[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6209393,"mediaKeyId","3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b","parentId",3735024,"title","Issaquah speakers press council on waste pricing pilot, downtown marketing, meals program continuity and day‑center needs","audioSeconds",1237,"startMs",3690000,"endMs",4927000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b&start=3690&end=4927","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b/thumbnail_3690000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6209393/Issaquah/King-County/Washington/Issaquah-speakers-press-council-on-waste-pricing-pilot-downtown-marketing-meals-program-continuity-and-daycenter-needs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209393-40c1faef0102532e965933258c1b5948/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148810&Signature=h6QvNssSShqY3qW5eDGXRrP3EYB5XjBMNh-fg72zglo42R~KJqa-BwVcXvSGsdiluK87Rnk~v74Mqvj-saQR6nWwPK9-r6sEd34~ynRrC2nx5ObOcFg8iNIHBBn-PMP09zxzNQr9OoapgYzaE4SwtdllwAOcORVa0zi0pvdaDflCPOYTA7rMFNWFcea1IkDyWz1ksm4q7hgyOLhJf53UwYpYWVkNsJQ~QgVzhfdcuh1kMsCL~G3WTvYYxai~Q1i4y5V6hpE3p~gqK4j5ukAuyPdQJPwP~F289wjw9I289nLI1FecRZdhgmG9u5EjEoVwief5JFtsIm9iZP3lLs8j7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Issaquah City, WA","date","2025-06-10T10:31:40.413Z","article","Several members of the public addressed the Issaquah City Council during the audience‑comment period Monday, urging council action on waste pricing, downtown economic programming, continuation of a volunteer meals effort and services for residents experiencing homelessness.

Paul Quinn, speaking as a Sammamish resident with an interest in solid‑waste fairness, urged the city to pilot a \"smart disposal\" program that would weigh refuse at each single‑family pickup and provide residents with individualized diversion reports. \"We charge our residents and businesses for disposal based on the size container being picked up,\" Quinn said. \"That's completely unfair as it charges all people based on the size of the container rather than what's in the container.\" He recommended a pilot that mails residents reporting postcards showing landfill diversion rates and peer comparisons to encourage recycling and composting.

Corby Casler of the Downtown Issaquah Association presented the association’s \"transformational\" Main Street strategy and promotions, describing efforts to diversify arts programming, expand outreach and market downtown events and businesses. Casler highlighted recent promotional placements and invited council members to downtown events, including a Father’s Day car show expected to draw thousands.

Liz Tiedeman, an Issaquah Meals volunteer, thanked the council and staff for ensuring continued access to the community hall’s loading bay, which she said is essential for volunteers who provide daily meals. Tiedeman estimated the meals program serves roughly 30 guests per meal across eight meals a week, resulting in an annual service on the order of \"well over 12,000 meals,\" and described the program as a public‑private partnership that provides social connection as well as food.

Elizabeth Maupin urged the council to consider a day center to provide a place to \"hear from people who have no housing\" and asked the council to use its lobbyist to advocate for a more progressive tax structure in state policy to address local needs. One virtual commenter, Alex Zimmerman, made remarks that the council cut short as not related to Issaquah matters; the mayor pro tem asked him to limit remarks to city projects and the speaker left the lectern.

Council took no binding action on these public comments but acknowledged the items and noted staff follow‑up possibilities for some requests, such as outreach on waste pricing options and continued support for volunteer meal logistics.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Issaquah City Council Meeting - June 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During audience comments the council heard a request for a pilot 'smart disposal' program to charge by weight, a Downtown Issaquah Association presentation on a Main Street strategy, updates and thanks regarding the long‑running Issaquah Meals program, and calls for a day center and more progressive tax advocacy.","taxTitle","Issaquah, King County, Washington","taxId",53186,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209397,"Issaquah council keeps public hearing on 2027–2032 capital improvement plan open, schedules further review",319,5041000,5360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b&start=5041&end=5360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b/thumbnail_5041000.jpg","/articles/6209397/Issaquah/King-County/Washington/Issaquah-council-keeps-public-hearing-on-20272032-capital-improvement-plan-open-schedules-further-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209397-255785e46842c64be42fefe4850d5ad4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148810&Signature=Wcbt9oqlyokmT~TL3O9-eRGxaXNmm-gS-L4292DJRb-rADBeLTByoQPihLI23P~nBsfcglXBVOtQLnCkKs0M999I0yq1kEZkH-LMOsikvaH~X6edQ3XrgB9cWAV8divwIGKw4jBnooOC-B~4APY8P6f6nX1DHkSbK6wSV6RJUSwzLd4gfm3IpE856da4VFs1g6ehfCFMurCCRiPPjcVtzjz~~9jo9IP3P-Co8i6XsiSMS5yKmYOaRWZffH56wzLKXewoxHSXmJMlp~~ixtuZhwymbfGs6RgPF7X5fvcTpD5zImmGWKAO14Ech5Tf7IOLT0yFvg3IB-BwptMC5Avopw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Issaquah City Council opened a public hearing Monday on the draft 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and decided to keep the hearing open for additional public comments after further review.

