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· Create a vibrant urban center· Protect our current neighborhoods and natural environment · Improve connections for vehicles, bikes and pedestrians· Preserve more parks and open space· Plan for needed infrastructure · Ensure our community has a sustainable balance of jobs and housing
Why? Not all public infrastructure outlined in the plan will automatically be built. Instead, this is a flexible plan that can be updated throughout the next several decades to fit Issaquah’s needs and growth. Plus, prices will undoubtedly change during the next 30 years.
If you already have an account (have registered for any programs with Issaquah Parks and Recreation) please call 425-837-3300. Online Registration
Know and rehearse the process for cancelling an accidental alarm. Notify your alarm company immediately if you have any problems with your system.
Be aware of common problems that can lead to false alarms, such as: weak alarm system; backup batteries; open, unlocked or loose fitting doors and windows; party decorations, such as helium-filled balloons; wandering pets; improper application or installation of motion detectors; failure to properly train other users.
You may receive information from ATB Services with the Issaquah Police Department logo, but the ATB Services address and telephone number. That's OK - it is legitimate communication about Issaquah’s program.
Responding to these false alarms can unnecessarily cost Issaquah – and its taxpayers – thousands of dollars each year. In addition, officers responding to these false alarms are not able to respond to actual emergencies or conduct preventative patrol.
Alarms must be registered with the City by Oct. 2, 2009.
Commercial and residential alarms: $24 Seniors 62 years or older (this only applies to residential alarms, and the senior must be an owner or lessee): $12 Permanently disabled: $12
Alarm users will be contacted by Alarm Tracking and Billing Services (ATB) to facilitate permit renewals.
After five false alarms occur at a single address within the two-year permit period. If registration fees or previous false-alarm fines are not paid. If your alarm company does not comply with the City’s ordinance.
Zones that start with an "A" (A, AE, AH, AO) are 100-year floodplains that are determined by a Flood Insurance Study. In most instances, base flood elevations (the elevation of the predicted flood level) are derived from detailed hydraulic modeling.
Zone X shows area outside the 100-year floodplain, but within the 500-year floodplain.
Finally, floodways are located in the immediate vicinity of the stream and depict areas of high flood hazard.
Please note: Any money, valuables, or clothing transactions can take up to an hour.
Please note: Any money, valuables or clothing transactions can take up to an hour.
It is important that you do not report to serve jail time under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs, as you will not be admitted and a letter will be sent to the court notifying them that you were under the influence.
Annexation means that an area is converted from being unincorporated (and governed by a county) to being included within the boundaries of an incorporated city or town.
Annexation affects both governance and service delivery. Upon annexation, residents may vote for the elected officials of their city or town and the municipal laws of the city or town apply.
The methods by which cities may annex territory are governed strictly by state law, and they vary somewhat by city classification. Cities and towns located in counties that plan under the Growth Management Act may only annex property that is located within their designated urban growth areas.
Service delivery is more complex, and service providers do not necessarily change upon annexation. The county continues to provide regional services that apply to all county residents, but local services change in some cases. For example, law enforcement and municipal courts of the city apply. But areas served by water and sewer districts, library districts and school districts remain in those same districts and continue to receive those services from those districts even after annexation.
For a complete answer to this question, please review the revenue, cost and cost vs. revenue analysis reports. In summary, the cost has been estimated to be approximately $4.6 million annually to serve the Klahanie PAA if it is annexed, with additional onetime costs of approximately $6.1 million, or $1.2 million per year for the first five years, for a total of $5.8 million per year during that period.
The Klahanie PAA would generate approximately $5.3 million annually, with a potential additional revenue of up to $1.2 million per year if the City is eligible for the State of Washington annexation sales tax credit authorized by RCW 82.14.415.
If Klahanie PAA is annexed to Issaquah, it would likely experience a significant increase in level of service by police.
