March 30, 2015 Spokesman
Posted by David Aubry
on Mar 31, 2015
Rotary Meeting Minutes March 30, 2015
We had quite the interesting meeting tonight – a tour of Kirkland’s new police headquarters personally conducted by Chief Eric Olsen. Several folks attended who haven’t been around much recently – it was good to see them.
Greeter was Dave Aubry.
We dined on very nice sandwiches from Jimmy Johns’, in the facility’s meeting room. It had been beautifully set up, with additional treats, including a plentiful supply of CHOCOLATES[!] by Chief Olsen’s very efficient Executive Assistant, Patti Ball. Everyone also received an attractive, official KPD pen and touch-screen stylus.
Prior to the meeting, we admired the Kirkland and KPD history display in the building lobby, including a beautifully restored 1948 Ford in the livery of the KPD of the time.
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 by President Pro-Tem Megan Nakinishi, President John Pruitt being out of town.
The Pledge was ably led by Jim Goings.
Guests introduction:
Mike Hunter introduced his wife Sharon and mother-in-law Evelyn.
Ben Premack introduced his friend Trevor McCann.
Announcements:
Patti Smith announced that as part of the fund-raising and support- building effort for our upcoming Capital Project, the Waverly Park Picnic Pavilion, the Kirkland Parks Foundation will be making presentations to the Neighborhood Meetings over the next few months. She is looking for Rotary members to also be present at these meetings to answer questions and help build support for the project.
The Kirkland Rotary Foundation Auction will be 6PM, May 31, at the Kirkland Women’s Club. This is always an enjoyable social affair.
We thanked Patti Ball for her efforts in setting up the dinner and meeting venue.
Editor’s note: Megan is showing a singular, and an admitted, reluctance to give up the podium so we can get the tour under way. [Perhaps a good candidate for Club President in the future?] (Duly Noted :-) )
We had quite the tour – we viewed offices, evidence and records rooms, interview rooms, holding cells, the firing range, shops for bikes and vehicles, a lab, and numerous other spaces. We heard about some of the security features of the building, and about how it had been remodeled from essentially a warehouse. It incorporates many Green features such as run-off capture and filtration for use in the surrounding landscaping, and the extensive use of motion-controlled lighting in the interior spaces.
Chief Olsen recounted some facts and background on the growth of the City and of the Department. In keeping with Kirkland’s growth, the Department is about twice the size that it was just a few years ago, mostly due to the recent annexation.
The design and reconstruction of the building was driven by a careful balance of cost and features to try to produce a building that will serve far into the future.
As a side-note, we heard about the story of the acquisition of the 1948 Ford, found completely restored near San Diego, bought with donated money, and with few changes, outfitted as an authentic Police Car of the time.
The Tour finished and President Pro-Tem Megan adjourned us at 8:10.