Lake Forest Park to End Cable TV Channel, Residents to See Higher Garbage Rates, Police Stats

Lake Forest Park plans to shut down its local cable TV channel next month, a change that’s expected to save the city about $20,000 a year. At the same time, residents will see higher garbage collection rates starting January 1, 2027, according to a report from City Administrator Phillip Hill. The report also details police activity during the first half of October, public works maintenance projects and Seattle City Light’s new approach to electricity rates for large data centers.

City cable channel to go dark Nov. 13

The city’s local cable channel will go dark on November 13, since the city isn’t renewing the software license needed to run it. City Council meetings will still be broadcast live on the city’s YouTube channel. This switch is expected to save about $20,000 per year.If you used to watch council meetings on cable, you’ll now need to tune in online.

Garbage rates increasing in January

Under the city's existing contract, Republic Services will raise its collection charges and miscellaneous fees by 3.5% on January 1. The exact increase for each customer will depend on their service level, since King County’s disposal charges are also going up. King County’s disposal fee will rise from $217.11 to $236.03 per ton—an $18.92 bump, or about 8.7%. The county’s disposal costs include infrastructure charges and fees for handling garbage at transfer stations and the landfill. Under the city’s contract, those costs are incorporated into customer rates alongside Republic Services’ annual collection-rate adjustment. For example, if you have weekly pickup with one 32- to 35-gallon garbage cart, your monthly bill will go from $41.09 to $43.11—a $2.02 increase each month. Other customers will see different increases based on their service level. You can check the city’s rate schedule for the new charges starting January 1.

Police Department

Between October 1 and October 14, 2026, Lake Forest Park Police Department staff responded to 394 calls for service. This included calls dispatched by NORCOM and incidents officers initiated themselves. Here’s a breakdown of the types of calls officers handled during this period:

• 50 Behavioral Health Incidents
• 4 Disturbances
• 2 Domestic Violence Incidents
• 1 Child Protective Services Incident
• 1 Order Violation
• 1 Vice Incident
• 2 Suicide/Suicide Attempts
• 23 Suspicious Incidents
• 3 Theft/Forgery Incidents
• 2 Vehicle Prowls
• 2 Vandalism Incidents
• 8 Warrant Arrests
• 2 Harassment Incidents
• 1 Missing Person
• 2 Juvenile Incidents
• 1 Possession of Stolen Property
• 44 Requests for Assistance from community members, the fire department, other police agencies and others
• 161 Traffic Stops, Traffic Accidents and Traffic-Related Calls
• 84 Miscellaneous Calls, including alarms, foot patrol, lost and found property, and animal problems

Traffic emphasis locations:

• Whispering Willows Park
• 15100 block of 37th Avenue NE
• 19000 block of 35th Avenue NE (posted speed limit: 25 mph)
• 3200 block of NE 195th Street (posted speed limit: 25 mph)
• 15800 block of 40th Place NE
• 165th Street and Beach Drive
• All school zones

Seattle City Light develops new data center rates

The city administrator’s report also summarizes a Seattle City Light policy intended to ensure large, new data centers pay the full costs of their electricity demand rather than shifting those expenses to existing customers. Under the outlined approach, data centers seeking up to 10 megavolt-amperes of electrical capacity would have to pay for necessary grid infrastructure and rates that reflect the cost of securing new electricity supplies and transmission capacity. The proposed requirements also address contracted electricity demand, fees for exceeding agreed-upon limits, conservation measures and the timing of projects awaiting adequate power supplies and grid connections. The report notes that Seattle adopted a similar ordinance in July.

Public works crews complete seasonal maintenance

City crews completed a range of maintenance and safety projects during the reporting period. Work included fence improvements at city parks, annual stormwater facility inspections, vegetation management, and additional street sweeping, including weekend work. Crews also removed vegetation near a State Route 522 bus stop to improve the visibility and effectiveness of its solar-powered light. Other work included temporary safety measures after a vehicle accident on 153rd Street damaged a guardrail; gravel maintenance along roadway shoulders; installation of no-parking signs; and repairs to a burned HVAC component after an after-hours alarm at a city facility.

Upcoming meetings

The report lists several public meetings scheduled for November, including the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Nov. 3, the Tree Board on Nov. 4, and the Planning Commission on Nov. 10. The City Council will hold a work session and regular meeting on Nov. 12, with a Budget and Finance Committee meeting scheduled for Nov. 19. Residents can find meeting information and online access details through the City of Lake Forest Park website.

Source document attached. ChatGPT was utilized in part for this post, along with human editing. 

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