Plus, Spring District development, Neighborhood Walks and proclamation raises awareness of overdoses and fentanyl
On Monday, the City Council was briefed on an update to its procurement diversity inclusion plan being developed this fall, which aims to enhance opportunities for small and diverse businesses to provide various services to the city. The plan includes key strategies such as outreach and networking, enhancement of inclusive policies and practices, and tracking utilization rates to influence the percentage of vendors for the city who are small businesses, women, veteran or minority-owned businesses, or federally disadvantaged businesses.
The program has been helped by recent budget approval to hire dedicated staff for this work, and the next set of updates being pursued for the program will be developed with community input over the coming months. Community outreach will take place in September to gather insights and suggestions for refining the plan, after which the council will be presented with a report of findings and a program update proposal including a comprehensive set of recommendations.
Near-term enhancements under consideration are expedited payments to small businesses, streamlined data collection and reporting, and a more user-friendly roster system. More information is in the meeting materials.
Spring District development agreement discussed
The council also considered a proposed amendment to the city’s agreement with Wright Runstad & Co. for development of the Spring District, a catalyst project in BelRed. Wright Runstad was an early leader and innovator in the development of what is now the Spring District and the only developer to utilize BelRed catalyst project code provisions. In 2009, Wright Runstad entered into the development agreement, a contract with the city authorized by the land use code.
Over the past 14 years, Wright Runstad has developed 11 of 19 parcels in the Spring District under the terms of the development agreement. In exchange for the significant private investment in public infrastructure required by the agreement and the land use code, Wright Runstad received the benefit of a reduced fee-in-lieu than would otherwise be required in connection with certain residential and commercial development in BelRed. To date, the agreement has generated over $10 million in fee-in-lieu payments for the city.
The development agreement between the city and Wright Runstad will expire on May 3, 2027. Wright Runstad is asking the city for a 10-year extension of the agreement to complete development of the Spring District. Wright Runstad would benefit from a continuation of the reduced fee-in-lieu rate, in addition to the 10-year extension to develop the remaining parcels in the Spring District.
The council provided feedback on the draft agreement amendment, asked to receive more information at a later council meeting, and gave input for further negotiations with Wright Runstad regarding potential public benefits that could be included in the amendment. The full discussion is available via replay on Bellevue Television.
Neighborhood Walks highlighted
In other business, councilmembers received a report following three Neighborhood Walks conducted in July by the city’s Community Development Department to allow city staff and leaders, including councilmembers and City Manager Brad Miyake, to meet residents where they live and learn more about the unique aspects of the city’s many diverse neighborhoods.
The 2023 Neighborhood Walks included events in Newport, Crossroads and Northwest Bellevue. Residents shared the ways they build community in their neighborhood areas, new amenities such as parks and trails they most appreciate and what their priorities are for the future of their neighborhood.
The program has been hosting walks across the city’s 16 neighborhood areas since 2017, including virtual walks in 2020. The full presentation is available in the meeting materials. The presentation also included a reminder about the Keep Bellevue Beautiful community cleanup event taking place 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, starting at City Hall.
Proclamation raises awareness of overdoses and fentanyl
To start the meeting, the council proclaimed Aug. 21 as National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day in Bellevue.
These days of recognition raise awareness of the dangers of drugs, especially synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. More than 1,000 people in King County died of overdoses in 2022 and more than 700 have died so far this year, including three in Bellevue on July 21. Nearly four people die of fentanyl overdoses a day in King County.
NOTE: The council is now on recess. The next scheduled meeting will take place Monday, Sept. 11.
