[{"_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",6180568,"mediaKeyId","5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a","parentId",5116845,"title","Bothell council plans recurring \"Council in the Community\" events; staff to draft schedule and outreach","audioSeconds",1759,"startMs",5957000,"endMs",7716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a&start=5957&end=7716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a/thumbnail_5957000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6180568/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-council-plans-recurring-Council-in-the-Community-events-staff-to-draft-schedule-and-outreach","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180568-4877ba1a27434a4f4ce38cc0ffd4f6ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1770495698&Signature=WzXLwt1mqwKL3bzqrg3Auxjhc-jAYaKDf0XXreOaB-N~BggQ8lKfIiB9pIkAijG135G6A4CWI8qdPEp4U6ogqWHBFEnz-oEz7UGHH8RnVmT1yayUWETbuFDv0nFHTxrcxeNZhf2ASAfh2R294PZCqj-Vu0LTYoZZro8xrz0N1Y8QdXT1JerSZnJbzc4GdcdGmufr7pxQl7wFoDi6H62I8YLkW1SVSegfmfLCMxBtWDasnhaKOZCbiK566gaM6N4M2E-iSyMrqz3VGFRLnKo1kW-HLERiY9MPq7aXdPMDJEvmSuPrlYiikJjcdu51XREA9V6V0n8s6xmTX5Os~cLUyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bothell City, WA","date","2025-07-02T06:52:32Z","article","Bothell City Council members on July 1 expressed support for formalizing a recurring community engagement series—proposed as “Council in the Community”—and asked staff to draft a schedule, format options and promotional plan.

Background and subcommittee work: Council established a small subcommittee earlier in 2025 to design a regular program after the city ran two pilot conversation events in late 2024. Assistant City Manager Becky Range and Communications Manager Mason Lovera briefed the council on the subcommittee’s recommendations: 2–3 council members attend each event, hold events at different community venues (examples: Senior Center, Station 45), vary days and times to broaden access, and pilot the series before committing to a long‑term cadence.

Council input and preferred elements: Members recommended testing formats and locations and emphasized predictable scheduling and clear promotion. Several councilmembers suggested quarterly timing to balance staff bandwidth and community consistency; others proposed a short trial with two events this year to learn logistics. Councilmembers recommended mixing formats—open conversations, “how‑to” sessions on participating in city government, and topic‑driven events when a particular issue draws community interest.

Accessibility and outreach: Staff noted the need to reach residents beyond digital channels and proposed using the city mailer (the Bridge), social media, community organizations and partner networks to promote events. Council asked staff to prepare a run‑of‑show and options for facilitation (light facilitation, community agreements and a flexible format that allows people to drop in and out).

Next steps: Staff will prepare a detailed proposal (including a draft schedule, locations, run‑of‑show and communications plan), target an initial event in the fall or start in Q1 2026, and coordinate promotion through the Bridge, digital channels and community partners. The council signaled support for starting the program and for returning to confirm timing and theme choices; no formal ordinance or budget change was requested at this time.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bothell City Council Meeting - July 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members supported creating a recurring community event series (proposed name: Council in the Community) to meet residents at neighborhood venues, try formats that mix hot‑topic and educational sessions, and run quarterly or on a trial schedule; staff will prepare a detailed plan and begin promotion.","taxTitle","Bothell, King County, Washington","taxId",53919,"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},6180576,"Bothell readies downtown bollards and signage for Fourth of July parade",182,914000,1096000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a&start=914&end=1096","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a/thumbnail_914000.jpg","/articles/6180576/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-readies-downtown-bollards-and-signage-for-Fourth-of-July-parade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180576-24060916d91b50239d2ae697caddbb3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770495698&Signature=f1JW9OlmTbA46p~nVrH9VOrF2ujUCKlRmHJCqrhNVIDS8uQe6UPafiwNpM9JVMYAOAUk83DGpsCFBJBA0~gE2iMHD-RHR~~sdJAhsZvrRcGV-SKQcg9TzmI78LClvJwI0jH-dG0kfQNcxyMVwiWFd4wuC~g6lce-T61yYZksrUMqPJegOFDIAKryKL8Sd3iKkUsQSVfHXZ455dNY8cslv2lOV73RBo-Mq~OJGkJspoph2E2racbbzC1tYFn3Fe~xkbl4fS3HXc4~UJ7qX6ZTCFJvyGFLzSnIq2u8qaKmg3Lf202n9IkSiTIjCFbaUZ~AnHCh~PiZRhhlUrObSee2JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Bothell City Council on July 1 that bollard installation and related traffic controls for Main Street and Festival Street will be prepared in time for the city’s Fourth of July events and parade.

City Manager summarized the schedule for the downtown bollard project and told the council that concrete pours and bollard storage will be safe for foot traffic for the parade even if vehicle load‑bearing is delayed. Staff said steel plates and construction traffic control signs will be removed by July 3 so sidewalks and streets will be accessible for parade attendees; bollards themselves will be removable for vehicle access when needed.

