Happy Friday, North Bend! Welcome to the newest edition of your Weekly Recap. Remember to click linked headlines for articles and posts.
North Bend’s annual Water Conservation Ordinance begins Tuesday: Early snowmelt and a lack of spring rain resulted in low stream flows in the Snoqualmie River this summer, which has prompted the City to begin the annual WCO one week early, on August 8. Snowpack supplies much of the water that flows through Washington State’s rivers, and the combination of springtime heat and a very dry May and June has resulted in drought declarations in 12 counties so far throughout Washington State. While a drought declaration has not been issued for King County, the City recognizes that the health of the Snoqualmie River moves beyond North Bend and affects neighboring and downstream communities. Beginning Tuesday, August 8, Stage 1 of the City’s WCO will go into effect.
Traffic Alert - Clough Creek Bridge work scheduled to begin Monday with detours through North Bend: King County crews will begin work to repair the Clough Creek Bridge on August 7. The project will require a full road closure for two weeks, through August 21. Crews will be replacing deteriorating concrete beams that support the 73-year-old bridge.
Traffic Alert - Beginning Monday WSDOT will be lowering speed limits on SR 18: This will occur just northeast of Tiger Mountain summit to help protect highway construction crews and people traveling through the work zone. Find real-time traffic information on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) regional travel map and by following the WSDOT Traffic Twitter (X) account, @wsdot_traffic.
- Two temporary speed limit reductions will be in place in both directions between I-90 and Tiger Mountain through late 2024 when construction of the new diverging diamond interchange and SR 18 widening is complete.
- A revised speed limit of 30 mph will begin at the I-90 interchange and end at milepost 27.5, just south of Southeast 104th Street.
- A revised speed limit of 45 mph will begin at milepost 27.5, just south of Southeast 104th Street, and end at milepost 23.8, just north of the Tiger Mountain summit.
The Festival at Mt. Si kicks off next weekend: The annual, historic Festival at Mt. Si is returning to North Bend on Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13. Festival activities include the Grand Parade, fireworks, a 5k Fun Run, live music, a vendor fair, traditional community contests and more. To accommodate the event, a few roads will be temporarily closed next weekend. Click the linked headline for more information.
Congratulations to Friends and Co Ice Cream: Led by the SnoValley Chamber of Commerce and joined by Mayor McFarland, Councilmember Miller, the North Bend Downtown Foundation, family and community, the downtown North Bend business celebrated a sweet ribbon cutting ceremony on July 30. Friends and Co is located at 111 W North Bend Way.
ICYMI: On Tuesday, Mayor McFarland, Council, staff, and community met for the August 1 City Council meeting. Topics included the appointment of a new city attorney and a motion authorizing a contract with FCS Group for a fiscal sustainability analysis. If you missed it, the recording is available on the City website, under Media Center. An audio recording can be found in the Document Center. Another place to view the meeting is on the City’s YouTube channel.
City of North Bend now accepting Human Services Grant funding requests: The City of North Bend is committed to a healthy community where all people thrive. Each year, the City allocates human services funding to nonprofit organizations that serve the North Bend community. The City is now accepting grant funding requests from local human services organizations as part of the City’s 2024 budget cycle. Application requests must be received by September 1, 2023.
Get connected with Notify Me – City news delivered to your email or cell phone: Looking for a simple way to stay up to date on local city news? Notify Me is a free, online subscription tool featured on the City of North Bend’s website, www.northbendwa.gov. The opt-in service allows you to subscribe to a range of topics, so that you can pick and choose subjects for notification that you care about most.
Stay informed and get involved in the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update: The City of North Bend is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, a document that provides a framework to guide investments over the next 20 years and helps to ensure future projects are in line with the community’s vision and goals.
King County ALERT System – a great way to be prepared: ALERT King County is a public information and emergency notification system that reaches citizens wherever they are and on any device. The City of North Bend encourages all residents to register for ALERT to receive important information about significant local events or emergency situations via telephone, text and email.
Keep up with the City on social media: One of the easiest ways to keep up with City happenings and breaking news is to follow us on social media. We are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also find the City on NextDoor.
Photo of the Week: The SnoValley Chamber of Commerce shared photos from the Port of Seattle’s Port Unplugged this week! Mayor McFarland and City Administrator David Miller met up with professionals from all over the region to learn about the Seattle Tacoma International Airport’s passenger growth, sustainable strategies for future air travel, as well as updates on tourism and economic development on the Eastside.
Pictured here is SnoValley Chamber Executive Director Kelly Coughlin, North Bend Mayor Rob McFarland, Snoqualmie Mayor Catherine Ross, former Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson, Snoqualmie Councilmember Rob Wotton, and North Bend City Administrator David Miller.
