• Published November 9 2023

    Plus, Ethics Officer procurement and winter preparedness 

    On Monday night, the City Council provided feedback on proposed amendments to the city’s land use code that would enable a longer approval period for design review on development projects in Bellevue. This would allow project developers more flexibility by allowing additional time for an approved design review to remain in effect.

    Design review approvals are required for most development projects in the city’s mixed-use land use districts. Under the current code, design review approvals without building permits expire after two years. The proposed changes would provide additional flexibility for projects by making extensions possible. 

    After discussion, the council directed staff to evaluate additional approaches to offer flexibility in extending design review approvals. The land use code amendments will be scheduled for a public hearing at a future meeting. The full discussion is available online.

    Ethics Officer procurement

    Also at Monday’s meeting, the council unanimously directed the City Attorney’s Office to commence the procurement process for new Ethics Officer legal services through a contracted lawyer. The ethics officer would perform the duties listed in the city’s Code of Ethics (BCC 3.92), which was first passed in 2013. The previous contract for Ethics Officer services expired in 2022. 

    Winter weather preparedness

    The council also received an update from the city manager and the Transportation Department on winter weather preparedness and response, including a recap from last year’s efforts. 

    The Transportation, Utilities, Parks & Community Services, and Finance & Asset Management departments all share in winter and storm response. Staff from these departments underwent annual training in October to be fully prepared for a winter response by Nov. 1. Some changes for the 2023/24 winter season include new local weather sensors and an updated winter event response map. 

    More information on the city’s winter response and how residents can prepare their households for the cold are available on the Snow and Ice webpage. 

    Proclamations for Diwali and lung cancer awareness

    The council issued a proclamation declaring Nov. 12 Diwali, the Festival of Lights in Bellevue. The proclamation acknowledged the contributions of the South Asian community and encouraged all community members to celebrate Diwali’s message of bringing light to the world through tolerance, compassion and building bridges of understanding. 

    The council also proclaimed November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month, emphasizing the severity of the disease and the importance of screening, for which eligibility has recently changed. To learn more about lung cancer screening, visit Cancer.org.