policy and related community service for over 25 years.  From 2014-2019, he was the chair of the Public Policy Committee of the King County Bar Association, where he is now a member of the Board of Trustees, addressing issues associated with diversity in the legal profession and equal access to justice.  Prior to that, from 2007 to 2009, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of Washington Ceasefire, which at that time was the leading organization in Washington advocating for common sense gun safety legislation.  Councilmember Black has also worked on public policy for the White House Office on Environmental Policy (1994), the California State Assembly Natural Resources Committee (1993), the US Department of Justice Environmental Enforcement Division (1997), and the Environmental Defense Fund (1996) as a law clerk and intern. 

Councilmember Black received the 2023 Friend of the Legal Profession Award from the King County Bar Association. The award recognizes Councilmember Black’s role with a small team of King County lawyers who worked nationally to successfully encourage the American legal profession, through the American Bar Association, to adopt an official position that encourages the Justices of the US Supreme Court to adopt their own binding code of ethics.

Councilmember Black was born on Adak Island, near the southwestern tip of Alaska's Aleutian Islands.  He grew up in a small town in Central Oregon, and since 1998 has lived in Kirkland with his wife, two sons, and their pet Havanese.

Councilmember Black may be reached at nblack@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3544. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Kelli Curtis
Position #2
Term Expires December 31, 2027

Councilmember Kelli Curtis was appointed to the Council in February 2019 and elected to her first term in November 2019. She was re-elected to her second term in 2023 and will serve a four-year position which will expire in December 2027.

Current City Council committee assignments:  Chair, Legislative Work Group. Chair, Parks Exploratory Funding Committee. 

Regional committee assignments: Sound Cities Association (SCA) Caucus Chair Growth Management Planning Council, SCA Public Issues Committee (PIC), SCA Nominations Committee, SCA King Conservation District (KCD) Advisory Committee, KCD Urban Forestry Working Group, KCD Election Reform Subcommittee, Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA 8).

Councilmember Curtis received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in May 2021. In June 2023, she received an additional Certificate of Advanced Municipal Leadership from the AWC.

About Councilmember Curtis:  Prior to becoming a Councilmember, Curtis served on the City of Kirkland Park Board (appointed in 2015) as Vice Chair, the Houghton Community Council (appointed in 2016), and the Kirkland Housing Strategy Advisory Group (appointed in 2017).

Curtis worked for most of her career in the technology industry as a product manager for companies such as Aldus and Starwave (acquired by Adobe and Disney, respectively). At Starwave, she was hired to develop the Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll and later enjoyed collaborations with Clint Eastwood, Ralph Steadman and Sting. She shifted gears, stepping away from the tech world, and served as King County Master Gardner for 14 years and also became a Washington State Nursery and Landscaping Association (WSNLA) Certified Professional Horticulturist (CPH) after attending the LWIT Environmental Horticultural Program. (CPH designation requires over 2000 hours professional experience and tested proven horticultural knowledge.) She founded her landscape design firm sixteen years ago and became known for her talent to design gardens in unusual spaces. Curtis was selected to be featured at the Northwest Flower and Garden show and in Pacific Magazine. She now works as a part-time landscape designer and business consultant.

Curtis’ volunteer work has included fostering dogs and serving on the Board of Directors for Homeward Pet. She also donates produce to Hopelink from her abundant vegetable garden.

Curtis attended the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies. She has lived in Kirkland for almost 30 years with her husband, a LWHS grad, and numerous pets. Her young adult children have spread their wings and now live in San Francisco, California and Brooklyn, New York. She hopes they eventually return the Pacific Northwest.

Councilmember Curtis can be reached at kcurtis@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3532. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Amy Falcone
Position #6
Term Expires December 31, 2027

Councilmember Amy Falcone was elected to Position 6 on the Kirkland City Council in November of 2019, after serving as a founding member and Co-Chair of Kirkland’s Human Services Commission.

Current City Council committee assignments:  City of Kirkland/Lake Washington School District Coordinating Committee and Transportation Ad-hoc Work Group.

Regional committee assignments:  Sound Cities Association (SCA) Board, SCA Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, Association of Washington Cities Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Cabinet, Eastside Human Services Forum (EHSF) Board, King County Affordable Housing Committee, SCA Public Issues Committee (PIC) alternate. 

Councilmember Falcone received a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) in March, 2021. She also received a Certificate of Training for "A Short Course on Local Planning" from the Washington State Department of Commerce in May, 2023.

About Councilmember Falcone:  Prior to being elected to the Kirkland City Council, Councilmember Falcone served as a founding member and Co-Chair of the Kirkland Human Services Commission. In that role she successfully advocated for increased city funding to support the basic needs of community members, with a focus on equity and on enhancing preventative programs such as legal aid to help keep neighbors housed. She brings this same focus on equity and supporting our most vulnerable neighbors to her work on City Council, where she seeks to bring a lens of equity and sustainability to all of the city’s work.

A Kirkland resident since 2014, Amy lives in the Finn Hill neighborhood with her husband and three children.  She and her husband fell in love with Kirkland when they moved to the Pacific Northwest, particularly enamored by the City's lush park system, vibrant downtown core and vital sense of community.  Since deciding on Kirkland as her family's forever home, Amy has devoted herself to serving the community in a variety of ways. 

She is the current PTO Co-President at LWSD’s Environmental and Adventure School. She also sits on the PTA board at Thoreau Elementary School, where she has served in various positions such as PTA President, Legislative Advocacy Chair, Fundraising Chair, Spring Carnival Chair and other board roles. Her extensive volunteerism at the school earned her the 2017 Golden Acorn Award, a prestigious Washington State PTA award given for exemplary and outstanding volunteerism. Elected to the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance (FHNA) board of directors in 2016, Amy represented Finn Hill on the Kirkland Neighborhood Safety Panel for four years, helping to secure city funding for safety improvements to facilitate better walking, rolling, and biking routes for neighbors across the city. She additionally served as events committee chair and treasurer on the FHNA. 

Councilmember Falcone holds a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where she also taught undergraduate statistics.  Amy spent over a decade in social science research, focused on a variety of issues, including career equity of women and LGBTQIA military service members, military families, social science research methodology, and much more.

Councilmember Amy Falcone can be reached at afalcone@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3526.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Toby Nixon

Position #4
Term Expires December 31, 2023

Councilmember Toby Nixon has served on the Kirkland City Council since January 2012. He has lived in the Kingsgate neighborhood since 1993.

Current City Council committee assignments: Tourism Development Committee (chair).

Regional representation: Metropolitan Solid Waste Advisory Committee (MSWAC) alternate. He has previously served on the King County Regional Law, Safety, and Justice Committee; the King County Emergency Medical Services Advisory Task Force; the King County Emergency Management Advisory Committee; and as Kirkland’s representative on the Sound Cities Association Public Issues Committee.

About Councilmember Nixon: Prior to being elected to the City Council , Councilmember  Nixon served as a commissioner of King County Fire Protection District #41 (2009–2011) and as State Representative for the 45th District (2002–2007). He chaired the Kirkland Ethics Task Force which drafted the code of ethics for the Kirkland City Council and boards and commissions. He co-chaired Citizens for One Kirkland, which advocated for annexation of Kingsgate, North Juanita, and Finn Hill into Kirkland. He also chaired Citizens for Accountable Elections, which sponsored the successful initiative to make the King County Director of Elections an elected non-partisan office. He is a former president and current board member of his homeowner association, and a former board member of the Evergreen Hill Neighborhood Association.

Councilmember Nixon served on the King County Charter Review Commission in 2018-2019, which proposed several amendments to the county charter; several of those amendments were approved by voters.  

In December 2013, Councilmember Nixon earned the  Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC), and in August of 2016 earned the AWC Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership (ACML).  He served on the AWC Legislative Priorities Committee for 2019-2020.

Councilmember Nixon is president emeritus of Washington Coalition for Open Government, a statewide non-partisan non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and extending the public’s right to know what their government is doing; he served on the WCOG board 2005-2021, and as president 2007-2021.  In 2022, WCOG renamed its lifetime achievement award in his honor, and presented him the first Toby Nixon Award for his service to the cause of open government. He was selected by the National Freedom of Information Coalition and the national Society of Professional Journalists for induction into the Heroes of the 50 States: The State Open Government Hall of Fame in 2012. He also received the “Freedom’s Light Award” from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for his support of the First Amendment in Washington.

Councilmember Nixon is chair of the board of Nourishing Networks Consortium, which supports grassroots hunger relief projects throughout the region.  He's vice president and a member of the board of directors of Kirkland-based Attain Housing, which helps keep people housed through eviction prevention and transitional housing programs.  He serves on the board of Heart of America Northwest, a statewide environmental organization that advocates for cleaning up the Hanford nuclear site. He previously served on the advisory council of Lake Washington Schools Foundation and on the advisory council and board of directors of Youth Eastside Services. He serves on the board of Kirkland Interfaith Network, promoting cooperation between faith communities in serving the poor and needy among us. He's a founding member of the steering committee of Fostering Interfaith Relationships on the Eastside (FIRE), which works to improve trust and understanding among people of various faith traditions.  He’s a member of the Leadership Eastside class of 2013.

Councilmember Nixon is Principal Technical Project Manager at Kirkland-based Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the 40,000-member international organization that promotes Bluetooth technology and controls its evolution. He worked at Microsoft for 30 yearsworked at Microsoft for 30 years, where his work focused on building consensus on technology initiatives with other companies. He represented Microsoft in several technology standards organizations, including on the boards of directors of USB Implementers Forum and Bluetooth SIG; he served as chair of the board of Bluetooth SIG 2015-2023. He’s a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and holds several patents related to computer communications.

Councilmember Nixon and his wife Irene have been married over 41 years and have five grown children and two grandchildren. He loves choral singing, serves as music coordinator for his church congregation, and team-teaches with Irene the Sunday School class for 5- and 6-year-old children.

Councilmember Nixon can be reached at tnixon@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3536. For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Councilmember Jon Pascal
Position # 7
Term Expires December 31, 2025

Councilmember Jon Pascal was elected to Position 7 on the Kirkland City Council in November 2017, having previously been appointed to Position 2 when the seat was vacated in December 2016.  Councilmember Pascal is a long-time resident of Kirkland having lived in both the Finn Hill neighborhood and now in the Juanita neighborhood.

Current City Council committee assignments: Chair of City/School District Coordinating Committee and member of the Transportation Ad-hoc Work Group.
 
Regional committee assignments:  King County Regional Transit Committee, Cascade Water Alliance Board Alternate, and Washington State Cooper Jones Active Transportation Safety Council.

About Councilmember Pascal: Councilmember Pascal has actively volunteered his time on various City of Kirkland Commissions, organizations, and stakeholder groups since moving to Kirkland in 2001. He was first appointed by the Kirkland City Council to the Transportation Commission and served eight years as a Commissioner, two of those years as Chair.  During that time, he led the effort to develop the Commission's Transportation Conversations policy document and helped develop the City's Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets Ordinance.  In 2009 he was appointed to the Planning Commission where he served for 6 years and assisted in reconciling and updating land use regulations after the annexation of Juanita, Finn Hill, and Kingsgate neighborhoods.
 
Councilmember Pascal has also been active in his neighborhood, volunteering to lead the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance (DCNA) Exploratory Committee that helped expand the mission of DCNA to form the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance (FHNA) in late 2011.  He served on FHNA's Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016.  He led FHNA's policy committee which worked with the City to prioritize needed transportation safety projects, preserve open space, expand Juanita Heights Park, and improve emergency services.  He also served as co-chair of the Kirkland Alliance of Neighborhoods in 2016.
 
His passion for improving transportation safety and mobility has led to his participation on a number of advisory groups for the City that helped guide the outcomes of the 100th Avenue NE Corridor Study, the Juanita Drive Corridor Study and the Central Way Corridor Improvements.  Councilmember Pascal helped establish the City's Neighborhood Safety Program in 2014 to support the implementation of low-cost safety improvements around schools, parks and activity centers.  He also participated in the Finn Hill Fire Station siting analysis and was a community participant in developing the Kirkland Fire Department Strategic Plan to assist in improving response times to underserved areas of the community.
 
Councilmember Pascal is a principal and part owner of Transpo Group, an international transportation planning and engineering services company headquartered in Kirkland's Totem Lake area.  His work focuses on delivering advanced transportation solutions that incorporate innovative technologies and smart growth principles.  He regularly works as a consultant for public agencies, advising on transportation studies and capital projects throughout the region and state.  Councilmember Pascal is a proud alumnus of the University of Washington where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and a Master of Science degree in Engineering.  He was born and raised in Bellevue.  Councilmember Pascal and his wife Kristin have two children.

Councilmember Pascal can be reached at jpascal@kirklandwa.gov or 425-587-3530. He is generally available to meet with constituents on Fridays.  For scheduling assistance, please contact Amy Bolen, Executive Assistant, at abolen@kirklandwa.gov, or 425-587-3007.

Kirkland is one of the most livable cities in America. We are a vibrant, attractive, green and welcoming place to live, work and play. We value Civic engagement, innovation and diversity. We are respectful, fair, and inclusive. We honor our rich heritage while embracing the future. Kirkland strives to preserve and enhance the environment for our enjoyment and future generations.

Read more about the 2023-2024 Work Program and the Council's Goals. 

Kirkland operates under the “council-manager” form of government which means all legislative and policy-making powers are vested in the City Council. Policy-making often takes the form of passing ordinances or resolutions. The Council employs a professionally-trained public administrator, the City Manager, to carry out the policies it develops.

In a “council-manager” form of government, the Mayor’s responsibilities are primarily to preside at council meetings, and act as head of the city for ceremonial purposes and for purposes of military law. The Mayor votes as a Councilmember and does not have any veto power. (RCW 35.18.190; RCW 35A.13.030 Optional Municipal Code cities.)

Among many of its duties, the City Council adopts a Biennial Budget, approves the Six Year Capital Improvement Program, and adopts ordinances and resolutions. The City Council conducts interviews of interested and eligible applicants and appoints them as members on several advisory boards and commissions

The City Council meets the first and third Tuesday of each month with a Study Session followed by a Regular Meeting. Council meetings are broadcast live and on-demand from the City’s webpage. You can subscribe to receive City Council meeting agendas via email by visiting the "E-Bulletin" webpage.

In February 2012, the City Council approved Ordinance 4348 which established a Code of Ethics for elected and appointed officials of the City of Kirkland.

The "Ethics Officer" referred to in Kirkland Municipal Code Chapter 3.82, Code of Ethics, is a role fulfilled by the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission (SEEC) through an agreement between the City of Kirkland and City of Seattle.

SEEC contact information:
PO Box 94729
Seattle, WA 98124-4729
SEEC Email
206-684-8500

Related Links:

Code-of-Ethics(PDF, 730KB)

Code-of-Conduct(PDF, 64KB)

Kirkland Municipal Code, Chapter 3.14, Code of Ethics

State Code of Ethics for Municipal Officers, Chapter 42.23 RCW

City Council Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to file for candidacy for the Kirkland City Council, you must be a registered voter at the time of filing (with King County Elections) and have lived in Kirkland city limits for at least one year prior to the election.

Campaign Contribution Limits
The Kirkland City Council approved Ordinance No. 4190 which sets dollar limits on  the size of contributions a Kirkland City Council candidate may receive during an election cycle.  The Ordinance is codified as Kirkland Municipal Code Chapter 3.12 and relies largely on the relevant definitions found in state law and on the interpretations of these definitions provided by rule or order of the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.

Effective June 1, 2010, state campaign contribution limits now apply to City Council candidates. For information, visit the PDC website or call toll free 1-877-601-2828.

Common questions about Ordinance No. 4190 are listed below:

Are there limits on the acceptance of contributions by Kirkland City Council candidates?
Yes there are limits.  As of April 2023, a City Council candidate may not accept a contribution of more than $1,200 from any person (individual, business, or corporation).  The $1,200 limit is in effect through the 2023 Election Cycle.

The contribution limit is the same as that established by the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) for King County office candidates.  From time to time, the PDC will adjust the limits.  To see the current contribution limit set by the PDC, visit the PDC website.

With State and Federal Elections, contribution limits apply separately to the primary and general elections.  Is it the same with the City?”
No, it is not the same.  The $1,200 limit applies to the entire election cycle, there is not a separate limit for the primary and another limit for the general.

What’s the Election Cycle?
The election cycle means the combination of the general or special and the primary election and begins on the date when an individual becomes a candidate and ends when the candidate files his or her final report pursuant to RCW 42.17.350

Are there exceptions to the contribution limits?
Yes.  There are exceptions to the contributions dollar limit for: contributions from a candidate’s own resources; the value of volunteer services; and, with some limitations, surplus funds.  Please see Kirkland Municipal Code 3.12.040 (Ordinance No. 4190).

 Related Links

• Washington State Public Disclosure Commission
• King County Elections
• Revised Code of Washington

Individuals interested in serving on the City Council may find the following information helpful:

• Learn more about the role of a Councilmember
• Review the Council’s Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, and Policies & Procedures(PDF, 372KB)
• Attend Council meetings
• Review public financial disclosure responsibilities
• Learn about the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine
• Understand the salaries and benefits for Council members
• Talk with any former or current Council members to ask questions about their experience serving on the City Council. Please note that written communications with City Council members related to City business (including application/appointment processes) on any platform or media are public records and subject to disclosure upon request under the Washington State Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW.
• Read information related to the City of Kirkland campaign sign regulations. 

The Salary Commission is made up of three community members who are appointed for staggered terms by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.