MI Weekly

    A weekly update from the City of Mercer Island


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

Nov 27

Nov 28

Dec 3

Dec 4

Dec 5

Dec 6


Dec 10


MAYOR
Debbie Bertlin
 
DEPUTY MAYOR 
 
COUNCILMEMBERS 



Volunteer Opportunities 

City Hall Address
9611 SE 36th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040

Phone
206.275.7600


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.
Nov 27, 2019 | Vol. 14 | No. 48
ParkingSound Transit to Launch Permit Parking
Click to learn more and apply
This week, Sound Transit announced that reserved parking will soon be available at the main Park and Ride facility on Mercer Island, using up to 50% of its 447 stalls, depending on demand. As part of an ongoing regional initiative to provide additional parking options at its 14 busiest facilities, Sound Transit is adding the last three lots into its permit program, which started in 2018.

Online sales begin at 7:00am on Monday, December 2, on a first-come, first-served basis
. Applicants must already possess an ORCA card, which are available online or at the North End QFC Supermarket.

The new monthly renewable permits will allow transit riders to access reserved parking stalls until 9:00am on weekdays. After 9:00am, permitted stalls become available to any driver for free, potentially providing new availability for MI residents who have not been able to utilize the P&R late on a weekday morning.

Permits will become active on January 2, 2020. For Mercer Island, permits will cost $120/month for Single Occupant Vehicles (SOV) or will be free for registered carpoolers/HOV's (with conditions). Prices are based on market rates for private parking in nearby locations -- Seattle's current average monthly rate is $255/month.

To learn more program details, or apply online, visit
www.soundtransit.org/permitparking
Lights_MunchHoliday Lights and Firehouse Munch Returns
Click for more event information
Save the Date! The City is pleased to announce that the Holiday Lights at Mercerdale Park and the Firehouse Munch will be happening once again this year, on Friday, December 6, starting at 6:30pm.

Residents recently approached the City seeking to restore these two events that had been canceled due to financial constraints. Thanks to generous donations, volunteers, and staffing by the Fire Union, the festivities are back for 2019.

After the lights and music at the park at 6:30pm, the event continues at the nearby Firehouse for the famous chili feed. Learn more -- we hope to see you there!
Mercer Island Goes Green
Grease_OilDon't Pour Grease Down the Drain
Click to learn about Recology's
oil recycling program
This Thanksgiving, you can help the City by NOT pouring hot grease and oil down the drain! Instead, use these alternatives:
  •  Pour cool fats and oils into a can and then place that in the trash. Please also scrape remaining grease off plates and pans into the garbage (not the compost) before dish-washing.  
  • If you have larger volumes of oil (e.g. deep fryers), this can now be collected for FREE at the curb by the City's new hauler, Recology; contact their customer service to schedule.
Food scraps should all be placed in your curbside compost cart, which is much better than sending them down garbage disposals and into the City sewers.  

Together, these practices are more sustainable, and help avoid costly blockages within drains and City sewer lines.   If each of the 7,300 residential sewer connections on the Island places just one teaspoon of Fats/Oils/Grease (aka "F.O.G.") into the sewer system every day, this amounts to the equivalent of 63 fifty-five gallon drums per year.  

That creates a big problem that can take a lot of time and effort to resolve! It's not pretty... Learn more from this  City of Spokane video.
Pipe_MaintRoutine Water Mains Flushing Along EMW
Flushing equipment is mounted to a truck and trailer; 
click to learn more about the City's Water Utility
As part of routine maintenance, next month from December 1-20, City crews will be flushing dead-end water mains along East Mercer Way (EMW) to remove sediment and ensure ongoing water quality. View map of the affected area.

Flushed water will be cleaned by powerful mobile filtration machinery, then returned back into the water main. This saves water and avoids the need to discharge high volumes of water into nearby sewer lines. Affected homes will receive doortags and postcards as reminders of the work; only minor traffic delays are expected.

The City's Water Utility suggests the following guidance:
  • During Flushing:  You may experience a slight temporary drop in household water pressure and discolored water. The sediment and discolored water are not a health hazard. Please avoid water use during the flushing time period (9:00am-5:00pm), especially for laundry. 
  • Post-Flushing:  Open an outside faucet and run water until it flows clear. Flush a toilet or run cold water into a bathtub until the indoor water is clear. Once your water is running clear, you may resume normal water use.
Please contact Public Works with any questions and concerns at (206) 275-7608 or Email publicworks@mercergov.org.
Holiday City Facilities Closed Over Thanksgiving
Click to view all City holidays
In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, City facilities will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29.  This includes the Mercer Island Community and Event Center (MICEC) where no programs or rentals will be offered on these days.

Click here to view all City holidays.

 

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

ross.freeman@mercergov.org or 206.275.7662.