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GOVERNMENT | Legislative leader Ross Hunter sees tough task to balance state’s budget [3]
Community | Students at two Bellevue schools collect food, gifts to help needy here FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2012 and around the world [15]
Politics | New 48th District representative credits Bellevue schools for his success [2]
City Council to talk about project priorities
Snowflake Lane will add a dance stage and a ‘meet and greet’ stage where small children can have their picture taken with a Snowflake Lane Princess and an elf. COURTESY PHOTO
Snowflake Lane to show new features The nightly holiday celebration, Snowflake Lane at The Bellevue Collection will be even brighter this year. The event, starting today at 7 p.m. and continuing through Dec. 24 at Bellevue Way and Northeast Eighth Street, will include a new dance stage and a “meet and greet” with the most popular characters, the snow princesses. Jingle Belles Stage, between The Westin Bellevue and Bellevue Arts Museum in the pedestrian walkway area, features nightly performances by the Jingle Belles dance troupe with a traditional salute to the holidays. Little Princess Court, located just off Bellevue Way between Cheesecake Factory and Blue C Sushi, is designed for little princesses to have their picture taken with three new Snowflake Lane Princesses, and their elves. The space was created to keep little children ones out of the crowd and give them a special place just for them. Back by popular demand are the Snowstorm Stages. Two performing groups of space-age, high tech drummers
known as The Snowstorm will drum out the holiday hits on recycled percussion. The new stages are in front Bellevue Place on the corner of NE Eighth Street and Bellevue Way and along and in the Fountain Court of Bellevue Square along Bellevue Way. The 20-minute show, which is free to the public, features colorful lights and snow, plus live drummers, music and holiday characters all along Bellevue Way and NE Snowmen and princesses Eighth Street outside Bellevue are on hand to entertain Square, Lincoln Square and Belpeople at Snowflake Lane. levue Place. It features live toy COURTESY PHOTO soldiers, music, glittering lights and a snowfall The celebration continues after Christmas until New Year’s Eve with Celebration Lane, a nightly glittery salute to ring in the New Year. Performances are at 7 p.m.
Magic Season: Snow, skating, cocoa – and lots of lights Bellevue Magic Season kicks off today. 23 for seven weeks of outdoor ice skating, lighted displays and snowy performances in and around downtown Bellevue. Once again skating will be available at the region’s largest covered, open-air ice rink. Also, people will be able to experience the drummers’ beat at Snowflake Lane at The Bellevue Collection. And 500,000 lights will form displays at the Bellevue Botanical Garden’s Garden d’Lights.
Other activities include a holiday performance at The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace at The Shops at The Bravern and taking in the winter scenes on display at KidsQuest Children’s Museum’s Gingerbread Lane. Bellevue Magic Season is a partnership between the Bellevue Downtown Association, the City of Bellevue, The Bellevue Collection, The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center and Bellevue Botanical Garden.
The Bellevue City Council signaled its intention to stick with a no-new-taxes plan as it moves toward finalizing the 2013-2019 capital budget. But in the new year, councilmembers want to take an in-depth look at prioritizing much-needed capital investments and how to pay for them. Councilmembers had requested more information on a “4-1-4” property tax proposal to help fund a backlog of projects, mostly road improvements. Four percent increases in 2013 and 2015 would have funded projects, and a 1 percent increase in 2014 would have covered maintenance and operating costs. However on Nov. 13, the council opted to defer discussion about revenue options and capital projects until next year and instead move forward with the city manager’s recommended seven-year capital budget. “Given the economic prospects, including the fiscal cliff and continuing federal deficit, I believe this is the right course of action,” said Mayor Conrad Lee. “At the same time I’m open to beginning the process of looking at what good and wise investments we should be making.” Lee suggested a community visioning process early next year to get the public involved in project prioritization, timing and revenue options to address the unmet capital needs. The dialogue on Nov. 13 was part of a broader process as the council works to finalize the 2013-2014 operating budget, in addition to the capital budget. The operating budget, described as a “status quo” spending plan, includes no general tax increases, assumes slow economic growth, maintains reserves, adds some new economic development programs, and adjusts utility and permit rates to cover higher costs. The council will further discuss the budget during the Nov. 26 council meeting. The council is slated to adopt the budget at its Dec. 3 meeting.
Bellevue may bump up utility fees The Bellevue utilities department is looking at raising water, sewer and storm rates in 2013 and 2014. Much of the increase next year is a required pass-through of the cost of water sold to the city by Cascade Water Alliance and wastewater treatment by King County. The rate increases would also fund infrastructure maintenance and key capital projects. If the council approves the rate increases, the typical single-family residential customer would see their total monthly bill increase by 10.1 percent in 2013, from $123.52 to $135.97. In 2014, their monthly bill would rise another 5.9 percent, $8.06, to $144.03.
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