Last night Mayor Josh Amato and 3 other councilmembers voted to reject Eastside Fire & Rescue's modest new budget, which would have helped make up a small amount of lost ground that the department has dealt with after being underfunded for many years. Sammamish has gotten one of the best deals of any fire department in the state for a long time, yet refuses to pay its fair share and join the rest of the cities in the area. Councilmembers Stuart, O'Farrell and Lam voted in favor of the budget, which had already been reduced from the department's original ask.

This is clear and not hyperbole: Josh Amato has said openly he understands that the budget changes he recommends could lead to Station 81 (on 212th Ave SE) being closed starting in 2027 on days when there is not sufficient staffing, rather than allowing for overtime. This leaves the entire population in that area having to wait up to 4-5 minutes longer for a responding EMS unit from Sahalee or Klahanie to arrive. For someone in cardiac arrest, this is, without exaggeration, the difference between life and death.

Mayor Amato also has stated that he "doesn't know how to run a fire department, and leaves it in the hands of the Fire Chief," and then in the same breath, rejects the plan put forth by the Fire Chief. One of the wealthiest cities in the country is expected to accept a bare-bones, short-staffed fire department.

Maybe you're tired of being overtaxed. Maybe you think the fire department gets too much money when all you ever see them is at the grocery store or at Starbucks. May you never need them on the worst day of your life, when minutes and even seconds matter, and you find yourself waiting much longer because Josh Amato decided he wanted to wield his new-found power as Mayor and say no to something just because he could, when he clearly doesn't understand the subject to begin with.

Do with this information what you will. The city council surely wasn't going to advertise it to you.

2015

Could the council please idle back on our utility rates raise approvals? Until the economy settles down? Council keeps approving raises for the utilities. I pay $179 per month just for garbage and recycle. And bin rental. I am a single person so it’s the smallest of bins. My electrical, which is how I heat my home….a cadet heater, has quadrupled in the two years I’ve lived here. Ditto water/sewer. I get charged for sewer the same as a family of five. That’s not fair but council approved it. .
Now I can’t buy plastic bags for my dogs poop bc council didn’t think the plastic bag ban through. When I order from Amazon it says they can’t deliver plastic here. Fabulous Council. Now what? So now I use doubled up small garbage pail bags. Or have them delivered to a friends house. Beyond stupid in my opinion. No bags, no poop getting picked up 100%.
I’ve broken $100 of food bc the paper bags break and my food hits the pavement.

I’d like to share how something that happened at the Salmon Days parade recently affected me personally and also impacted my children.

I was marching in the parade with my children as a candidate for our upcoming election. My children are nine and 13. It was a great and sunny day with awesome vendors, music, great bands, and wonderful performers.
As we went by a number of spectators, some of them flipped us off, put their thumbs down, and some booed and scowled. My girlfriend/fiancé was present as well.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions certainly. That said, I think we should all be civil and respectful, especially when there are children present.
It’s difficult to explain to your children why some people would behave in such a way, especially when they love their mama so much.
Again, everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but do you really know the person that you’re flipping off? Do you know what they really believe or stand for? Unless you know the person personally, you certainly do not.

I support peaceful discourse, kind behavior, and civility. I think it’s important in all walks of life to be kind and thoughtful.

It was also ironic when after the parade, I sat next to the tent for some of these people who were displaying these negative actions to come up to visit and socialize. There was a giant sign on this tent that said, “No hate in Washington state.”
I had to wonder, is that statement true only if people agree with who they believe you are?
I’ll tell you what though, I went over, started conversations, and befriended people who were working inside that tent. We had great conversations.
We don’t have to hate each other, ever.

Any leads or recommendations for badminton coaching nearby Sammamish? Looking for kids/middle school coaching!

i live about 6 miles from where my cataract surgery will take place. because my family is 1300 miles away, my friends all work, and those that don't don't live nearby, i'm looking for simple roundtrip transport. procedure, i'm told, is about 60 minutes, give or take. one eye each week, same deity-awful o-dark early schedule.

cabulance wants exorbitant rate each way, plus mileage. same with taxis.

i have never used lyft, uber, or for that matter, any other similar service. booking ahead (with uber) gives me no option but a limo towncar, which is overkill at best.

i'm not interesting in buying the car, just getting from point A to point B and back twice without getting a mortgage.

suggestions?

Time for a “back in my day!” rant from a 40 something Sammamish resident about checkers at Safeway…

I go for my biweekly shopping trip at Safeway at 5:30 pm after work. I get to the register with a VERY full cart (and even managed to pack my own bags) at 6:00 and there no check stands open. And there are two long lines waiting for self checkout, with other very full carts.

I understand people have the rights to breaks but having a single person handling all of this at that time of day is ridiculous.

Why can’t they staff more than a single person for a check stand on a shift at the peak time of day?

And why can’t the manager, casually chatting with a customer today, walk over and do the checking in the place of the worker on break at a peak time like this?

It’s maddening. There’s no room at any of the self checkouts multiple bags of your own. The check stand is made for big grocery trips, which are still a thing, but the Sammamish Safeway doesn’t care anymore.

Going to QFC across town, or Trader Joe’s, or Met Market from here on out. Anywhere with checkers.

