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Continued from previous pageyour curbside cart. Many organizations offerholiday light recycling, and you can compostyour holiday tree and other greenery.See KingCounty.gov/green-holidays for moreways to enjoy a zero-waste winter holiday season!Eco Book Bingo & Zero WasteWinter Challenge!Bellevue Utilities and Bellevue’s King CountyLibrary System libraries have partnered to offer aZero Waste BookBook Bingo & Zero WasteWinter Challenge!Bingo and winterchallenge for kidsof all ages! Visitany of the fourKCLS libraries inBellevue to requesta free bingo board.1. Fill in this bingo board with the books you read and actionsyou complete through December 31, 2021.2. Connect four squares in a horizontal, diagonal or vertical lineand returnthis card to one of your King CountyLibraries in Bellevue to receive a pencil madefrom recycled newspaper! Newport Way 14250 SE Newport WayLake Hills 15590 Lake Hills BoulevardBellevue 1111 110th Ave NECrossroads 15600 NE 8th StreetRead a book abouttrees or plants.Write the title here:What is something youpersonally can reuse orrethink to reduce waste?Is most wrappingpaper recyclable?Go outside.Write three naturalitems you see here:Read a book aboutsomeone that helpedprotect the Earth. Whodid you read about?Read a book aboutbirds or animals.Write the title here:1. Yes NoRead a book aboutcomposting or foodscraps. Write thetitle here:Do items need to beclean, empty and drybefore you recycle them? Yes No2.3.Fill in the bingoboard withbooks you readabout natureand protectingour planet, as well as simple actions you take toreduce waste. Kids that return their completedbingo board to the library (Downtown Bellevue,Crossroads, Lake Hills or Newport Way libraries)by Dec. 31 receive a pencil made from recyclednewspaper. Bingo boards include suggestions forenvironmental books in the library system, or kidscan ask the super knowledgeable staff at theirlibrary for more ideas. Happy reading!Read a book aboutrecycling. Write thetitle of the book youread here:What is one item youcan recycle at home?Make a craft projectusing recycled materials.What did you make?Read a book about anoutdoor adventure.What did you read?Where does petwaste belong? Garbage Recycling CompostRead a book about waysyou can help the earth.Write one action youlearned about here:Read a book aboutplastics and ourenvironment. What isone single-use plasticitem you can eliminatein your life?What is somethingyou did today toreduce garbage:One entry and one prize per person. Bingo prizes available until December 31, 2021 while supplies last. The Cityand KCLS reserve the right to disqualify entries with inaccurate information or for not complying with the game.Facing a past-due utilities bill?Contact us about available helpBellevue Utilities is committed to helpingcustomers who have had difficulty paying utilitybills, especiallydue to financialimpacts causedby the COVID-19pandemic. Thegovernor’swater shut-offmoratoriumended onSept. 30, but Utilities will continue to suspendwater shut-offs and late fees for nonpaymentthrough the end of the year to provide customersadditional time to pay past-due balances and/orset up payment plans.We encourage all customers who have or mayface a past-due balance to contact us as earlyas possible about available support options,some of which are listed below. Other financialassistance programs are listed on the City’sCOVID-19 Community Resources page atBellevueWA.gov/COVID-19. Payment Plans: Utilities staff can help setup flexible payment plans that work withcustomer needs. Please contact 425-4526973 or myutilitybill@bellevuewa.gov todiscuss options. Emergency Assistance Program: Thiscan help cover up to four months of basicwater, sewer and drainage service chargesfor customers who have faced a one-timefinancial shock, such as job or income loss dueto COVID. To be eligible, customers must meetthe program’s low-income guidelines for thepast 30 days and not receive other Utilitiesfinancial assistance. For more information andto apply, visit BellevueWA.gov/utility-relief,or contact 425-452-5285 or utilityrelief@bellevuewa.gov. Utility Rate Relief Program: This programprovides a discount on basic utility costsfor water, wastewater and drainage tolow–income seniors (62 and older) and low–income persons with permanent disabilitiesCustomers must meet specific residencyand income guidelines. Visit BellevueWA.gov/utility-relief or contact 425-452-5285 orutilityrelief@bellevuewa.gov to learn moreand apply. Low-Income Household Water AssistanceProgram (LIHWAP): This federal program canhelp cover past-due balances on water and/or wastewater bills for customers who meetthe state’s low-income guidelines. To learnmore about program eligibility and apply forassistance, visit Hopelink.org/need-help/energy or call 425-869-6000.

