Congratulations, Lake Hills, for keeping its representation to the Bellevue Community going. The recent East Bellevue Community Council meeting was an enthusiastic, productive, well attended community event. The council, under Steve Kasner’s entertaining, informative, and knowledgeable leadership, heard testimony from a wide variety of residents impacted by non-compliant boarding houses in their neighborhoods.

Fred Bailey has two such houses in his area, and the Spiritwood community was in full force, explaining again the illegal remodels going on in their bit of Bellevue; the council passed the ordinance overwhelmingly, and emphasized a need for a citizens advisory committee to craft a comprehensive ordinance sooner rather than later.

Mark Poch, Bellevue traffic engineering manager, explained the upcoming Southeast 16th Street improvements and listened carefully to concerns of several residents about congestion at 148th Avenue and Main Street, including increased pedestrian and bus traffic, outdated traffic lights, and the result of success – more traffic – at the revitalized Kelsey Creek Center. He and his new associate, Jeremy Chin, will work to address the safety and convenience issues raised at the meeting.

It is wonderful to have a forum for residents, their neighborhood associations and the city staff to have their concerns heard and addressed. Michelle Murphy as always did a great job of getting the meeting set up. She will be missed next year when she retires.

Betsi Hummer, Bellevue