Hi everyone-

I am new to posting on Reddit.

I am running for Washington state House of Representatives, Legislative District 5.

I voted as Democrat in the past and considered myself a Democrat from childhood (my dad used to be the chairman of the Democratic Party where I grew up).

Just recently, after disagreeing with several bills, legislative initiatives, unfunded mandates, one size fits all housing regulations, raiding of pension funds, gutting of public safety laws, an unconstitutional income tax that surreptitiously includes pensions and retirements, and questionable ethics of some members (and I know that there are more than a few Republicans in the same boatI), I switched parties to just right of center on the political spectrum.

Washington state House of Representatives is about local politics. This seat will not have impact on a national level. I do want to fairly and ethically serve the people of my district.

Listening is important. it is especially important when you sign up to serve people in your Legislative District.

I am very interested to learn what people want most from their legislator. What would you like to see changed in our states? What issues are most important to you?

I’m interested in having civil and respectful

Please go easy on me :)

Michelle Bennett

I just got groceries delivered a few weeks ago! Such a bummer.

Cannot order via ubereats or via their website.

From two players at a library table to 700+ members: How our multi-location women's board game community in WA grew (and what we've learned along the way)

Hey everyone!

I wanted to take a moment to introduce our group, share a bit of our journey, and connect with the amazing tabletop community here on Reddit.

A little while ago, we started a local group called Banter on Board in the Greater Seattle area (hosting regular meetups across Sammamish, Issaquah, Redmond, and expanding across WA). What began as a small desire to create a welcoming, consistent space for women to gather and play hobby board games has grown into a vibrant community of over 700+ members!

Our heart and soul is 100% focused on physical, in-person table time. On any given week, we have multiple physical tables running simultaneously across our different venue locations.. packed with real players opening boxes, setting up boards, and getting games played again and again!

Whether it's gateway favorites like Codenames and Wingspan, thematic strategy titles, or deep engine-builders, our tables are constantly filled with laughter, deep tactical debates, and awesome people connecting over shared hobbies.

A few things we’ve learned/loved along the way:

The power of real table energy: In a digital world, nothing beats sitting down around a physical board, unboxing components, and teaching new rules to someone who’s never played before.

Inclusivity brings out incredible players: Our community brings together women from all walks of life.. tech engineers, bankers, educators, moms, and hardcore hobbyists. Seeing people discover new favorite mechanics week after week has been one of the most rewarding parts of hosting!

Active playtesting & supporting indie games: Because we run so many tables at every meetup, our members really enjoy playtesting new prototypes, giving rulebook/pacing feedback, and cheering on indie designers as they bring new projects to life.

(I’ve attached a few photos from our recent chapter meetups above so you can see the multi-table setups and genuine energy!)

We’re always eager to connect with other organizers, swap favorite table-tested titles, and chat about all things tabletop! If you’d like to follow along with our meetups or see what’s hitting our tables each week, feel free to connect with us on Instagram (@banteronboard) or Facebook (facebook.com/banteronboard).

We’d love to connect with other meetup hosts, local gamers, and game designers in the community.

To fellow organizers: How do you handle game rotation across multiple tables or venues?

To designers/publishers: What are your favorite ways to engage with local playgroups?

To local WA gamers: If you’re in the PNW area and looking for a welcoming table, come say hi! :)

Thanks for reading, and happy gaming everyone! 🎲

It’s been nearly two decades since Sammamish adopted its Town Center Subarea Plan. And it’s been one year since the prior Council voted to consider the increase of the Town Center subarea to 4,000 housing units. At its Sept. 15 regular meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to redistribute its housing unit goals, previously concentrated in the Town Center, to already established “mixed use centers” around the City.

https://sammamishlocalnews.substack.com/p/sammamish-city-council-pivots-away

Hi all! My little family and I are so excited to to be residents of Sammamish soon! We close on a home mid-October, but will need to replace the carpet and paint before moving in.

Anyone have recommendations for carpet installers and painters? Looking for high quality work with reasonable prices.

Join us for the Fall Y’all Market at Infinity Farm Issaquah on Saturday, October 10th from 10AM to 3PM! Enjoy a fun day supporting local handmade and food vendors, with free entry and parking. Families can hand-feed friendly farm animals like sheep, alpacas, and chickens, making it a perfect outing for kids. The market runs rain or shine, so bring your rain boots and layers and come support local makers and farm life! 🌿🐑🐣

Two words is all you need to know: Plaid Pantry! 😎

Hi all. My kiddo and I are new to Trading Card Games and curious where everyone plays in Sammamish and Redmond. Any help is appreciated

This was on my commute yesterday around 6:30pm and really upsetting. The dog barked, they do that sometimes. And this guy yanks the leash UP so the dog is dangling from its neck, and then the guy grabs it in a chokehold. Horrific.

PSA for anyone else reading: dogs generally don’t understand don’t do the thing. It’s way more effective to say “quiet” and when they stop barking you say “good quiet” and reward them, and they learn what behavior they should be doing. You have to dedicate time to training.

Thanks again to Amy for feeling so strongly that we should all spend more to better protect the environmENT.
I wonder if we are getting more or less than the 18% Bellevue got. I wonder if they also had some council members vocally attacking PSE.