The City police have less distance to travel to respond to a call for service and a larger number of officers available at a shorter distance than the King County Sheriff's Office. The experience with most annexations is that the calls for service go up immediately after annexation in recognition of this increased ability to receive a quicker response.
Whether or not an office for police would be located in the PAA is an issue that remains to be determined as a policy matter by the police in conjunction with the City Council. The cost report does not include that item at present.
For roads, the level of service is reflected in the pavement condition scores, which indicate that Issaquah has a higher level of maintenance, on average, than King County is able to provide. It is assumed that Issaquah would continue this higher level of service within the PAA if it is annexed. The cost report assumes that the lowest-rated roads would be brought up to standard within the first five years as well.
The Issaquah-Fall City Road capital project was mentioned in the cost report, but the cost of that project was not included in the report as a onetime expenditure related to annexation. The project has been on the books at King County for many years and is considered a regional project. The City of Issaquah estimates that its cost of $38 million far exceeds the other costs that the City would incur and is prohibitive. Thus, it is mentioned only as an ongoing regional need that has yet to be funded.
Currently, fire and emergency response services are provided to the Klahanie PAA by Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R), a regional consortium of four cities (including Issaquah and Sammamish) and two fire districts. These jurisdictions pool resources in order to provide efficient fire and emergency response service to the 120,000 residents and the businesses of their combined areas.
If the Klahanie PAA is annexed to Issaquah, no service delivery would change. The same stations, staff and equipment would be used to serve the area after annexation as before. The only change would be which jurisdiction pays EF&R for the area annexed. Beginning on the day of annexation, Issaquah would pay the consortium an increment for the Klahanie PAA and Fire District 10 would pay that same amount less. For more information, a full report on this issue is available.
There are currently three types of park facilities in the Klahanie PAA.
One type is parks that are the privately-owned and operated facilities of the Klahanie homeowners association. These would remain under private ownership and would not be available to non-association members.
The second type is Klahanie Park, which is currently owned and maintained by King County. Ownership of that park would be assumed by the City of Issaquah, which would then maintain it.
The third category is the trail that is tangential to Klahanie Park. This is King County right-of-way beneath power transmission lines. That right-of-way easement would be retained by King County if the PAA were annexed.
The State of Washington provides a sales tax credit of 0.1 percent for 10 years for cities in a county with more than 600,000 population that annex an area with more than 10,000 residents in population, if the annexation commences before Jan. 1, 2015, and the cost to serve the annexation area is greater than the revenue that would be generated by it.
This sales tax credit for annexation, which is authorized by RCW 82.14.415, could generate an amount up to $1.2 million for Issaquah if the Klahanie PAA is annexed prior to Jan. 15, 2015. The amount would be equal to the difference between costs to serve the area and revenues that would be generated by the area.
There are a number of onetime costs and additional ongoing costs to serve Klahanie PAA at Issaquah levels of service that would allow the circumstances for Issaquah to be eligible for this additional revenue. However, there are also circumstances in which the City would not be eligible or might choose to not accept the funds. For example, if the annexation is not sufficiently commenced or completed by Jan. 1, 2015, the City would not be eligible. The City might choose different amortization periods for the onetime costs than the cost analysis used. The City might choose lower levels of service citywide, changing the relationship of costs and revenues. The City might choose not to risk reliance on a funding stream that the Washington State Legislature could withdraw on short notice.
The City’s decision to annex must occur before any of these other questions can be addressed.
The assumptions contained in the draft cost report indicate that it would cost approximately $4.6 million annually to serve the Klahanie PAA if it is annexed.
The onetime costs currently assumed in the study total $6.1 million, which if annualized over five years, would be $1.2 million per year. So for the first five years, with these assumptions, the cost to serve the PAA would be $5.8 million per year; and from then on the cost would drop to approximately $4.6 million annually. However, it is also true that by that time, other policy choices may have increased the cost to serve Issaquah, including the PAA portion.
