Council Roundup: Hearing loops enhance participation

Also, Environmental Stewardship program is seeing green

The installation of state-of-the art hearing loop systems at key city buildings will enhance public participation by people with hearing loss. Last night, the City Council received a report about the new systems in City Hall Council Chambers, Council Conference Room (Room 1E-113) and the Bellevue Youth Theatre that provide greater functionality and ease of use for people with a wide range of hearing impairments. Hearing loops broadcast a clear audio signal that can be received directly by anyone with a hearing aid or cochlear implant with a T-coil.

As part of its commitment to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the council approved Capital Investment Program funding in 2015 for the upgrades.

The celebration will continue on April 16, when the Bellevue Youth Theatre debuts its new hearing loop system at 6 p.m. prior to a showing of "Oklahoma."

Good energy from environmental stewardship program
Also at last night's meeting, councilmembers learned of key achievements from the city's Environmental Stewardship Initiative and the program's priorities for 2016.

Currently, Bellevue is vying for a $5 million award with the Georgetown University Energy Prize and is in fifth place among 50 other cities nationwide. To boost its standing, the council approved a "Bellevue vs. Bellingham" challenge that would encourage Bellevue residents to participate in the program and take a pledge to reduce home energy usage.

Solarize Bellevue 2.0, a renewable energy program the city hosted in 2015, has netted 38 new solar installations, adding to the 50 installations completed in the first campaign. The second campaign included the contractor, A&R Solar, donating $2,000 to Jubilee REACH and the Interlake High School Saints Robotics Team.

In another energy conservation program called the Green Power Challenge, Bellevue residents and businesses exceeded the target registration goal by over 50 percent, and the city received a $50,000 award from Puget Sound Energy. The award will go towards the installation this summer of a solar array at the Crossroads Community Center.

The city is partnering with PSE in the Urban Smart Bellevue program that will engage a "district" of downtown commercial buildings to reduce energy consumption over a two-year period. Outreach begins soon with a kick-off event planned in June. The program is free to participants.

The work of the city's interdepartmental Environmental Stewardship program is guided by the 2013-2018 ESI Strategic Plan.