Redmond City Council members discussed planning for their Feb. 22 council retreat at the Jan. 14 study session, offering priorities and asking staff for preparatory materials and timing so the day can focus on policy priorities, internal processes and community engagement.

Council President Kritzer opened the planning discussion, noting the retreat will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and that leadership is finalizing a facilitator. "We are finalizing the facilitator," Kritzer said, and staff said the facilitator who served previously at MRSC has retired; a former City of Kirkland staffer is a candidate. Council members suggested several goals and topics to prioritize in the retreat agenda.

Why it matters: the retreat is intended to resolve procedural and policy items collected in the council "parking lot," set year‑ahead policy priorities and clarify roles so the council can move promptly on items such as communications, council leadership roles and external engagement.

Discussion highlights

- Retreat goals and structure: Council leadership proposed reviewing the parking lot of policy/process items, developing policy priorities for the year (policy only, not budget), and spending time on council member relationships and team building. Several members preferred a morning icebreaker to an evening social activity, and members asked for pre‑reads to be distributed in advance.

- 'Parking lot' items for the retreat: staff and council compiled items to surface including a review and refinement of the hopper process, clarifying the ombuds role, defining leadership roles for each councilmember, clarifying the legislative coordinator role with recent staffing changes, and planning communications options (newsletter, event presence).

- DEI and subcommittees: Council Member Anderson and others raised DEI work and proposed personnel‑manual changes as short‑term policy goals to address before the next election cycle. Members also asked for an evaluation of standing and ad‑hoc subcommittees to determine which should continue or sunset.

- Emergency roles and communications: Multiple councilmembers recommended clarifying the council's role during emergencies and suggested tabletop exercises so elected officials can practice communications and advocacy roles. Council Vice President Forsyth and Council Member Salahuddin both urged clearer role definition and better tools for council engagement during events such as the recent windstorm.

- Outreach to schools and community groups: Members discussed scheduled outreach: a meeting with the Lake Washington School District board is set for March 3 (5–6:30 p.m.) and staff said they were pursuing a meeting with the Bellevue School Board. Councilmembers also proposed youth‑engagement mechanisms such as a junior council or youth board and noted successes from events like the Redmond 2050 celebration.

Logistics and next steps

The council confirmed the retreat date (Feb. 22, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.), asked staff to circulate current drafts of the hopper process and ombuds guidance as prereads, and instructed leadership to finalize a facilitator and logistics. Council Member Anderson said two related personnel‑manual hopper items will be combined and presented on Jan. 28 rather than tonight. Staff and leadership also reminded members of upcoming calendar items: a community town hall in a "council conversations" format on Jan. 23, a ribbon‑cutting for the new electric fire engine on Feb. 1 at 1 p.m., AWC City Action Days and the National League of Cities conference later in February and March.

Ending: Council leadership said they would send pre‑reads and refine the retreat agenda based on member suggestions; members asked that staff identify clear schedules and next steps for larger follow‑up items (budget follow‑ups, housing‑fund guidance, community events funding) so work can be scheduled into committees and study sessions.