East Link Agreement Draft on Monday Bellevue City Council Agenda

The Bellevue City Council will consider at its meeting Monday a draft of a binding agreement with Sound Transit that would bring a transit tunnel for East Link light rail through downtown Bellevue.

The binding memorandum of understanding would outline how the city and the transit agency would cover the additional $276 million that a tunnel through downtown Bellevue would add to the $2.5 billion cost of the East Link project.

Last week, the city council considered sending a letter to Sound Transit asking to extend a Oct. 25 deadline to reach the agreement.

Sound Transit in July approved a light rail line that included a downtown Bellevue tunnel for its East Link project, which connects Seattle with the Eastside through Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond.

, with the condition that the city cover $160 million of the tunnel cost with through tax breaks, property acquisition, cash and other actions and that the city also sign a memorandum of understanding with the transit agency on how the costs would be split.

, Bellevue city officials have also angled to include provisions on how the transit agency will minimize the impacts to the Surrey Downs, Enatai and other neighborhoods that fall along the above-ground path of the East Link line.

Other items on Monday's agenda include the Human Service's Commission's recommendations for the 2012 Community Service Block Grant, consideration of fire protection services agreement with Clyde Hill, Medina, Newcastle, Beaux Arts, Hunts Point and Yarrow Point.

You can download a copy of Monday's East Link materials, including the review memorandum of understanding, at Bellevue's city council web page.

If you go

The is scheduled from 6-10 p.m. at There is a 30 minute executive session that is closed to the public scheduled for 6 p.m. The council meetings are broadcast live on Bellevue Television (cable channel 21). Video of the meetings can be viewed any time online from Bellevue TV.

East Link coverage: