Celebrating 2023
Published on December 28, 2023
Media Contact
David Wolbrecht
Communications Program Manager
dwolbrecht@kirklandwa.gov
As so many do this time of year, we’re taking this opportunity to reflect on 2023 and celebrate all that made it one for the books.
2023 was a year of celebrations.
City Hall for All was a true extravaganza with over 3,000 community members in attendance! Folks met our Kirkland City Councilmembers, learned about City programs directly from staff, took guided tours of City Hall, supported local businesses at a pop-up market and got to climb inside City firetrucks, dump trucks, police vehicles and more with the very popular Truck-a-palooza.
In October, we re-opened the renovated Fire Station 22. Community members took self-guided tours of the station including firefighters’ work area, equipment shop, sleeping rooms, workout room, kitchen and - of course - the apparatus bay where the firetrucks and aid cars are kept. The fire station renovations are part of the Fire Proposition 1 investments to improve health and safety in our community.
In July, we gathered for the Grand Re-Opening of the completely renovated 132nd Square Park. Featuring the first synthetic turf field at a Kirkland park, a new all-abilities playground, and two new picnic shelters, 132nd Square Park is a wonderful 10-acre community park in the Evergreen Hill neighborhood and is ready for all to enjoy!
The 24th annual Celebrate Kirkland 4th of July parade was a big success with a turnout of over 30,000 people and more than 70 parade entries. For the first time, the festivities were put on by our very own Parks and Community Services Department.
2023 was a year of firsts.
In March, the City hosted Governor Inslee and regional representatives to announce the siting of a new multi-service crisis responsecenter dedicated to serving the behavioral health needs of community members across north and northeast King County. The new crisis center will be operated by Connections Health Solutions, a national innovator in behavioral health crisis care, and will be conveniently located near Evergreen Hospital and Highway 405 in the Totem Lake neighborhood.
Meli Paulo, the City’s first Homeless Outreach Coordinator, joined us in April. She comes with seven years of nonprofit social service experience, three of which were spent working as an Outreach Care Coordinator supporting the unhoused community in Seattle. Meli has already made an incredible difference in her service and has supported over a hundred people experiencing homelessness in Kirkland. We are so grateful to have her on the Kirkland team!
Beginning in 2023, the City recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday in Kirkland. City Hall, City community centers, and public City facilities and services closed all day Monday, June 19, 2023, in observance of Juneteenth. Recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday acknowledges the struggles and celebrates the triumphs of Black Americans, and it reaffirms our City’s commitment to transform our community into one that is equitable for everyone.
For Pride month, the City unveiled its first Pride Crosswalk in Kirkland modeled after the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag at the entrance of Marina Park at Kirkland Avenue and Lakeshore Plaza. The installation of the pride crosswalk is one way that the City is working to create an inclusive and belonging place for all community members.
2023 was a year of excellence.
The This Week in Kirkland email newsletter won third place in Granicus’ 13th annual Digital Government Awards in the “Trust & Transparency” category. Thank you to the nearly 8,000 subscribers that stay up to date every week.
Totem Lake Park - the 17-acre park with the “rainbow” playground, nature board walk and a wetland area - received an Award of Honor from the Washington State Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The award recognizes the park as an ecological centerpiece for a re-envisioned Totem Lake Urban Center.
Kirkland, alongside the cities of Bothell, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park and Shoreline, received the first Building Bridges Award by the North Urban Human Services Alliance. The award recognizes the five cities’ extraordinary work done in creating the new Regional Crisis Response Agency to provide community mobile crisis response services across north King County.
For the eighteenth consecutive year, the City was proud to receive the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. This is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
2023 was a year of connection.
A night of glam, glitz, and gratitude, our Community Appreciation Celebration was our heart on display in honoring the volunteers behind the volunteer hours that make our City a great place to be. Held at the Kirkland Performance Center, the night showcased the immense work accomplished by our civically engaged Volunteers, Neighborhood Leaders, and Boards and Commissions members.
Earlier this year, we launched the new civic engagement program – the Kirkland Initiative - where the first cohort participated in an 8-week interactive series learning the foundations of government functions and programs and participated in a robust curriculum to better understand decision making processes in the City.
The community came together where the Cross Kirkland Corridor now comes together at the grand opening of the new Totem Lake Connector (TLC) bike and pedestrian bridge. Hundreds of community members joined the celebration as local officials cut the ribbon. The TLC Bridge connects the Cross Kirkland Corridor over 124th Ave NE and supports the continuous miles of the Eastside’s Eastrail.
In September, we launched our official podcast “This Week in Kirkland” – a friendly, audio version of the City’s weekly digital e-newsletter of the same name. Listeners hear a variety of Kirkland stories and info, including what’s happening at City Council meetings; tips from different City departments; updates on parks, paving, and other constructions projects; info on fun local events; opportunities to provide feedback on upcoming initiatives; and a little Kirkland trivia.
Full of celebrations, firsts, excellence, and connection, there’s so much to be grateful for as we say farewell to 2023 and embark on 2024. However you celebrate this annual transition, the City of Kirkland team wishes you all the very best in 2024.
To browse this year’s top stories, visit https://www.kirklandwa.gov/Whats-Happening/News.