Issaquah to launch community task force, pause Fire Station 71 planning and advance municipal court lease talks

At the Jan. 13, 2025 Committee of the Whole meeting, Autumn Monahan, the city’s administrative services director, presented proposed next steps on public safety and other civic facilities. Monahan asked the council to confirm a community task force work plan that would prioritize police station renovations, community meeting spaces, city hall space planning and long‑term council chambers options.

Monahan recapped a proposal the administration brought last year that included relocating municipal court to leased King County space, moving council chambers, renovating the police building, leasing interim city hall space, and considering a long‑term move or replacement of city hall. She said negotiations with King County on a municipal court lease are active and that the administration will bring a final lease to the council when negotiations are complete.

Because Eastside Fire and Rescue leadership has since discussed organizational changes that could affect fire facility responsibilities, the administration recommended pausing further assessment of Fire Station 71 until those regional conversations mature. Monahan said the pause is intended to align long‑term facility decisions with any future changes in fire service organization.

The administration proposed launching a mayor‑appointed community task force in February 2025 with up to 23 members, meeting roughly six times in 2025, and led in part by a consultant, DLR Group, with experience in public‑safety facility planning. The task force’s charge would include reviewing two years of staff facility work to date, refining space needs (particularly for police and municipal court), prioritizing facility needs, evaluating options for a potential ballot measure, advising on community engagement and delivering recommendations to the mayor and council.

Monahan estimated that significant investment would be required to keep the current city hall in service if the city did not vacate it; she told the committee the immediate need was “about $5,000,000” for necessary repairs and upgrades. She also said city staff will present short‑term options for relocating council chambers and continue to plan for a municipal court move while the task force conducts its work.

Council members broadly supported the proposal to form a task force and the recommendation to pause Fire Station 71 planning pending Eastside Fire and Rescue’s organizational discussions. Council Member Martz described prior task forces’ work as “heavy lifting” and expressed support for the shift in approach; Deputy Council President DeMichele and others welcomed the emphasis on broad community representation and the plan to recruit a diverse task force.

Timeline staff presented calls for task‑force formation and kickoff in Q1 2025, continuing meetings and consultant‑supported space‑needs work in Q2, development of task‑force recommendations in Q3, and a council decision on a short‑list or direction by summer/fall 2025. Staff said engagement would remain open to the public and that task‑force meetings will be widely promoted.

Staff asked the council whether they had additional direction. Several members asked staff to ensure the task force considers long‑term maintenance and operational costs as part of any capital or bond options; Monahan acknowledged that cost‑of‑ownership and timing for any ballot measure would be part of the task force’s work.

Staff said they would return with a finalized municipal court lease and short‑term council chambers options for council consideration.