Published September 24 2020
Plus, Economic Development Plan update and tributes to icons recently lost
On Monday, the City Council held the second of three public hearings on the city’s 2021-2022 operating budget and the 2021-2027 Capital Investment Program budget. Due to the ongoing pandemic and its economic impacts, Bellevue is projected to have a budget gap of $16 million.
More than a dozen residents spoke to encourage councilmembers to prioritize support in the budget for issues including police funding, climate action and human services. The council listens to and considers this feedback from the public as they review a preliminary budget proposal from the city manager, expected to be presented in October. A final public hearing will take place in November.
The full discussion from the second hearing can be viewed via video replay from Bellevue Television. A replay from the first budget public hearing is also available.
Economic Development Plan update
Councilmembers reviewed the city’s draft Economic Development Plan update before the final plan comes back to the council for adoption later this year.
Eight council objectives for the plan were approved in 2019. Since then, the council has received a series of presentations describing proposed strategies in the plan to address each objective. In July, staff also presented priorities that had been adjusted to reflect COVID-19 recovery strategies.
The city’s economic development plan is a five-year strategic plan. Annually, an action plan will be developed with quarterly progress updates to council. The plan contains strategic themes of connection, collaboration, communications, regionalism, and internationalism, with a goal to sustain and enhance Bellevue’s exemplary quality of life to attract businesses, residents, and visitors alike. New focus areas for the plan include Capacity Building & Partnerships, Workforce, Small Business & Entrepreneurship, Retail, Creative Economy and Tourism.
Councilmembers requested that the final plan emphasize multiculturalism, innovative economy, childcare considerations, local amenities close to home, local workforce pipeline, access to technology and capacity for connectivity needs. The plan materials can be found in the meeting agenda item and the full discussion is available through Bellevue Television.
Tributes to icons recently lost
Councilmembers took a few moments at the beginning of the meeting to remember and recognize three major figures in their fields who recently passed away, two with local connections.
Bill Gates Sr., the father of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates Jr., passed away Sept. 14. He was instrumental in managing and guiding the foundation that would become the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a local lawyer, he also led several charitable and educational causes in the Puget Sound region and at the University of Washington, where he received his law degree.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also passed away in the last week. She was a champion for gender equality and women’s rights, and was only the second woman to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court when she took the role in 1993. Prior to her appointment, Ginsburg founded the Women’s Rights Project with the ACLU and argued several gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court, winning nearly all of them. She served on the court from 1993 until her death on Sept. 18.
Finally, local athletic coach Ed Pepple died at age 88 on Sept. 14. He coached high school basketball for 49 years, winning more games than any other coach in state history. Ed Pepple is in six halls of fame, including the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame and the National High School Coaches Hall of Fame. Mayor Lynne Robinson noted that Pepple was her tennis partner and sometimes opponent on the court, saying, “He took up tennis in his 70s and won not because he was the fastest or hardest hitter. He was the smartest player and he played without an ego.”