Design and signage: Deputy Director of Public Works Steve Morikawa and staff described the bollard color and signage. To improve visibility and reduce vehicle strikes, the bollards will have a green and blue Northwest aesthetic with stripes and flip‑up signs positioned adjacent to bollards to restrict forward, left or right turns depending on direction and location. Morikawa said the stripes and varying shades were chosen so the bollards are visible to many visual processing types. Councilmembers asked whether signage will be permanent or only present when bollards are deployed; staff replied signage will be present where applicable and flip up/down in certain Festival Street locations.

Why it matters: Council and staff positioned the bollard deployment as an operational readiness step to make downtown safe and accessible for the parade and to facilitate a permanent, visible, low‑profile barrier system once installed. The city manager also thanked the many city employees assigned to event operations for the parade and related activities.

What the council asked: Deputy Mayor asked if the signs will be permanent or illuminated when the bollards are up; staff said signs will be posted as applicable and will vary by location. Council members also asked about timing; staff said motorists will see the construction signage removed and bollard work visibly progressing in the days before the parade.

Next steps: Staff will continue work to complete the bollard installations and will update the council if timelines change. No formal action was taken; the update was informational.","City officials said bollard and signage work on Main and Festival streets will be complete for pedestrian use by July 4; bollards will feature green and blue stripes and flip‑up signs to indicate temporary closures.",{"_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},6180581,"Bothell studies area‑based and affordable‑housing discounts as it updates transportation impact fees",3743,2250000,5993000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a&start=2250&end=5993","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a/thumbnail_2250000.jpg","/articles/6180581/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-studies-areabased-and-affordablehousing-discounts-as-it-updates-transportation-impact-fees","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180581-805130e73a81e41dc36c6c340da346a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770495698&Signature=F~DZqgW9d3WMCF8lbVg3iFmqgHEbAR0GKZ5OJ4lS~H47WfuvX-7utPXqc4JEHkS088aFb4xUMh3gXgJeZnLplQ6rzysNw6ZN3kXcxSqy3m6RoHzYedEgA3Wc1-loF8L4D4ORihr~Kqo6SPekKj9YfBgzvXO6LKyB8mJApMVmSznNiWfuhtYYmmgOLRqtnxvdMdGaXJGDWdejT7QT7LrNT9IbSp6G99K-O5Yhmd8PzwOuIUK2WGp9QE6mHgTtadmOnE~~EzoCODdn5IBjWfr8TKPZ5o3CMscEyci7qFFpVqdrXVjIINVHwJ4UVXefDQJ13cOu4YcE1tZS2J1s2CsRhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bothell City Council spent extensive discussion time July 1 on a staff briefing and consultant overview of a transportation impact fee update, asking staff to return with policy options, technical models and example cases before any fee changes are adopted.

The city’s consultants summarized the standard impact‑fee calculation: identify growth‑related capacity projects, estimate new person‑trips, divide eligible costs by trips to calculate a cost per trip, then translate that cost into a schedule of fees by land use. Fehr & Peers consultant Carmen Kwan and city staff reported preliminary figures from the existing study: a sample eligible project list totaling about $61 million divided by roughly 6,000 person‑trips produced about $10,000 per person‑trip; the city’s current per‑unit comparisons showed single‑family rates in the midrange of peer cities and multifamily rates substantially lower (example figures presented in packet: roughly $12,000 for single‑family and about $6,000 for multifamily units in the illustrative table).

Why it matters: The 2024 Comprehensive Plan transportation element identifies a 20‑year multimodal project list estimated at roughly $850 million. Staff said grants and other sources are expected to fund the majority of that list (about 70% in the presentation) while transportation impact fees were estimated at about 12% of the 20‑year funding need; council members emphasized the fee’s role as seed and match funding for grants and noted trade‑offs between reducing fees and jeopardizing grant leverage.

Council questions and direction: Council members repeatedly asked staff to return with options and trade‑offs rather than a single proposal. Two specific policy questions posed by staff were the focus: 1) should the city consider varying impact fee rates by geographic area (for example, lower rates within a quarter‑mile or half‑mile walk shed of rapid transit), and 2) should the city consider reduced fees for affordable housing citywide? Council members offered a range of perspectives:

• Some members favored area‑based reductions to incentivize development near transit and the regional growth center, while urging that any approach be simple and predictable so it does not add prohibitive complexity to permitting.

• Several members supported reduced fees for smaller infill and ADU development and emphasized preserving incentives for affordable housing; staff noted some reductions already exist in code and that state law (House Bill 1491) includes statutory reductions in certain cases.

