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Residents and council members dispute stakeholder process for Old Firehouse teen space
Summary
Multiple speakers at the Redmond City Council meeting criticized the selection and staffing of a mayor-led stakeholder group convened after the closure of the Old Firehouse teen center. Council members said a council subcommittee will meet Sept. 10 and monitor the process; speakers urged greater transparency and youth representation.
Several Redmond residents told the City Council on Sept. 2 that the city’s stakeholder group formed to advise on the closed Old Firehouse teen center lacks transparency and excludes teen voices.
The complaints matter because speakers said the Old Firehouse was a critical third space for local teens and that the stakeholder process will shape the future of teen services and downtown programming.
Public commenters described a timeline they say has been rushed or opaque. A person who identified themselves as a city staff member said they were told parks staff lacked capacity “to include me on their stakeholder group,” calling that “a total cop out.” Wolf Adriatico, who said he had been included on a list of teens and community members, said the mayor’s stakeholder group appears to overlap with a council subcommittee and that the mayor’s staff ultimately proposed a membership list made up largely of city employees. “I was under the impression that the council subcommittee was to be separate from the mayor's stakeholder group,” Adriatico said. He added: “I don't think that's a good thing.”
Chester Anderson, a public speaker, framed the dispute in broader terms of accountability and equity, saying the city’s professed values have not matched its actions: “We want to work with you,” Anderson told the council. Faith Otter described the Old Firehouse as “a fantastic space” that had been “a massive blow” to teens when it closed.
Council members acknowledged confusion about who decides stakeholder membership and said the council subcommittee is monitoring the process. Councilmember Salahuddin said the subcommittee has been “following up as they've been organizing.” Council President Kritzer said the subcommittee has given feedback on the initial list and that the council’s first subcommittee meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10. Kritzer also said council members think the list is primarily community members with “maybe 1 or 2 staff on there,” and that the subcommittee will continue to “monitor and make sure that everybody has the opportunity to give input.”
The meeting record shows the matter was raised repeatedly in public comment and in the ombuds report; there was no formal council action or vote on the Old Firehouse at this meeting. The council indicated it will report back after the subcommittee’s work and the stakeholder-group meetings.
