In an effort to assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 emergency, tech giant Facebook recently launched a  Small Business Grants Program. 

The company is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits to help in this challenging time.  Up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in more than 30 countries where it operates will be able to receive the grant. 

The program opened to businesses in New York City and the Seattle area first; to be eligible to apply, you must:

At the Tuesday night (April 21) City Council Meeting, the State Auditor's Office (SAO) presented its annual report on the City's financial statements and book-keeping protocols. In a detailed process that takes several months, all local governments in Washington must be audited annually by the SAO. While the City's past reports have generated clean audits, this year's results are mixed.

Following a request by City Manager Jessi Bon to examine the accounting and internal controls associated with a number of payroll matters, the SAO identified a number of practices that it believed were problematic because of the potential for errors and inconsistencies.

"I was made aware of a number of issues in mid-November and took immediate action," said City Manager Jessi Bon. "Although the SAO was in the final stages of its annual financial audit, I asked the auditors in December to expand their review, concentrating on the City's internal controls related specifically to payroll and benefits administration."

"I'm not happy about the findings," said City Manager Bon. "Every organization wants an audit free of issues and that didn't happen this year. We are in the early stages of correcting a number of inadequate policies and processes that were identified in the SAO's report and many others that we have self-identified. I have made this work one of the City's top priorities for the rest of the year."

 

Read the full news release.

The final report will be posted on the State Auditor's website in approximately 7-10 days .

Last Thursday, April 16, the City's Emergency Management program activated its credentialed volunteers to help provide assistance to vulnerable populations or others in need. Volunteers are all Island residents who have attended emergency management training and have been background-checked by the City's Police Department. You can easily recognize these volunteers by their City-issued identification badge and bright yellow vest and cap (see photos).

City volunteers can provide assistance with a wide range of non-professional services such as maintaining safe access to your entryways (removing plant growth or debris) or running local on-Island errands when delivery services are not available from retailers. Volunteers will maintain social distancing requirements and will leave delivery items on the doorstep. For everyone's safety, volunteers cannot enter homes or provide transport.

To request assistance, please call the City's Coronavirus Hotline at (206) 275-7626 or Email coronavirus@mercergov.org. Let us know what you need and we'll do our best to help!   Visit the City's Coronavirus website here.

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 a vote of the City Council during a regularly scheduled meeting. 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 City Clerk Deb Estrada at (206) 275-7793 or by email for further information or to have an application mailed to you; the deadline is Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

Every year, the City holds two very popular Meds Take-Back events in the spring and fall. With the coronavirus epidemic underway, these events have been cancelled nationwide, but the City's Healthy Youth Initiative is providing residents with alternative ways to participate without even leaving the home.

All residents can request to have a mail-back envelope sent to their home to dispose of unwanted medications. Each envelope is 8 by 11 inches and holds up to 8 ounces of unwanted medicines. Simply place the unwanted medications in the pre-paid envelope and then place it directly in your mailbox for collection. There is no cost to residents to use this service. To request your envelope visit this  Meds Take Back webpage. 

To further ensure the safety of our youth, the Healthy Youth Initiative also offers a lockbox option at no cost during the month of April. Each lockbox is hard sided and measures 7 x 5 x 5 inches . To request a lockbox, please Email rachel.montgomery@mercergov.org and it will be mailed to your residence. 

In these challenging times, every Mercer Island resident can be active in preventing prescription misuse and protecting the youth in our community.

You can learn more about protecting the health of local water bodies from our partners at the  Puget Sound Starts Here program. Watch our 30-second  natural yard care video today about minimizing yard chemicals and fertilizers:  Certain Things Don't Mix! 

Learn how the City has minimized its own herbicide use.