The NEP votes are in!Woodridge neighborhoodchooses four projectsThanks to allWoodridge neighborswho participated inthe NeighborhoodEnhancement Programover the past severalmonths. The programkicked off in April, withthe city receiving 61 resident-identified projectideas for how to spend the 161,000 budgetallocated for the Woodridge Neighborhood Area.City staff reviewed each of the submitted projectideas for accessibility, feasibility, cost, timelineand maintainability. In September, residentswere presented nine projects on the ballot forconsideration, with four projects chosen byresidents to receive funding.1. Woodridge Trail Enhancements. This projectwill include many enhancements including:installation of trail drainage to help with trailwater issues in the winter; trail surfacing forthe entire system; the addition of a bike rackand gravel pad at the Southeast 13th Streettrailhead; the installation of Mutt Mitt dogwaste stations and a trash receptacle at eachtrailhead; and the installation of trail bridgedeck grip plates to all bridges in system toalleviate the potential for slippery surfacesduring the winter rainy season.2. Woodridge Southeast 8th GatewayEntrance Landscaping. This project willprovide new landscaping along 121stAvenue Southeast between Southeast8th Street and Southeast 10th Street,with emphasis around the Woodridgeneighborhood entrance sign. The plantingswill replace aging, dead and dying plants,fill in missing locations, and replant in areasimpacted by construction. The existingirrigation system will receive minor updatesto include water conserving technologies.3. Richards Creek Open Space Invasive VegetationRemoval & Native Planting. This project willinvolve the removal of non-native invasivevegetation from natural wetland areas withinRichards Creek Open Space. The scope of workwill involve the removal of non-native invasivevegetation from the Richards Creek riparianbuffers. All the areas impacted by the removalof invasive vegetation will be replanted withnative trees and shrubs that are suitable forsite conditions. This project will result in amore diverse and healthier wetland ecosystemthat should enhance wildlife habitat andimprove ecosystem functions.4. Residential Street Lights at threeselected locations. Southeast 16th Place between121st Avenue Southeast and123rd Avenue Southeast 121st Avenue Southeast betweenSoutheast 15th Street and Southeast16th Place 127th Avenue Southeast betweenSoutheast 20th Place and Southeast23rd StreetThis project will install up to three (3) newPSE-owned and maintained LED streetlightswithin the street limits detailed in thelocations above. The new poles will reside inCity of Bellevue right-of-way and light publicstreets. A City of Bellevue lighting engineerwill determine exact street light placementbased on available right-of-way, availablepower, and relation to underground utilities.New streetlights also require adjacenthomeowner approval prior to installation.Project costs will include new poles, newLED streetlights, all necessary trenching andwiring, and property restoration. All work willbe conducted by Puget Sound Energy.Continued on next page

Continued from previous pageNEP is a city-funded, capital improvementsprogram that allows residents to proposeand select small-scale projects to improve thequality of life and enhance the character of theirneighborhood area.In August 2015, Bellevue’s City Councildedicated 5 million to NEP. The 5 millionallocation is distributed among the city’s 14 NEPNeighborhood Areas based on the number ofhouseholds in each area. NEP rotates throughthe 14 Neighborhood Areas at a rate of twoNeighborhood Areas per year.Next on the list for NEP in 2022, are the Newportand Somerset Neighborhood Areas. Newport willkick off in January with a virtual public meeting.Look for NEP to come to Somerset in early April.To find out which NEP Neighborhood Area you callhome, please visit BellevueWA.gov/nep.Utility box beautificationexpanded to DowntownThe City of Bellevue is looking for more Eastsideartists to design artworks for utility and signalboxes in the city, after a successful round of artcollected and installed on utility boxes in theBelRed Arts District earlier this year.This latestopportunity isopen to all visualartists living on theEastside, workingin any mediumthat can be digitallyreproduced on atwo-dimensionalvinyl wrap. Selectedartists will receive a stipend ranging from 800to 1,100 to create artwork for utility boxes inBellevue’s downtown area.The deadline to apply is Dec. 8 at midnight. Thecall for artists and the Eastside Artist Roster, withwhich applicants must be registered to participate,are both online: bellevuearts.smapply.io/All questions should be directed to ManetteStamm on the city’s arts team at 425-452-4064or mstamm@bellevuewa.gov. More informationon the city’s public artprogram, including alook at the featuredartists and worksselected for the BelRedutility box art wraps,is available on thecity’s Public Art andOpportunities webpage.Watch out for impostors!Tony Leahy, CENTS Executive DirectorSeniorMoneyProject.orgIn an impostor scam,someone pretendsto be someone elsefor the purposeof getting yourpersonal or financialinformation. Thiswas the most-reported scam category in 2019,according to the Federal Trade Commission.Anybody can pretend to be anybody!A scammer can pretend to be from a governmentagency, like the IRS, a business, such as Bankof America, or a family member or friend.Scammers are even pretending to be a loveinterest on social media and dating websites.Tell-tale signs of a scam The government agency or business asksfor sensitive information over the phone,text or email. They contact you to get sensitive informationthat they should already have. They ask you to wire money or send it via anuntraceable manner, such as Money Pak orGreen Dot cards. Someone you really don’t know very well asksyou for money.Steps to avoid impostor scams1. Don’t be rushed, pressured or make adecision in a panic. Scammers try to scare youso you act without thinking things through.2. Verify you are communicating with whoyou think you are. Don’t just respond to the