Budget Manager Susie Moncel presented the six‑year CIP, noting that state law requires a public hearing on the transportation improvement program element. She described the CIP as a planning document rather than a budget and emphasized that the updated plan prioritizes maintenance, phases projects, reduces scopes where possible, and reflects information from a concurrent utility rate study.

Moncel said many projects remain subject to funding changes and uncertainty and recommended continuing the public hearing so the public could comment after the Committee of the Whole finishes deliberations. No members of the public registered to speak during the hearing, and one virtual attendee declined to comment.

Council voted to continue the public hearing to the June 23 city council meeting to allow committee recommendations to be reflected and to accept any subsequent public testimony on changes. The council’s final adoption is expected to follow subsequent committee review and a regular meeting vote.","Council opened a public hearing on the draft 2027–2032 Capital Improvement Plan but received no testimony and voted to continue the hearing to allow for committee deliberations and any future public comments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209402,"Issaquah lobbyist briefs council on 2025 legislative session: SR 18 funding preserved, mixed results on city priorities",1379,1977000,3356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b&start=1977&end=3356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b/thumbnail_1977000.jpg","/articles/6209402/Issaquah/King-County/Washington/Issaquah-lobbyist-briefs-council-on-2025-legislative-session-SR-18-funding-preserved-mixed-results-on-city-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209402-31d37d05ee4bf3dfe9ebe5ba2744a7a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148810&Signature=l0hFi7V9QNzLcK0bQI4qinMYblyi8zUP02FRJts6UPZd59lfPNMWyv7oFcUaGD2M0AulLa9SumRqSAKloQGo3fjZ2f2USFo0ecwMPlmafp6XhuwzZIXt03hEP945zmUAdb7ltwzqqMsQqqlj05vZKI3JlWLvm2nLcjWNVkuKOWlm07-NRZkm~vA3eocxbWtD2UPhy0CKefR1WfMYFcuxVuPtdxsH6JIDLsxU9OuVe9lSkDyT7rGKuy1AYQBd9x50goBQOPkDJnXRpX3qQS2I1Oe~U8UtBI0KP3YIdV3YjgWttK3PVVYQcK6LMSgbZuua3D8YSVmo~PmIZ-jAp4GZjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Government Affairs Specialist Shelley Helger briefed the Issaquah City Council Monday on the results of the 2025 Washington legislative session, describing a mix of wins and setbacks for the city amid a state budget shortfall.

Helger said the 2025 operating budget totals $77.8 billion, the capital budget $7.5 billion and the transportation budget $15.5 billion. Facing a multibillion‑dollar shortfall, the legislature combined spending reductions and new revenue to balance the biennial budgets, Helger told the council.

On transportation, Issaquah — as a member of the Southeast Area Legislative Transportation Coalition — sought protection for previously allocated funding for State Route 18. Helger said Representative Victoria Hunt secured a House amendment providing $10 million in the upcoming biennium and that the final budget allocates $15 million to SR 18 in the upcoming biennium and $25 million in the following biennium, with remaining funds placed in future biennia. She said the project’s planned construction start in 2027 was canceled and construction is now scheduled for 2029; WSDOT will change the contracting approach from design‑build to design‑bid‑build.

Helger described several other city outcomes. A city request for a two‑year pilot using biometric monitoring devices at the Issaquah jail — roughly $88,000 — was included in the legislature’s budget but was later removed by a gubernatorial veto. A $2.7 million request for a digital permitting upgrade was not funded. The city secured $100,000 in the capital budget to begin the \"Creeks to Peaks\" vision and won a $1.4 million capital allocation for bomb‑cyclone recovery work arising from storm damage. Representative Callan led a successful reappropriation of $3 million originally awarded in 2019 to the Issaquah Opportunity Center; Helger said the funds were moved into a more flexible local community project program.

Helger also walked through policy changes that will affect local planning and land use. An amendment to House Bill 1491 corrected a Department of Commerce interpretation of \"major transit stop\" tied to middle‑housing law implementation; the city worked with sponsors to secure language the city requested. The legislature passed changes to parking minimums (a bill Helger referenced as Senate Bill 5184 in committee work) and provided up to three years for local implementation; the legislature also increased flexibility for real estate excise tax uses. Helger emphasized that many policy and implementation details will require city staff work in the coming months.

Councilmembers asked about the impacts of gubernatorial vetoes on local service providers; Helger urged the council to document impacts to help inform supplemental budget discussions when the next revenue forecast arrives. She also recommended the city prioritize spending reappropriated and newly awarded funds so they are demonstrably used before future budget requests.

