The hosts of the Nov. 20 "This Week in Kirkland" podcast summarized several items from the Kirkland City Council’s Nov. 18 meeting, including land acquisition, planning updates and council direction to staff.

According to the podcast, council approved the purchase of a property on Forbes Creek Drive to expand Juanita Bay Park. The acquisition is intended to create community garden space, preserve historic trees and support a future north–south connection from Lower Juanita to Crestwoods Park and the Cross Kirkland Corridor.

Council also received an update on a potential public–private partnership with the Seattle Kraken for a community center and Iceplex at the former Houghton Park & Ride. The podcast said legal agreements related to that partnership are expected to be considered by council on Dec. 9.

The hosts reported council held a public hearing on the Houghton Village development plan; the podcast emphasized that the hearing itself does not authorize specific development and that council is expected to consider adopting the plan on Dec. 9.

Other items described on the podcast: council held a public hearing on changes to the design review board process to comply with a new state law (the podcast did not specify the statute); council received the final draft of the homelessness continuum-of-care action plan and provided direction on final changes ahead of an anticipated Dec. 9 adoption; council reviewed a proposed option to address water pressure issues in the Upper Highlands neighborhood and directed staff to move forward with that option; and council adopted a preliminary 2026 regular levy.

The podcast did not provide vote tallies, motion text, or the names of individual council members who moved or seconded motions. Where the podcast reported an action (for example, the property purchase and the preliminary levy adoption), it did not provide detailed voting records or ordinance/resolution numbers.