number in the email, voicemail, or text. Lookup the correct number in the phone book, onyour bill, or online. Sadly, scammers are nowsetting up imposter websites so you want tomake sure you are contacting the legitimatebusiness or government agency if you look itup online.3. Be very judicious when you provide personaland/or financial information. Do not providethis over text or email.4. Do not wire money or send it in anuntraceable manner.5. Don’t loan money to people you don’t reallyknow. If you do decide to loan someonemoney, even someone you know, make acontract and make sure you have that person’sname, address, and contact information. Public art by artist Katy StoneConstruction continues to complete the SouthBellevue light rail station as part of Sound Transit’sEast Link Extension project. East Link servicebegins in 2023 and will be known as the 2 Line.The park-and-ride and future station are locatedat 2700 Bellevue Way Southeast, Bellevue, Wash.For bus stop and schedule information: ST Express routes 550 and 556: soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/schedules-maps King County Metro routes 241 and dules-maps.New report about the effects ofnavigation appsSouth Bellevue Park-and-RideopensAre new navigationsystems such asWaze and GoogleMaps contributingto transportationchallenges?Sound TransitExpress andKing CountyMetro riderscan now usethe SouthBellevue Parkand-Ride fortransit service for routes 550, 556, 241 and 249.In 2020, the City ofBellevue partneredwith the nationalSafe RoutesPartnership toexplore the effectsof navigationsystems, such as Google Maps and Waze, oncommunity mobility, safety and livability.City of Bellevue and Sound Transit elected officialsand staff formally opened the South BellevuePark-and-Ride garage on Nov. 15.Bellevue was one of five case study communities,along with Orlando, Charlotte, Atlanta andMontgomery County, Md., selected to providebackground on residents’ experiences dealingwith the negative implications of navigation apps.For more information, there are helpful videosand resources at SeniorMoneyProject.org.The garage features: 1,500 parking stalls A connection to the I-90 and Mercer Sloughtrails to facilitate non-motorized accessto transit Bicycle racks including a bike cage for securestorage of up to 35 bikes, with additionalracks and on-demand lockers to be addedwhen East Link opens A nature overlook of Mercer Slough, open tothe publicThe result is a new Routes of Health fdocument/2021/routes-of-health-final-report.pdf) on the use of the navigation systems byautomobile drivers and other road users. Some ofthe findings detail the “Consequences of ModernNavigation System Use,” including: changingtraffic patterns, questionable effects on reducingtraffic congestion, interfering with emergencyoperations, contributing to distracted driving andContinued on next page

other poor driver behaviors, health impacts andimpacts that exacerbate inequities.The study includes an appendix specific toBellevue (BellevueWA.gov/sites/default/files/media/pdf document/2021/routes-of-healthappendix.pdf). Key community engagementtakeaways from Bellevue include: Collaboration and communication betweenCity staff and residents are important toaddressing traffic safety challenges. Navigation apps are a small part of a largertraffic safety issue. Residents want more transparency withnavigation app companies, not solely tocomplain about issues, but to understandmore about how these platforms work andhow they can be used to advance safe travel.Bellevue Utilities winter weatherpreparedness tipsWith winter weather on the way, now is a goodtime to take steps to prepare to protect yourself,your loved ones and your home from thepotential for flooding and freezing. Below are afew top tips.Keep storm drains clear of debrisFallen leaves and debris can create big problemsfor our storm drains. Utility crews monitor stormdrains regularly, but with 20,000 drains aroundthe city, we can use your help. You can helpprevent flooding on your street by keeping yourstorm drain surfaces clear.Please only cleardrains if it is safeand you can workfrom a sidewalk,out of the street.Put all leavesand compostabledebris in yourorganics cart. Ifyou see a drain flooded below the street surface,or if you experience any flooding issues, contactBellevue Utilities right away at 425-452-7840.Crews are available to assist 24/7.More guidance to help prevent flooding andsteps to take if you experience flooding on yourproperty is at BellevueWA.gov/prevent-flooding.Winterize your home to preventfrozen pipesWhen temperaturesfall, unprotectedwater pipes canfreeze or break.Before the cold hits,take these steps toprotect your pipesand save yourself the mess, cost and headache ofdamaged or burst pipes. Insulate pipes in exposed areas like yourhome’s crawl space, basement or attic. Youcan also wrap pipes with heat tape—followmanufacturer instructions closely. Seal leaks and close foundation vents tokeep freezing air out. Open vents again in thespring to prevent dry rot. Drain and disconnect garden hoses andinsulate hose bibs. Winterize irrigationsystems appropriately. Keep heat set to 55 degrees during freezingweather spells, especially when leaving homefor several days. Crack a faucet in extreme cold weather. Thetrickle can help keep pipes from freezing.If your pipes freeze or break Know your water shut-off valve locationto turn off gushing water quickly. It is usuallylocated in a basement, garage, or outsidenear the foundation. If you do not have ashut-off valve or it is broken, you can alsoturn off the water at the water meter. SeeBellevueWA.gov/TurnOffWater for a guide. To thaw frozen pipes safely, apply ragssoaked in hot water (use water from yourtoilet tank or emergency supply). For yoursafety, NEVER use an open flame or electricaldevice while standing in water.If you need help shutting off your water in anemergency, call Bellevue Utilities 24/7 at425-452-7840.CDD-21-6497Continued from previous page