\"The city's delegation worked hard to advance the city's priorities in an incredibly challenging session,\" Helger said. \"We had some important wins and we need to remain focused on implementing those allocations and monitoring impacts going forward.\"","City lobbyist Shelley Helger summarized outcomes of the 2025 Washington legislative session: partial funding was secured for the SR 18 widening, several city requests advanced, some grants were reappropriated, and other priorities were delayed or vetoed.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6209408,"Issaquah council unanimously approves $5.7 million contract to relocate Newport Way sewer line ahead of WSDOT fish‑passage work",1206,5482000,6688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b&start=5482&end=6688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3735024-3770c8dd1b915b0ca43938280eecc31b/thumbnail_5482000.jpg","/articles/6209408/Issaquah/King-County/Washington/Issaquah-council-unanimously-approves-57-million-contract-to-relocate-Newport-Way-sewer-line-ahead-of-WSDOT-fishpassage-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6209408-71696c6945795ef2053b700bb9a6fa1d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148810&Signature=owpLZsJJInLR187-W0Izp4yRtjVkZI6wegifb1de2iMLZcNHj3mLj8KsQ~PzSTvrVweIxw0SIPmkaU6FwK1SN83jgW4WMXK4Hc5P2iTDTQmN-SvVPck46NYijOlv639wHpZPIXirCLtr22JoH943-DYf3vdgMrHPdF84iNel7CVh54wxEkQtCe0OqiVYxz86KsiWgNr47UEkxjiNYgq7qomkS4hlIl6A8ClImdzdmD-BgpehlLZ5TmKsyaF-T3LhvXZARtGxxcLI-KbcV1FrMxKvxiRzaionVDTHLBoQBETSo~Szqu51PHNu6HNhzdAdkLd9BFnb9aSjtFLdrwwa2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Issaquah City Council voted unanimously Monday to award a $5,695,187.18 construction contract to Northwest Cascade Inc. to relocate a trunk sewer line along Newport Way and to authorize $2.9 million in additional sewer-fund revenue to cover higher-than-expected construction costs.

Utility Engineering Manager Matt Ellis told the council the relocation is required so the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) can change the course of West Village Park Creek as part of a fish‑passage project. \"WSDOT told the city that we needed to relocate the sewer line out of the WSDOT right of way in order to facilitate a new stream alignment for West Village Park Creek,\" Ellis said during the presentation.

The city opened bids in May and received four competitive offers that exceeded the project’s earlier engineer’s estimate. Ellis said geotechnical testing revealed very dense soils that make a standard bore infeasible and require a specialized pipe‑jacking operation; that technical shift, plus market pricing, drove bids into the $5.7–$6.4 million range.

Council members pressed staff on timing and rate impacts. Councilmember Hall asked whether the additional $2.9 million would raise sewer rates in the near term; Ellis said the city has sufficient sewer fund balance and staff do not expect an immediate rate increase but cautioned the increased use of fund balance could put pressure on future rates or require borrowing down the road.

The administration also requested authorization of a $148,486 amendment to an existing OTEC contract for specialized construction supervision and inspection tied to the pipe‑jacking work.

The contract includes construction impacts the city has notified residents about: lane reductions, a 10‑week full closure of Newport Way at a point west of 50th Avenue during the most intensive work, a roughly seven‑month total schedule, large bore pits, and a full pavement overlay after construction to restore a roadway that was recently repaved. Staff said sewer service to customers will be maintained throughout construction.

Ellis told the council that the project must be finished before WSDOT’s planned stream relocation work in 2026 to avoid delaying the state’s schedule; rebidding would delay the city’s work by at least 6–12 months and could breach the city’s agreement with WSDOT, staff said.

Councilmember comments emphasized the project’s urgency and impacts on nearby neighborhoods and called for robust public outreach and signage. The motion to award the contract, authorize the OTEC amendment, and add $2.9 million to the 2025 budget amendment carried unanimously.

Votes at a glance
Award construction contract to Northwest Cascade Inc., $5,695,187.18 (including sales tax); authorize OTEC contract amendment $148,486; authorize $2,900,000 additional sewer‑fund revenue and related expenditures — Outcome: approved unanimously (ayes 7).","The City Council voted unanimously to award a $5.7 million construction contract and authorize $2.9 million in additional sewer-fund revenue to relocate a trunk sewer line out of WSDOT right-of-way so the state can realign West Village Park Creek for fish passage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Issaquah speakers press council on waste pricing pilot, downtown marketing, meals program continuity and day‑center needs

Issaquah council keeps public hearing on 2027–2032 capital improvement plan open, schedules further review

Issaquah lobbyist briefs council on 2025 legislative session: SR 18 funding preserved, mixed results on city priorities

Issaquah council unanimously approves $5.7 million contract to relocate Newport Way sewer line ahead of WSDOT fish‑passage work