Redmond council narrows 2026 priorities to water, housing and outreach; schedules safe-parking ordinance vote

At an informal goal-setting meeting Dec. 5, the Redmond council coalesced around three top priorities for the coming years: water conservation, housing solutions for low-income and unhoused residents, and more effective public outreach.

Council members and staff described a range of near-term work. An unidentified council speaker said staff will bring a condensed "11-by-17" goal-tracking sheet to the council on a quarterly basis so members can see progress on roughly 20 high-priority projects. Heather, the city's communications lead, told councilors she could shift away from IT duties and reconstitute a small communications team to increase proactive messaging and make large documents (for example, the parks master plan) more accessible to residents.

Homelessness was a sustained focus. An unidentified council member noted the city previously committed funding for a managed site and said, "we dedicated 750,000 towards 20 First Street, which will serve core 3, oasis, transitional housing, and the managed camp." Staff and councilors described an additional $250,000 city match being discussed with the county to cover infrastructure for a proposed managed camp and related access work; the county is expected to contribute roughly $800,000. Councilors emphasized the difference between allocating infrastructure money and covering operators' day-to-day costs.

The council agreed to place a revised safe-parking ordinance on the Dec. 9 agenda. Members signaled support for legalizing limited wintertime uses—specifically, legal permission for propane cooking and heaters—and for required notice to adjoining neighbors, while deferring a decision on permitting any permanent or semi-permanent shelter "huts" to a later meeting. Multiple speakers urged that temporary emergency measures include a sunset date and that full permitting and safety standards be clarified before any structural approach becomes permanent.

The meeting also addressed accountability for city-funded partners. Staff reported an auditor's finding that prior tourism funds had been reallocated and that the Chamber did not produce complete records before 2021; speakers emphasized using audits and a request-for-proposal (RFP) process to protect tax dollars and to modernize marketing approaches. One councilor summarized the staff view: the audit showed misallocation rather than misappropriation and the RFP was intended to ensure compliance and modernization.

Other operational notes: staff told councilors the Bureau of Land Management public-comment period on wetlands closes Dec. 13 and that a county land-use decision for public-access amenities was received; airport staff reported 90%-design terminal plans and recent flight cancellations affecting operations. Councilors also discussed annexation policy, code amendments, and local traffic routing to limit heavy construction vehicle impacts in residential areas.

Councilors asked staff to: frame the safe-parking ordinance for the Tuesday agenda along the lines discussed; return with the condensed goal-tracking document in January; and develop outreach tactics (rotating council listening sessions, booths at community events and short social-media updates) that emphasize listening to residents.

The informal did not include a formal vote; the council directed staff to prepare materials and a revised ordinance for the next regular meeting.