Who to call, where to turn inbad weatherHow to get emergency information: Sign up for alerts to receive email or textnotification during emergencies or extremeweather at BellevueWA.gov/emergencymanagement. You can also subscribe to AlertKing County at norcom.org. Follow the city’s social media sites: Checkyour Nextdoor feed or the city’s Facebook(Facebook.com/bellevuewashington) andTwitter (Twitter.com/bellevuewa) pages forthe latest developments.The following list ofemergency contactinformation resourcescan help you be preparedto protect your home andyour loved ones in criticalweather events. The cityis also prepared for snowand ice with seven four-by-four trucks and eightdump trucks that can be configured with plows andsanders to clear roadways.Who to call: For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. To report flooding, blocked or hazardousstreets and sidewalks, fallen trees, damagedtraffic signs or signals, and similar problems,call the city’s 24-hour response line at 425-4527840. You can also report these issues on theMyBellevue app. To report a power outage, call Puget SoundEnergy at 1-888-225-5773. Website information: During significantweather events, get information about localimpacts, including the city’s response, onour homepage at BellevueWA.gov or underthe Emergencies and Extreme Weather pageat BellevueWA.gov/emergencies. Streetclosures are posted at BellevueWA.gov/trafficadvisories, and information about the City’ssnow and ice response, driving tips and homesafety tips can be found at BellevueWA.gov/snow-ice. The city’s “Winterize” weatherpreparedness guide(BellevueWA.gov/sites/default/files/media/pdf document/2019/Winter%20Prep%20Guide.pdf) has more helpful tips. The guideis translated in Chinese, Korean, Russian,Spanish, and Vietnamese and is availableonline at the city’s Snow and Ice web page.

Boards and Commissions MeetingsAs of April 1, no meetings are taking placeat City Hall. Stay updated on meetings andcancellations: BellevueWA.govAll meetings are conducted at City Hall unlessotherwise noted. Agendas are subject to change. If aholiday occurs on a Monday, please check the updatedcalendar. Agendas can be downloaded from the city’sweb pages listed below. Meeting alerts are availablethrough subscribing to the City’s Special MeetingNotices page. erks-office/special-meeting-noticesBellevue Diversity Advisory Network(6 p.m., Bellevue City Hall) Last Tuesday of each isorynetworkHuman Services Commission (6 p.m., 1E-113)First and third Tuesday of each month commissionLEOFF 1 Disability Board (6 p.m., Room 1E-118)First Tuesday of each month y-boardLibrary Board (5p.m., Lake Hills, Bellevue orNewport Way Library) Third Tuesday of each rdParks & Community Services Board(6 p.m., 1E-113) Second Tuesday of each mmunity-services-boardThe Bellevue Network on Aging (BNOA) 8:30East Bellevue Community Council (6:30 p.m., LakeHills Clubhouse, 15230 Lake Hills Blvd) First Tuesdayof each month ity-councila.m., North Bellevue Community Center4063 148th Ave NE, Bellevue) First Thursday of eachmonth BellevueWA.gov/bnoaArts Commission (4:30 p.m., 1E-109)First Tuesday of each month nd Thursday of each month mmitteeYouth Link Board (6 p.m.,1E-120)Second Wednesday of each month BellevueWA.gov/city-government/departments/cit

Garden d’Lights, but children 10 and under get in for free. On-site parking is also 5, or free for people with limited mobility, verified via disability parking permit. Parking is free at nearby Wilburton Hill Park. Tickets are available online at GardendLigh