The task force is reviewing and commenting on the annexation feasibility study to assure that it is complete, understandable and unbiased. The group is also advising the City and its consultants on effective communication with the community about the study.
The committee will not be making recommendations to the City of Issaquah or the public regarding the potential annexation.
The study includes:
• A Core Financial Analysis that estimates what it would cost Issaquah to serve the Klahanie PAA at its current level of service, as well as what revenue it would receive. It also determines the fiscal bases or metrics that drive the revenue and cost projections.
• An Impact Analysis that describes the effects of annexation on Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR) service areas.
• An Options Analysis that compares the projected revenues to the projected costs and outlines the choices for Issaquah, should it decide to annex the Klahanie PAA.
The study also provides for several methods of public involvement, including a citizens’ task force, public meetings and a website.
The study does not include a financial analysis for Sammamish, since a city can only annex an area that’s located in its designated PAA. The Klahanie area is currently located in Issaquah’s PAA.
In addition, the study also does not include an analysis of changing water and sewer service from the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District to the City of Issaquah, because annexation doesn’t automatically change a water or sewer provider for an annexed area.
The Klahanie PAA is bounded by both Issaquah and Sammamish. For many years, this area has been identified in the City of Issaquah’s comprehensive plan as a PAA. Issaquah is expected to annex and provide public services to this area before 2022, per the State of Washington’s Growth Management Act.
A city may annex territory only within its designated potential annexation area. Issaquah, Sammamish and King County would all need to agree on any changes to the potential annexation area and amend their Comprehensive Plans accordingly. The state Growth Management Act requires that city and County comprehensive plans are consistent with one another.
The voters of the Klahanie PAA could certainly consider incorporating as its own city. Any contiguous unincorporated area of at least 1,500 inhabitants may incorporate as a city.
RCW Chapter 35.02 sets out a uniform procedure for incorporation of an area as a second-class city or a noncharter code city. This process is described on the Municipal Research Services Center’s (MRSC) website.
More information from the MRSC is also available on what happens if proposals for both an incorporation and annexation take place at the same time.
In unincorporated areas, solid waste and recyclables are collected by companies that have franchises through the State of Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). These franchises allow specific garbage haulers to collect waste within designated areas, subject to the service levels established in the county’s solid waste management plan. Rates are set by the hauler, but must be approved by the WUTC.
Per state law, when an area annexes, the hauler franchise is cancelled once the City gives notice that it intends to contract for services or provide its own collection service.
The hauler serving the area prior to annexation, however, has seven years (plus damages, which could be paid via extra time or actual money) to continue to provide service to compensate for its investments made in equipment and labor, as well as other cost factors, including the expense of cancelling the franchise.
Alternatively, the hauler’s collection right may be purchased or cancelled through condemnation, as long as it receives proper compensation for its damages.
When the Greenwood Point/South Cove annexation occurred, the city notified the solid waste collector that it wanted to bring the new neighborhoods into the City’s existing contract.
However, since the City cannot assume collection immediately, solid waste collection in Greenwood Point/South Cove will continue to be provided by the same company and at the same adjusted rates during the transition period.
In the Greenwood Point/South Cove annexation area, the total transition period, including time for compensation for damages, is 10 years. After that, Greenwood Point/South Cove will be part of the regular city contract for waste and recyclables collection, with the same hauler and at the same rates as the rest of the city.
We will respond to your request within five business days. In some circumstances, you will be asked to present photo ID at the time you request or pick up your report. This is to comply with laws regarding the release of restricted information. If your case is a criminal case, your request may be forwarded to the city prosecutor for release.
Our records department is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday (closed on holidays). If you choose to mail in your request, include a letter with your information in it, as well as your case number and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail your request to:
Issaquah Police DepartmentAttn: RecordsP.O. Box 1307Issaquah, WA 98027
We do not release police reports over the phone, fax or through email. Public disclosure requests will be taken over the phone, fax or through email and released with appropriate redactions.