• Members asked staff to model alternative approaches, including (a) a hybrid fee that applies a base charge plus parking‑space surcharges, (b) smoothing area boundaries (for example using transit corridors rather than strict quarter‑mile radii), and (c) case studies showing how recent downtown projects paid impact fees and what infrastructure those funds supported.

Staff timeline and constraints: Staff and consultants said the next steps are to produce preliminary numeric models and return in the fall with concrete options and an updated fee schedule; they said a public hearing and formal adoption are planned to aim for an effective date of January 1, 2026. Staff cautioned that legal defensibility requires a technical fee study consistent with Washington RCW requirements and that some legislative changes (e.g., HB 1491 multifamily tax exemption rules) already affect potential reductions.

What was not decided: Council did not change rates at the meeting and made no binding financial commitments. Members asked staff to analyze trade‑offs, return with example scenarios, and identify the grant‑match implications if fee revenue were reduced.

Next steps: Staff and Fehr & Peers will produce math, test cases and a set of policy options for council review in the fall; a public hearing and adoption process is planned before any changes would take effect.","At a study session councilmembers asked staff and consultants to model area‑specific fee adjustments, affordable‑housing reductions and options for change‑of‑use and parking‑based approaches before returning with math and trade‑off scenarios this fall.",{"_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},6180585,"Bothell council backs letter asking King County Metro to retain MetroFlex Juanita zone",490,1182000,1672000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a&start=1182&end=1672","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5116845-7f97efb38ed5d7699bcc2c66830fe42a/thumbnail_1182000.jpg","/articles/6180585/Bothell/King-County/Washington/Bothell-council-backs-letter-asking-King-County-Metro-to-retain-MetroFlex-Juanita-zone","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180585-224ad0500b6bb630b88fa44483289b91/orig.mp4?Expires=1770495698&Signature=Yz3q-IbIiL8UYB3Y~yYsla0lG0bbxuDpwoOGW835OwZPjdfb~5JegzAn~9t8zayfNXdOox~IErs45dED0PPe2BqFiE~zjx8VLtBl0QYVdTT-srkg1svXHk6KA42HIotnjJCgUn4G0Sonmtma0DOO8HGln8NlYsscPx7cp1MbApovzzH3o1~981aeJBeGD2kTCvMfaNWWjdAsfXH1ZL3gnMHB22jKTXML1lOew8rN2WBJSZ8ORBvFDr3oIRhyCkd6f4lKQo2lOh4VH9wQ2uqrdSil7C5YxIASt1CPlyl2beqZLDhqrBbavojGHQO54N4tGeI-D6VDUkZMu-PeNIvkkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Bothell City Council members on July 1 agreed that King County Metro should be asked to pause any decision to end the MetroFlex Juanita response zone and to discuss options before a final decision is made. City staff presented a draft letter and asked the council whether it wanted the city to send it to King County Metro.

The council’s interest stemmed from the service’s role as a first-mile/last-mile option for parts of southern Bothell. City Manager briefed the council on a letter Kirkland had already sent and introduced Public Works staff monitoring MetroFlex usage and communications with Metro. Deputy Director Steve Morikawa described MetroFlex as an on-demand minivan service operating in neighborhood response zones and said King County Metro was considering terminating the Juanita zone due to utilization and performance concerns.

Why it matters: Council members said the service helps residents reach transit and nearby destinations where fixed-route service is less frequent or does not drop riders close enough. Several members said the pilot has not run long enough and that outreach about the service has been insufficient; they urged Metro to extend the pilot or work with cities to improve awareness and user experience.

Council debate and direction: Multiple council members voiced support for sending the draft letter. Councilmember Zorns said she supported writing a letter, adding that the northern Lake Washington area deserves attention on transportation needs. Councilmember Dodd said, \"I also support sending the letter. I don't think the pilot has run long enough to really show the value.\" Councilmember McCurdy asked that staff keep the council informed and offered to stay engaged if the decision moves up to the King County Council or Metro.

Staff follow-up: City Manager told the council staff would engage with King County Metro and return with updates. The packet included a draft letter and staff requested direction; by the end of the discussion the council had given clear concurrence to send a letter and to follow developments.

What the city did not decide: The council did not adopt a formal ordinance or make a funding commitment; it provided direction to send a letter and to continue coordination and monitoring.

Next steps: Staff will send the letter on the council’s behalf, continue communications with King County Metro, and provide updates to the council and public as Metro's process unfolds.","Council members directed staff to send a letter to King County Metro asking it to reconsider termination of the MetroFlex Juanita response zone and to explore expanding outreach and coordination with Bothell on first-mile/last-mile service.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bothell council plans recurring "Council in the Community" events; staff to draft schedule and outreach

Bothell readies downtown bollards and signage for Fourth of July parade

Bothell studies area‑based and affordable‑housing discounts as it updates transportation impact fees

Bothell council backs letter asking King County Metro to retain MetroFlex Juanita zone