Published February 26 2020
Plus, Eastrail and economic development plan updates
At Monday’s extended study session, the City Council received a joint report from all city departments accredited through their respective industry associations. Accreditation is a formal process of evaluating an agency’s effectiveness by comparing their practices and operations to well-established industry standards. Bellevue is the only city in the state to have five departments – Fire, Police, Utilities, Transportation and Parks & Community Services – accredited.
Bellevue departments are among a select handful in the country to receive accreditation.
- Bellevue Police is one of just nine Washington law enforcement agencies accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
- Of the 30,000 fire departments in the U.S. and Canada, Bellevue Fire is among just 1% that are accredited. Studies show tenured accredited departments have fewer fire casualties, less property loss, and lower insurance rates in their jurisdictions.
- Bellevue Utilities was the first of its kind to receive accreditation in the state in 2004 and one of only 14 agencies accredited in the nation at that time.
- Bellevue Transportation has been accredited since 2007 and its Residential Traffic Guide was selected by the accrediting agency as a best practice model.
- Bellevue Parks & Community Services is one of only three such agencies to be accredited in Washington.
Accreditation shows the city’s commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, provides clear, high standards for departments to follow, and gives constituents and stakeholders independent verification of the quality of city operations. The full council presentation and discussion can be viewed through Bellevue Television.
Eastrail progress update
Also on Monday, councilmembers heard a briefing on Eastrail, previously called the Eastside Rail Corridor trail. The Eastrail is a 42-mile-long regional trail for pedestrians and bicyclists now under development. The trail will pass through Bellevue as it runs from Renton north to Snohomish County.
While most of the trail section in Bellevue is owned by King County, the project involves several public and private partners, including the City of Bellevue, with a vested interest in the trail’s planning and completion. Groups such as the Eastrail Regional Advisory Council, Eastside Greenway Alliance, Eastrail Partners and King County Parks Foundation have emerged to assist in planning or funding for Eastrail.
In early 2018, King County completed an interim gravel trail segment in north Bellevue, from 108th Avenue Northeast to SR 520, and a segment in south Bellevue, from Newcastle Beach Park to Renton. The south Bellevue segment will be paved this year.
In 2019, King County voters approved a parks replacement levy that includes more than $50 million for Eastrail projects. Major upcoming Eastrail projects in Bellevue are expected to include:
- Wilburton Trestle: Rehabilitation of the landmark Wilburton Trestle for use as part of Eastrail will cost an estimated $30 million. County, state and local funding will cover some of the cost, including $2 million from Bellevue.
- NE 8th Street Bridge: King County’s replacement levy includes $18.1 million to build a bridge over Northeast Eighth Street, between 116th and 120th avenues northeast. It will provide safe, comfortable passage over NE 8th Street for pedestrians and bicyclists and a connection to the new light rail Wilburton Station. Construction is expected to begin this year and finish in 2022.
- Bridge over I-405: As part of the state Department of Transportation’s I-405 Renton to Bellevue project, WSDOT will install a new pedestrian-bicycle bridge to carry Eastrail over the southbound lanes of Interstate 405.
Other, smaller projects planned along the trail include: rehabilitation of the Southeast 32nd Street Trestle near 118th Avenue Southeast ($2 million); a SR 520 Trail Connector project ($1.55 million); and city design work for neighborhood trail connections at Spring Boulevard, Main Street and the I-90 Trail ($500,000).
More information and maps are available with the agenda item materials.
Economic development plan update
The council also reviewed draft recommended strategies for the six new focus areas of the city’s Economic Development Plan Update. The strategies were developed in response to Council objectives, data analysis findings and stakeholder outreach.
The six new focus areas of the plan update are:
- Capacity building to deliver services and infrastructure that benefit several constituencies
- Small business support and development to ensure a diverse business community
- Workforce strategies to increase training and access to talent pools
- Retail action plans to support existing and new retail establishments
- Developing a strong cultural brand for Bellevue to encourage a robust traditional and digital creative economy
- Exploring further efforts to increase tourism
The discussion will continue with review of a draft plan presented to council in March. The full presentation and other supporting materials can be found in the agenda item.