Department of LicensingAttn: Firearms DeskPO Box 9649Olympia, Washington 98507-9649
Department of Licensing will send an application packet to the requester, along with instructions on how to proceed. Once the application received from the Department of Licensing is completed, it must be presented to the local law enforcement agency.
Applicants must present:
A completed application A Washington driver's license or identification card VISA, I-94 (Immigration form) or Resident Alien Card
A non-refundable fee of $74.25 fee is collected and one set of fingerprints are taken (fingerprints are processed from 9-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays). The completed application and fingerprints are forwarded to Department of Licensing by the law enforcement agency. Department of Licensing sends Alien Firearm Licenses to applicants directly. Should the applicant then be interested in then applying for a Concealed Pistol License, the Alien Firearm License must be presented to the law enforcement agency to submit an application.
Applications, which are available from the Records Division, must be completed for all new, renewal, late renewal or replacement licenses. License fees are due upon application and are non-refundable. Fees are:
New license $52.50 Renewal $32.00 (within 90 days prior to expiration) Late renewal $42.00 (within 90 days after expiration) Replacement $10.00 (lost or stolen)
Licenses are valid for five years from the date of issue. Learn more.
Washington driver license or identification card Current Federal Firearms License Current State Business License Current Issaquah Business Registration License
Dealer licenses are valid for one year from the date of issuance, and normally take two weeks to process. The fee of $125 is collected upon issuance, not upon application. Checks are to be made out to WA STATE TREASURER. Learn more.
First approved in 1993, the city’s ban aims to keep both citizens and property safe. Most of Issaquah’s surrounding cities, including Sammamish, Bellevue and Redmond, also ban fireworks for personal use. Learn more.
The cameras only operate during school days from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. The cameras monitor both directions of traffic along Second Avenue Southeast near the Clark Elementary School, Issaquah High School and Tiger Mountain High School corridor.
Only vehicles that exceed the school zone’s speed limit of 20 mph are photographed and videotaped.
Before the $124 infractions are mailed to the registered owners of speeding vehicles, the Issaquah Police Department reviews and confirms each violation.
The infraction is a non-criminal offense that, like a parking ticket, is not part of the violator’s driving record. Those who receive an infraction have the option of paying the fine in full, requesting a hearing or submitting a “declaration of non-responsibility.”
To keep our waters clean, pet owners should pick up their pet waste from paved and landscaped areas and dispose of it properly so that is does not wash off into storm drains, lakes and rivers.
Follow these pet waste tips:• Carry a plastic bag with you on walks.• Pick up pet waste and dispose of it in the trash.• Pet waste does not go in yard waste bin.• Do not dispose of pet waste in native growth and vegetative areas.
All participants that are not potty trained and those that wear diapers must wear a swim diaper covered by a swim suit or plastic pants with elastic around the waist and legs. Non-swim diapers are not allowed in the pool.
The pool depth varies. The shallow end is 3 1/2 feet and slopes down towards the bulkhead to 4 feet. The lap end of the pool is 4 1/2 to 12 feet deep with a gradual slope from 4 1/2 to 6 feet; however, the pool floor slopes quickly from 6 to 12 feet.
Studies have shown that simply reducing the speed limit does not slow down traffic, since drivers behavior is based on the characteristics of the roadway.
Using stop signs to control speeding, however, is ineffective because traffic will only slow or stop in the immediate vicinity of the stop sign. Oftentimes, speeds are actually higher between intersections to make up for the time lost for stopping.
Also, an approved tree removal permit is always required for the removal or alteration of landmark trees, defined as trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of greater than 30 inches. The City wants to emphasize the importance of retaining older large trees, so trees with a DBH of greater than 30 inches cannot be removed without an approved tree removal permit.
Multi-family and Commercial Properties - Any Significant Tree removal requires a permit.
The City offers a one-time leak adjustment to your bill if you qualify. Qualification criteria and instructions for how to apply for the leak adjustment is available on the Leak Adjustment page.