More than 5,000 residents of Eastgate and Tamara Hills are only a few weeks away from ending a years’ long quest to become part of the city of Bellevue.

The Bellevue City Council will make a final vote March 19 to begin providing city services to these residents beginning April 1.

“We are checking off boxes,” said Council Member Claudia Balducci. “This is a lengthy process with a lot of stops along the way.”

The latest box was checked off Monday night, when the council held an obligatory public hearing to discuss the proposal. Only three people spoke, and they offered brief messages of support. They were glad that a process that dates back decades, is finally coming to an end.

Bellevue previously attempted in 1990 to annex the Eastgate area with a vote passing easily. But when it became apparent that residents would be forced to pay off some of the city’s bond debt, the people voted it down and Bellevue declined to continue with the annexation process.

Following the annexation, Bellevue will provide police, fire and other services to the new neighborhoods. Previously, the county provided these services.

Bellevue will lose approximately $1.2 million per year by providing services to these areas. But the City Council has applied for a sales tax exemption, where the state kicks back some of its collected income to the city to deal with added expenses.

Annexation agreements with Hilltop and Horizon View are expected to be discussed this summer.