It’s been a whirlwind year for first-term Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the Redmond City Council, capped with the unanimous approval of the city’s 2009-10 budget.

In 2007, things were not so harmonious between the mayor and council, Marchione said in a recent meeting with the Redmond Reporter. The meeting included City Council President Nancy McCormick and Finance Committee chair Richard Cole, who agreed that a newfound cooperative spirit has been refreshing for them and bodes well for the people of Redmond.

MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED

In his campaign for mayor, Marchione often spoke about his vision to establish two strong urban centers in Redmond, both known for their quality services.

In downtown Redmond, the goal was to offer more housing choices while maintaining economic vitality. As for the Overlake area, the focus would be on business retention and recruitment of new businesses.

The downtown redevelopment process this year included groundbreaking for the Bear Creek Parkway Expansion and community meetings showcasing how the downtown sector will become more attractive and lively. There are plans to upgrade downtown infrastructure, turn Redmond Way and Cleveland Street back into two-way streets and create a grid pattern that will encourage pedestrian and bicycle traffic, as well as a plan for a downtown park.

In the Overlake area, relationships with major business stakeholders such as Microsoft have improved through Marchione’s efforts. And his seat on the Sound Transit Board has “increased Redmond’s regional profile,” he said, giving him the influence to push for better transportation options, such as eventual light rail service in the Overlake neighborhood.

Revamping the city’s budget through the Budgeting by Priorities process was another big initiative. In a process sparked by Cole, who’d shared “The Price of Government” literature with fellow councilmembers, “there was citizen involvement from day one,” said Cole, as well as advice from technical experts and city employees, all working together to deliver taxpayers’ expectations.

Redmond’s credit rating has gone up to AAA, the highest rating possible from Standard & Poor’s — which in turn, is helping to keep taxes down for residents.

And traffic signals were finally activated at the top of Education Hill, a busy intersection near three public schools and a large church.

MANNERS MATTER

McCormick praised the mayor’s commitment to transparency in government and “how inclusive he has been.” Due to more communication and less dissention between the mayor, councilmembers, city staff and residents, “Redmond’s working relationship with other agencies has shot up,” leaving all parties “better poised to work toward unified goals,” she said.

Marchione noted that receiving $8 million in funding to relocate Bear Creek, making it more hospitable for wildlife, has been a good example of trust gained when a city government is known for its efficiency.

Cole joked that “famous Council watchers,” people who regularly come to meetings and have strong opinions about what they like or don’t like, have begun saying that the meetings are boring — in this case, a good problem to have.

NEXT STEPS

Looking forward to 2009, Marchione said there’s much more work to be done and that he’s energized to take on the challenges.

“We have the third largest concentration of jobs (in the region) after Seattle and Bellevue,” he commented. “If the goal is to connect jobs and housing,” getting residents and workers to, from and around Redmond with less stress is a must.

Marchione mentioned three major projects that will foster this connectivity:

• First, is the construction of the Northeast 36th Street Bridge over State Route 520, to include one through lane in each direction, turn lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks and intersection improvements on each end. The bridge will reduce the distance to cross SR 520 from two miles to .2 miles, improving the circulation of people and goods linking the east and west sides (across SR 520) to the Overlake area which employs 46,000 people.

• The East Lake Sammamish Parkway Rehabilitation Project will restore panels of concrete roadway that have deteriorated and settled from many years of heavy use. This has created uneven driving surfaces, which compromise safety. The pavement has exceeded its existing service life and the need for rehabilitation is critical, Marchione said. Road drainage culverts have also exceeded their service life and are in need of repair.

• Through the 2009 Redmond Street Rehabilitation Project, new asphalt pavement will cover four miles of City of Redmond streets. Without addressing immediate needs for repair, the deterioration of damaged pavement will lead to significantly greater expense in the future.

Marchione’s also eager to move forward with the construction of Fire Station 17 and to purchase the right-of-way for the BNSF Railroad tracks in downtown Redmond.

If the latter becomes a reality, plans are to run utility pipes through that area and also have a recreational trail while still leaving open capability for light rail.

Clarifying zoning codes and permitting processes are also on the radar, as well as rewriting the city’s development guide, said Marchione.

Cole referred to that aim as one that will require a major time commitment but is greatly needed because the current guide is “very fractured.” Having been written by so many different people, it’s difficult to navigate and one section may seem to contradict another.

Marchione said he wants, “a predictable and convenient process for residents to know what’s allowed where … have it clearly spelled out to maintain same standards.”

With regard to the desire for a downtown park, the location and size are not yet determined but Marchione would like to see a Redmond Parks non-profit formed to guide the process and again involve citizens in the decision-making.

When asked what, if anything, threw Marchione for a loop in his first year as mayor, he responded, “I didn’t realize parking downtown would become a problem so quickly.”

Along with more mixed-use buildings in the area, there’ll be continued attention on how to address that concern.