Council Roundup: Reviewing budget progress

Published November 1 2024

Also, updating environmental plan, sunset for library board and Veterans Day proclamation

Staff from the Finance & Asset Management Department Tuesday provided an overview for the City Council of the process of developing the 2025-26 budget and 2025-30 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) plan so far.

City Manager Diane Carlson submitted the 2025-26 Preliminary Budget in September. Community members had opportunities to weigh in on the proposed budget during information sessions on Sept. 23, 24 and 26, as well as public hearings hosted by the council July 9 and Sept. 24.

To help the council track budget details, staff created a "memory bank" of all questions from councilmembers about the budget, along with answers.

The council will hold one additional hearing on Nov. 12. A one-question survey about budget priorities is open through Nov. 12. A final budget could go before the council for adoption later in November. Details are in the agenda materials.

Environmental plan update

The council directed staff to launch an update of "Sustainable Bellevue," the city's environmental stewardship plan. The 2026-2030 plan will continue many of the efforts to reduce carbon emissions outlined in the 2021-25 plan, refining or expanding some.

Wins from the current Environmental Stewardship plan include implementation of a Clean Buildings incentive program that helps commercial building owners to reduce fossil fuel consumption and the Energy Smart Eastside program, which promotes replacement of gas furnaces with energy-efficient electric heat pumps.

Details are in the agenda materials.

Sunset for Bellevue Library Advisory Board

With the King County Library System providing more reports to the council, including Bellevue-specific data on library usage, activities and other issues of interest, the council voted for the Bellevue Library Advisory Board to be sunset by year's end. The board itself had recommended that.

Since Bellevue's libraries were absorbed into KCLS in 1993, their policies have been governed by the KCLS board of trustees. The Bellevue board's role has been to issue periodic reports and recommendations to the Bellevue council and city manager related to KCLS services. Since 2017, Shoreline, Renton, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Snoqualmie and Bothell have sunset their library advisory boards.

In addition to more direct reporting from KCLS staff, Bellevue's Intergovernmental Relations team will liaise with the KCLS on concerns from the public or council. If the council seeks input on a specific issue, for example concerning one of the Bellevue library buildings, it can convene an ad hoc committee.

The council thanked library board members for their service over the years. Details about the library board sunset are in the agenda materials.

Veterans Day proclamation

The council issued a proclamation for Veterans Day, which was accepted by Rafael Munoz-Cintron, a representative of the American Legion in Washington.