Published June 6 2018
On Monday night, the City Council held the first of three public hearings on the 2019-2020 Budget and 2019-2025 Capital Investment Program Plan. The meeting marks another step in a process that launched earlier this year during the council’s biennial budget workshop. Additional hearings will be held in July and November.
Bellevue’s budget is produced every two years and includes a seven-year capital budget. It serves as a major policy document and describes how the city intends to finance its services and infrastructure. As part of the process, Bellevue uses a “budgeting for outcomes” (also known as “priorities of government”) process called "Budget One" to develop the budget. This model puts the emphasis on community expectations for government services, as opposed to individual departments within the organization.
The city manager will present his preliminary budget to the council in October. Councilmembers will then review and approve the general and capital projects budgets sometime before the end of the year.
The full hearing is available to watch online courtesy of BTV (near the 53-minute mark). More background is also available in the agenda packet materials.
New and improved platform for viewing city codes
Earlier during the study session, councilmembers were briefed on a new platform for viewing the City Code and Land Use Code online. The new interface, partially inspired by the functionality of the new website, is mobile responsive and provides a more consistent experience for users. New features include:
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Easier to find definitions – Users can hover over underlined terms and a pop-up will appear with the relevant zoning definition.
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CodeTrak – Sections containing recently revised code are highlighted with a green “revised” icon.
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Archival versions – Users will be able to view prior versions of the code and even compare archival versions, in redline, to the current code.
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Sharing and social media – In addition to exporting code excerpts to PDF or Microsoft Word, users will now be able to post directly to their Facebook or Twitter feeds.
In their comments, the council praised the update, highlighting the increased accessibility for residents and the suite of new features. Based on council input, the new platform could launch as early as next Tuesday, June 12. A walkthrough guide for users will be posted online later this month.
Environmental Services Commission and Convention Center Authority appointments
The council also took a moment to approve the appointments of Ling Zhuang to the Environmental Services Commission and Bob Wallace to the Bellevue Convention Center Authority (BCCA) Board. Zhuang’s term will run through May 31, 2021. Wallace’s term will conclude on Jan. 1, 2020.
The Environmental Services Commission advises the council on water, wastewater, storm and surface water, and garbage programs. The seven members, all residents within the Bellevue Utilities service area, are appointed to four-year terms.
The seven-member BCCA Board, a public development authority, is appointed by the city manager and confirmed by the council. It oversees ownership and operations of the Meydenbauer Center.