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Residents praise land acknowledgment and Stream Fest, urge greater transparency and veteran recognition
Summary
Two Kenmore residents used public comment to thank the city for environmental and cultural initiatives and to press the council for more transparent, inclusive decision-making, including restoring indigenous place names and honoring veterans.
During public comment at the March 17 Kenmore City Council meeting, residents commended recent environmental and cultural efforts and asked the council to increase public inclusion and transparency in decision-making.
Elizabeth Mooney, who identified herself as a Kenmore resident, thanked City Manager Rob Carl Lindsey and staff for supporting stream restoration and community events such as Stream Fest. “You helped us pull together as a community,” Mooney said, praising the city’s engagement with nonprofits and watershed groups that work on salmon and stream projects.
Stacy Valenzuela, speaking from an online connection, urged the council to follow through on land-acknowledgment work and to restore indigenous names. Valenzuela said neighbors had objected in 2018 when a neighborhood park was given the name of a settler rather than a native name; she said the council later adopted the original longhouse and camp name, “the Achadis,” and that she appreciated the land acknowledgment recited at the meeting.
Valenzuela also described veterans’ recognition efforts in Kenmore, including getting the post office to fly a POW flag and organizing a first Veterans Day celebration and a local memorial effort. She criticized council processes that she said exclude residents from early decision-making. “Most decisions are made before residents even have a chance to weigh in,” Valenzuela said. “Jumping ahead to exclude and eliminate resident participation is not valuable … Please hear and support our cries for inclusion, transparency, and democracy now.”
What the city did at the meeting: The council opened the meeting with a land acknowledgment that lists regional Coast Salish tribes. During the public comment period, speakers thanked staff for outreach and urged more consistent, early engagement with residents on projects and naming decisions.
What was not decided: The council did not vote on changes to naming policy, veteran memorials, or engagement procedures during the meeting. Valenzuela requested broader inclusion and transparency; the council did not take formal action on those requests that evening.
Ending: The comments were recorded as part of the public-comment period; speakers asked the city to sustain outreach and provide clearer opportunities for resident input on cultural, environmental and veterans’ projects.
