In case you missed Monday’s Committee of the Whole (COW) or Council meeting, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a quick recap of the conversations shaping our community.
Committee of the Whole Recap
Council received an update from the Renton Police Department addressing gun violence. The department’s crime analyst and officers from the Violent Crime Unit (VCU) presented trends we have seen over the past several years, along with the impacts and progress we have seen since the unit was formed in 2023.
Within the overview of the trends and data around gun violence, RPD’s data highlighted a few key takeaways:
- Gun incidents are decreasing citywide, countywide, and nationwide
- Hotspots of firearm-related incidents include Downtown and Highlands
- The majority of stolen firearms occur in car prowls, residential burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts
The VCU was formed to conduct violent crime and gang investigations, initially focused on juvenile crime. The presentation explained what the unit does to reduce gun violence, the types of guns seen most frequently, regulations RPD must follow, and their investigative process.
Since 2023, VCU has removed 66 guns off the street and completed 215 felony arrests.
Non-profit Community Passageways was scheduled to present on the community-based work and support they provide. While the group was unable to attend, representatives from RPD spoke about the importance of these organizations and their role as a trusted liaison in the community building relationships with young adults to help stabilize their lives. These groups work together with our resource officers and provide a bridge between our department and the community.
The July 20 City Council meeting began with a proclamation recognizing Parks and Recreation Month.
A public hearing was held by the Community and Economic Development Department to release an easement at St. Anthony’s School. The easement currently contains an old 8‑inch wastewater pipe, and the new sewer pipe is built in the city’s right‑of‑way. The city needed access to the easement to replace the old sewer pipe.
During the audience comment portion of the meeting, Council heard comments on the use of ALPR cameras, appreciation for the Talks on the Block program, and kudos for communication about cooling shelters ahead of the upcoming heat advisory.
The meeting continued with one resolution and two ordinances for reading.
First, Resolution 4549 was adopted by the council authorizing the temporary full street closure of Ripley Lane North between the Virginia Mason Athletic Center North Driveway and Eastrail Trail Trestle for fish passage culvert construction.
As part of the public hearing held at the beginning of the meeting, the easement release at St. Anthony’s School was approved to move to the second and finally reading at the next council meeting.
The second quarter 2025/2026 biennial budget adjustment was adopted.
Two motions were brought to the council and approved:
- The first motion was to continue pausing the ALPR Falcon FLOCK cameras while further reviewing the contract AND immediately unpausing the ALPR AXON cameras in our police vehicles and the ALPR Genetec cameras in our parking enforcement vehicles while continuing to collect data on the effectiveness of both systems.
- The second motion was to refer the matter to the administration to look into a third-party auditor to audit all our ALPR systems.
The next Renton City Council meeting will be held on Monday, July 27. Topics for discussion include an update on the Don Persson Renton Senior Activity Center improvements project and future redevelopment of the downtown transit center.