MI Weekly
    A weekly update from the City of Mercer Island


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(For event details, visit the City's online calendar or click on a specific event)
Your City Council

MAYOR
Bruce Bassett
 
DEPUTY MAYOR 

Debbie Bertlin  

 

COUNCILMEMBERS 

Dan Grausz 
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Volunteer Opportunities 
City of Mercer Island
Address
9611 SE 36th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040

Phone
206.275.7600

Fax
206.275.7663

Hours
Monday - Friday
8:30am to 5:00pm

Donations Requested 
The Mercer Island Food Pantry relies on your non-perishable food donations to keep the shelves stocked year-round.
Click for more info.
Mar 8, 2017 | Vol. 12 | No. 10
Light_RailLight Rail Litigation and Negotiation Update
Click for the light rail FAQ page
At this Monday's regular meeting (March 6), the City Council held the necessary public hearings on the two moratoria that it enacted.  These are intended to ensure that the City's code can be amended to comply with the Growth Management Act with respect to the construction of light rail.  Learn more about moratoria in the light rail FAQ.  On March 6, Sound Transit sent a letter to the City objecting to these moratoria. 

Also on March 6, the City was notified of two counter claims against it: one challenging the suspension of the Shoreline Permit; and the other challenging the issuance of moratoria.  The first hearing covering these matters is currently scheduled for 10:00am this Friday in King County Superior Court.

Finally, interested residents who wish to get more involved are asked to send a letter of concern to several regional elected officials. Click here for more information, contact addresses, and key points.
I-90_DetourEastbound I-90 Closure This Weekend
Click for detailed closure information
This weekend (March 11 and 12) I-90 detours return again with an Eastbound closure, allowing the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to undertake light rail preparations inside the Mt Baker and Mercer Island tunnels.

Starting at 11:00pm on Friday, March 11, the WSDOT will funnel eastbound traffic from Seattle to the center express lanes for construction purposes. This particular detour will end earlier than usual: 5:00am Sunday (instead of Monday). 
Click here for other scheduled closures.

Islanders can exit the eastbound express lanes at Island Crest Way or 77th Avenue Southeast. Drivers wishing to reach Bellevue from Mercer Island can enter the mainline eastbound I-90 roadway at Island Crest Way or East Mercer Way.

Several more weekend directional closures of I-90 are planned between now and mid-2017 while the State builds all-day bus and carpool lanes next to the regular lanes. This work will allow the center I-90 roadway to be dedicated to Sound Transit light rail construction, currently scheduled to begin in June 2017.
StairclimbMI Firefighters Join Columbia Tower Stairclimb Fundraiser
MI firefighter Trever Kissel raising funds for the stairclimb event; click to donate
On Sunday, March 12, ten of the City's firefighters are participating in the annual Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, ascending 69 flights of stairs (or 1,356 steps) in Seattle's Columbia Center skyscraper to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

The fundraiser, now in its 26th year, is open solely to firefighters, and completed in full structural firefighting gear: boots, pants, coat, helmet, gloves and a breathing apparatus.

This will be the twentieth time Mercer Island firefighter Kent Bastrom competes in the event; the MI firefighters' goal this year is $10,000.  In 2016, the event featured more than 1,900 firefighters from over 330 different departments (and five different countries) and generated a record $2.3 million for blood-cancer research and patient services.

To date, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has invested over $1 billion to develop cancer therapies and advance the production and application of many drug treatments. To donate to the Mercer Island firefighters' team, visit: www.llswa.org/goto/mercerisland.
Mercer Island Goes Green
Recycling_EventAnnual Spring Recycling Event, March 25
Click for more information
The City's popular annual Spring Recycling Event returns in a few weeks on
Saturday, March 25, from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Mercer Island Boat Launch (3600 East Mercer Way). 

Residents can safely dispose of the old equipment, electronics, appliances, and other household items that are cluttering their basement or garage. Paper shredding also available.

This year, the event will once again offer discounted rain barrels (approx 50 gallons) for use in garden watering.

For more information, and event flyer, click here or call (206) 275-7608.
BoardsServe Your City! Council Seeking Citizens for Boards & Commissions 
business_board
Click for an application
Help improve the livability of Mercer Island by getting more involved in your community.  The City Council is seeking a diverse range of citizens to serve on several volunteer advisory boards.

Appointments to boards and commissions are made by the Mayor and affirmed by the City Council. Generally, terms run June 1 through May 31, for a four-year period. Upon appointment, board members can expect to spend approximately ten hours a month serving on the board, although the level of commitment may vary.

The boards and commissions with positions available are:
For more information on each of these boards or commissions, click on the titles above.  Click here for an application.  Contact Deputy City Clerk Ellie Hooman at (206) 275-7795 or by email for further information or to have an application mailed to you.  The application deadline is Friday, May 5, 2017.

 

  
For questions and comments on the MI Weekly, contact
Sustainability & Communications Manager Ross Freeman at

ross.freeman@mercergov.org or 206.275.7662.