Published March 14 2025
Plus, Grand Connection Crossing, minimum sentencing discussion and celebration of Nowruz
The City Council met in executive session Tuesday to review the qualifications of applicants for appointment to the Bellevue City Council after current councilmember Janice Zahn was appointed to the State Legislature in January and announced her intention to vacate her city council seat on March 28.
20 applicants from the community expressed interest in filling the seat until the November General Election. At the City Council meeting, the council announced they had narrowed the field to five finalists: Jaskaran Singh Sarao; Claire Sumadiwirya; Diala Ezzeddine; Eric Drever; Vishal Bhargava.
At next week’s council meeting, the finalists will be interviewed by the council and will be asked to answer the following questions:
- What do you see as the role of a city councilmember, and what does it take to perform the role well?
- What do you consider the top issues facing the city and how would you address them?
- Can you share an example of a time when you navigated a complex decision-making process involving conflicting viewpoints, interests or competing priorities? How did you handle the situation?
- If appointed, how would you actively support and advance the City Council vision?
Following the interviews, the council will meet again in Executive Session to discuss the qualifications of those interviewed. At a future meeting, the council will select a finalist who will be invited to join the council by appointment, expected to occur in April, with a role effective until the results of the November General Election are certified. Pursuant to state law, the City Council has until June 27 to appoint a qualified individual to fill the vacancy. On February 25, Council directed staff to open a call for applications for the position and the application period was open Feb. 26-March 7.
More information is available in the council meeting materials for next week’s meeting.
Grand Connection Crossing
The council unanimously gave their support for an updated scope and budget for the Grand Connection Crossing over Interstate 405. The new bridge, targeted for completion by 2030, will be a key feature of the Grand Connection, a non-motorized corridor that will extend from Meydenbauer Bay to the Eastrail trail in Wilburton.
The project team is recommending a design that includes wide pathways, landscaping, vertical connections and separate paths for those walking, rolling and biking. The project is estimated to cost between $150 million and $200 million.,
The new crossing will provide a safer way to travel over I-405, connect to local trails, light rail and future bus lines, while spurring development of vibrant public spaces.
Earlier this year, the team shared a 30% design concept informed by community input, engineering needs and cost estimates. This design provided a long-term vision for the Grand Connection Crossing with an array of features that can be phased in over time or delivered in coordination with redevelopment of city-owned and private spaces along the route.
The design presented to the council Tuesday, which is considered feasible in the short term, delivers an initial crossing with the community’s most desired elements and amenities.
In the coming months, the city will refine the design, advance final engineering and construction plans and develop the funding strategy.
More information can be found on the project website and meeting materials.
Minimum sentencing discussion for certain crimes
In other business, the council considered an ordinance to set mandatory minimum sentences for individuals who have repeat offenses for certain public disorder crimes that make up most of Bellevue’s overall reported crimes.
The crimes considered for the ordinance included shoplifting and theft from a motor vehicle (car prowls), which occur almost three times as much as the next most reported crime in Bellevue. Theft crimes make up five of the top six types of reported crimes in the city. Overall crime is down in Bellevue, though certain crimes including shoplifting are seeing increases.
The proposed ordinance would target adults over 18 years old who have been convicted of shoplifting or vehicle prowling and have two or more convictions of the same public disorder crime in Washington state in the past two years. The proposed mandatory minimum sentence for these offenders would be 30 days.
After a discussion, the council unanimously voted to take six months to further study the proposed ordinance, researching peer jurisdictions with similar ordinances and understanding how new tools, including community court, could affect current law enforcement practices and systems. The full discussion can be viewed on Bellevue Television replay.
Proclamation for Nowruz
The Council issued a proclamation celebrating Nowruz, or Persian New Year, in Bellevue and encouraged community members to enjoy the many celebrations for this holiday taking place throughout the region and recognized by many diverse ethnic and community groups.