Redmond council urges opposition to Initiative 2,066, adopts TIP and code updates

The Redmond City Council voted unanimously Oct. 15 to adopt a resolution urging voters to oppose Initiative Measure 2,066, which would constrain local authority over energy policy and the use of natural gas. The council then approved the city’s 2025–2030 Transportation Improvement Program and adopted a package of zoning and municipal code amendments to conform with recent state legislation.

Council members and staff framed the resolution as a defense of local climate commitments and municipal policy tools. Council President Kritzer summarized climate science and said Redmond’s programs to promote heat-pump conversions and electrification would be limited by language in I-2066. Council Vice President Forsyth and Councilmembers Anderson and Slahuddin echoed those concerns and described the resolution as a way to protect the city’s Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and related incentives.

Supporters who spoke during the public comment period told the council the initiative risks rolling back energy-efficiency programs, hindering electrification incentives and increasing public-health and climate risks. Michael Leach of Move Redmond told the council the initiative “threatens to undermine local control and divert critical local resources.” Opponents at the microphone warned of conversion costs for homeowners and businesses, with one resident saying retrofits could be expensive and calling for caution.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution 1595 (AM 24-161): “A resolution of the City Council of the City of Redmond opposing Initiative Measure 2,066.” Motion moved and seconded on the record; roll-call vote passed 7–0. The council’s discussion cited potential restrictions in the initiative on local incentives and permitting related to electrification. - Resolution 1594 (TIP 2025–2030): City adopted the six-year Transportation Improvement Program and directed filing with the state; roll-call vote passed 7–0. Council members emphasized future opportunities to upgrade buffered bike lanes to protected facilities. - Ordinances 3174–3177 (AM 24-161): Four ordinances updating municipal and zoning code for conformance with state design-review and permit-process streamlining. Council divided the omnibus motion and voted on each: Ordinance 3174 passed 6–1; Ordinance 3175 passed 6–1; Ordinance 3176 passed 7–0; Ordinance 3177 passed 7–0.

The TIP vote followed a public hearing in which multiple residents and advocates urged the council to fund protected bike lanes and other multimodal projects. Bill King and Move Redmond representatives said painted buffers are insufficient for safety and called for physical separation to encourage more people to bike.

What’s next: The council’s opposition resolution is a statement of position on the ballot measure; it does not change city code. The TIP is now filed as the city’s six‑year project list for 2025–2030. The MFTE (multifamily property tax exemption) amendments discussed at the meeting will return to committee and are scheduled for adoption consideration on Nov. 19, 2024.

Quotes: “We have the tools and the know-how to limit global warming,” Council President Kritzer said in arguing for the resolution. Michael Leach of Move Redmond said opposing I-2066 would “affirm [Redmond’s] commitment to a sustainable community-driven approach to growth.”

Reporting note: Vote tallies and ordinance numbers were read into the record at the Oct. 15 business meeting; all votes and motion outcomes reported here come from the council’s roll-call statements at that meeting.