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OPINION | Host of letters to the editor regarding Christmas signs [4] CRIME ALERT | Redmond Police Blotter [3] SPORTS | Overlake School boys win Friday Harbor basketball tournament for second straight season. [17]
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
Citizen feedback vital in shaping city budget SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
The City of Redmond is currently working to collect data from the community to learn where people’s priorities are when it comes to the city’s budget. Every two years, the city conducts a communitybased effort to review its financial picture and the resources needed to fund key city services through its Budgeting by Priorities (BP) process. The city’s six priorities are: safety, clean and green, business community, community building, infrastructure and growth and responsible government. The data the city is collecting is through Your City, Your Choice — an online campaign that was launched on Dec. 4. Community members are in-
A festive time for all at Redmond Lights Above, Redmond Lights attendees ride the carousel at Redmond Town Center last Saturday night. The annual festival drew thousands of people to the Redmond City Hall campus and the town center. Right, the tree on campus brightens the night. The festival also featured music, food, a luminary walk and holiday market. For more photos, see page 18. SAMANTHA PAK, Redmond Reporter
vited to evaluate the kinds of programs citizens value most by choosing their top three programs under each of the six city priorities. “We’re inviting citizens to share with us what their most important priorities are for the city,” said Mayor John Marchione. “Citizen feedback helps ensure that the city is focusing resources on our residents’ highest priorities.” To participate in the survey, visit www.red mond.gov/YourCityYour Choice. “Last year we had over 1,400 participants in the first version of Your City, Your Choice,” said Mike Bailey, finance director for the city. “This year we have reworked the exercise to gather more granular data on the programs community members’ value in each of our city priorities. [ more CITY page 3]
Residents capture theft of Christmas packages on home videos A resident who lives in the 12600 block of 164th Avenue Northeast in unincorporated King County near Redmond reported that someone stole two packages from his front porch on Monday, and he has it all on videos.
The man, who prefers to remain anonymous, said the packages — Christmas gifts that his wife ordered — were stolen at about 1:10 p.m., about an hour after they were delivered by UPS, which confirmed delivery when he later checked with them, he said. King County Sheriff ’s Office Sgt. Cindi West, media rela-
tions spokesperson, said the value is estimated at more than $200. In the videos — which were taken from surveillance cameras mounted at his front door and on his garage — a person driving south on 164th Avenue Northeast in a white Hyundai Velostar with no front license plate (the rear plate
can’t clearly be read in the footage) backs up and pulls into the circular driveway at the front entrance to the home. The driver — with brown hair, a dark jacket, dark jeans, dark boots, a red shirt and sunglasses — exits the vehicle, runs to the front door and returns to the car with the packages before driving away.
“My fear is that they’re following UPS trucks,” said the man, who called 911 to report the incident. “I want to get this out there and let people know. Be on the lookout, get a plate (number) and call police.” The man, who works from home, said his UPS driver normally knocks on the door when delivering
packages and he meets with the driver, but that didn’t happen on Monday. The Reporter contacted UPS for details on the incident, but hadn’t received information as of the paper’s deadline. A King County Sheriff ’s officer visited the home to take a report and copy the [ more PACKAGES page 3 ]
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ANDY NYSTROM anystrom@redmond-reporter.com