City Council Work Session & Regular Meeting

The City of Lake Forest Park City Council held a work session and regular meeting on November 12, 2026 (the metadata timestamp is November 13 UTC). In the work session, the council discussed a draft public-records fee study proposing a $4 charge per request and additional per-page fees, subject to a future public hearing and legal review. Staff also presented NextRequest records software, quoted at $18,221 for two years; council members supported further consideration, potentially through a budget adjustment, but no purchase was approved. The council unanimously adopted the 2027–28 biennial budget and related tax and utility measures. The budget includes a new Public Works project manager, a voter-approved levy lift projected to provide about $2.3 million in added biennial revenue, a 5% city sewer-rate increase in addition to King County’s 12.75% increase, and a 10% surface-water rate increase. The city also reported receiving more than $157,000 in grant funding for the 178th and 40th Street project. The council approved a design contract for the 37th Avenue NE missing-link project, using city funds as a match while seeking Safe Routes to School funding, and approved an amendment extending Lakefront Park Phase 2 design and permitting work through 2027, reallocating existing funds without an immediate increase. It also approved a GeoEngineers task order for guardrail slope-stabilization investigation and advanced catch-basin inspection work for a later consent agenda.

Other procurement and funding actions included referring a one-year public-defense contract amendment to the December 10 consent agenda; staff estimated a total cost of about $270,000, with a $13,500 monthly base and $900 for each case above 45 per quarter. The council also referred a one-year Northshore Emergency Management agreement, at the prior-year cost of $87,216, and a two-year state legislative advocacy agreement with Gordon Thomas Honeywell Government Relations at $40,104 annually. The council authorized withdrawal from the King County Regional Homelessness Authority interlocal agreement, with severe-weather shelter services expected to continue under a regional arrangement. As a future funding priority, council members discussed seeking approximately $600,000 from the state for permanent restrooms at three parks. No other major vendor awards were identified.