Meeting Notes - March 17, 2008

Moss Bay Co-Chair Mark Eliasen called the meeting to order.Stephanie Day, Kirkland's Emergency Services Coordinator, gave a presentation on that topic. Stephanie presented a PowerPoint that outlined the City's program. 

• There is a web site -- http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/Fire_and_Building/prepare.htm -- that will be used in time of emergency. 
• Kirkland has a designated shelter team trained and ready to deploy. 
• Stephanie described the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and how citizens can be trained. The CERT class is a 7 week course that involves 29 hours of training, including training putting out real fires. Next class starts April 9 6-9PM. There are 200 Kirkland graduates so far – 10 from Moss Bay. 
• MYN (Map Your Neighborhood) is a 90 minute program that trains citizens to take action on their block such as shutting off gas, water etc. Next MYN training will be April 7. 
• Stephanie also described ARES, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, which can be a critical link in an emergency which knocks out power and phones.

City Councilmember Bob Sternoff, a regular at our meetings, informed us that the new traffic signal for the intersection of Third St. and Kirkland Ave. is scheduled to be engineered soon, with the contract to be let in late summer. The light should be installed by the end of 2008.
Dick Beazell – Executive Director, Kirkland Downtown Association, was our next guest speaker. Dick thanked the Moss Bay Neighborhood Association for donating $$ for the flower program, and Centennial trees, which are doing quite well at the corner of Main St. and Park Lane. Dick had some "business news flashes" for us

• New bike shop
• George's Place was purchased by  George’s son, Pete, who is remodeling and expanding. The restaurant will be open for dinner and have a lounge when it's completed.
• Trellis (at the Heathman Kirkland Hotel) was named a top restaurant by Bon Appetite magazine.
• Downtown landlords are looking at business plans and trying to identify tenants that will be stable and successful.
• Downtown detailers – Looking for volunteers to help keep downtown tidy.
• Clean Sweep – May 3 is the traditional town clean up

Jodi Bardanelli - Kirkland's new Wednesday Market Manager - spoke next. The market will be opening on May 9 and run for 5 1/2 months. The hours are 2-7. New features this year will include a pork shop, an oyster booth, a fresh pasta stand, and a honey purveyor. There will be 60 total booths, with artist booths limited to 12.
Steve Lerian, Executive Director of the  Kirkland Performance Center, reported on that organization. Due to good attendance and good contributions from the community, KPC is on a solid financial footing with a balanced budget and only limited support from the City. Steve told us how KPC created a "four legged" model of operation (production, national acts, community resource and education programs) that has been very successful and has been emulated by other performance centers. KPC will have its 10 year anniversary celebration June 8.
Cindy Zech, Moss Bay's liaison to the Park Board, reported on Heritage Park -- awaiting funding for the next two phases of improvements -- and how the Transit Center will effect Peter Kirk Park. A slice of the park (the berm along third base line) will be taken from the park and included in the Transit Center. 
Bea Nahon, representing CIVIK, a group opposed to the size of the Bank of America project, briefed us on that issue. Bea mentioned that the project has received Design Review Board and Planning approval, but that CIVIK has an appeal in progress that will be heard by City Council April 15.
Moss Bay Co-Chair Don Winters updated us on the McCleod proposal, slated for the east side of Lake St. The project received Design Review Board approval on April 11 and is now in the permitting phase. A project proposed for the US Bank site on Central Way has gone through a pre-submittal process with Planning, but there is no further news at this time.

• Next Meeting - Monday May 19th 7 pm at Heritage Hall. City Manager Dave Ramsay will give his "State of the City" report.