MI Weekly
    A weekly update from the City of Mercer Island


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Your City Council
MAYOR
Debbie Bertlin
 
DEPUTY MAYOR 
 
COUNCILMEMBERS 
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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 28, 2018 | Vol. 13 | No. 13
MIFD_ResponseFire Department: New Seamless Response in King County
Click to learn more about MIFD
The City Council approved a new interlocal agreement (ILA) last week that promotes seamless emergency response among fire departments throughout King County. The ILA's intent is that the closest available emergency response unit(s) will respond to 911 calls, regardless of fire department jurisdiction. It significantly enhances the Mercer Island Fire Department's current "mutual aid agreement" that mainly brings help from the City of Bellevue.  

A primary benefit for Mercer Island will be the ability to call on help from the City of Seattle, which previously required its firefighters to obtain permission to travel outside city limits.

For smaller communities like ours, having seamless service with Seattle and other nearby fire departments is particularly valuable because it enhances the City's ability to respond quickly to larger events.  House fires, or multiple casualty incidents (MCI) such as an active-shooter situation, typically require more firefighters than the City has on duty. Mercer Island provides "minimum staffing" which is seven firefighters on duty at any given time, other than special events; an ordinary house fire on the Island requires 35-42 firefighters and a typical MCI requires 12 or more firefighters to respond.

"Our number one goal is always the safety of Mercer Island residents," says Fire Chief Steve Heitman.  "We expect having this new seamless response system countywide will lead to improved coordination and faster response times, which in turn saves lives." 
Light_RailRail Station Work Begins on 77th Avenue
Aerial image of project location: green line represents temporary walkway, and orange is construction zone. Click for more station information
By now, most residents have noticed the East Link light rail construction underway down at freeway-level along I-90. As early as April 2, Sound Transit will start work up at street-level along the 77th Avenue SE overpass, between North Mercer Way and Sunset Highway SE (see image), as part of station plaza construction.

Crews will install fencing in the area, clear and demolish the existing landscape and planters, and then install the headhouse's structural steel, decking and windows. Work on the east headhouse (along 80th Ave SE) will follow the same steps later in the year.

A temporary path, to be completed in May, will be constructed along the western edge of the 77th Avenue construction zone to maintain pedestrian access - see green line on the image.

In general, work will occur daily, Mon-Fri, from 7:00am-7:00pm, and occasionally on Saturday. New landscaping will be installed once all construction is complete.

Learn more about potential road closures from the Sound Transit East Link construction page. 
VolunteerServe Your City!  Volunteer for Boards and Commissions 
business_conference4.jpg
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 City Clerk Ali Spietz (206) 275-7793 or by email for further information or to have an application mailed to you; the deadline is Friday, May 4, 2018. 
Mercer Island Goes Green
Meds_Take-Back Save the Date: Meds Take-Back Day, April 28
Click here to learn what is accepted
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the City of Mercer Island are once again coordinating on a nationwide drug "take-back" day on Saturday, April 28, 2018, from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Mercer Island City Hall (9611 SE 36th Street). Please take drop-offs to the west side of the building, in the loading dock area. 

This one-day event provides residents with a no-cost, anonymous collection of unwanted and expired prescriptions or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.  Click here for details -- clean out your medicine cabinet!       

Protect our kids, families and environment by properly disposing of your unwanted and expired medicines. Medicines in the home are a leading cause of accidental poisoning, and flushed or trashed medicines can end up polluting waterways. Rates of prescription drug abuse are alarmingly high: over half of teens abusing medicines get them from a family member or friend, including the home medicine cabinet, and often without anyone's  knowledge. Call the  Youth and Family Services Department at (206) 275-7755 with questions.       
New_PlaygroundGreat Progress at New South Mercer Playground
Click to learn more about South Mercer Playfields
The Parks and Recreation Department is making good progress on another exciting City playground project -- this time at the South Mercer fields! Staff and contractors are assembling the components for a new natural-style, one-of-a-kind playground, the first in our region. Work should be done in a few weeks.

 

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

ross.freeman@mercergov.org or 206.275.7662.