Dec 9, 2015 | Vol. 10 | No. 49
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 City Manager Noel Treat Announces Departure
Noel Treat, Mercer Island City Manager, announced last Friday (December 4) that he will be leaving the City at year's end and taking a position as General Counsel for Seattle Public Schools.
"The City of Mercer Island has been a wonderful community to work for and I have had the honor of working with an extremely gifted City staff. Taking a role at Seattle Public Schools gives me the opportunity to return to serving our kids - a mission I am passionate about," said Noel Treat.
"We thank Noel for his leadership over the last several years, and we know without a doubt that he will be missed," said Mayor Bruce Bassett.
The City Council is developing a plan to hire a new interim City Manager and will be announcing more details in the weeks ahead. "With the strong teams we have in place, I am confident the City will remain on solid footing and deliver the high level of service our community is accustomed to" added Mayor Bassett.
Treat joined the City in May 2012 as Deputy City Manager, and was elevated by the Council to City Manager in June 2013, upon the retirement of Rich Conrad. Prior to working for the City of Mercer Island, Treat served as Deputy Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools. |
Councilmember Transitions
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Jane Brahm, Mike Cero, and Jeff Sanderson; click for more Council information
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At this Monday's regular Council meeting, Mayor Bassett recognized the public service of outgoing Councilmembers Jane Brahm and Mike Cero, and also welcomed new Councilmember Jeff Sanderson.
The Mayor commended Councilmember Brahm for her five years of service, which began with an appointment in February 2011. Jane Brahm is known for her deep and extensive knowledge of the community, authoring a history book about the Island, and helping found the sister city partnership with Thonon Les Bains, France, as well as many other achievements.
The Mayor applauded Councilmember Cero for his eight years of distinguished public service and extended the City's sincerest thanks and appreciation for his time and many contributions to Mercer Island. Mike Cero will be remembered for steadfast articulation of his principles, providing an alternative perspective, and exhibiting a calm demeanor in the face of frequent opposition to his agenda.
At the beginning of the evening's meeting, new Councilmember Jeff Sanderson was also sworn in to Position Number 4 by the City Clerk, officially beginning his role following the departure of Ms. Terry Pottmeyer who filled the seat during a temporary term.
The two other newly elected Councilmembers (David Wisenteiner in Position1, and Wendy Weiker in Position 3) will be sworn in after the New Year.
Watch archived video footage from the evening here.
Click here to learn more about City Council. |
City Council Rejects Residential Development Moratorium
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Council will discuss moratorium in January
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At its regular meeting on Monday evening December 7, the City Council voted 5-2 not to implement a moratorium concerning residential development on Mercer Island.
The moratorium would have temporarily halted applications for new residential land subdivisions (short and long plats) as well as increases in allowable lot coverage in single-family neighborhoods.
During the moratorium, Council could have considered options and alternatives for possible changes to City development regulations related to subdividing lots, tree removal, and the building of large houses and other property improvements.
Many Island residents are concerned that smaller, older houses are being replaced with larger, new houses that are out of scale with surrounding houses, and the new development is out of character with established neighborhoods.
After extensive discussion and public comment, the Council determined that additional time and data for informed deliberation is necessary, and that two new Councilmembers (to be seated January 4, 2016) should have an opportunity to weigh in.
Council concluded its consideration of the issue for the evening by voting 4-3 in favor of a plan to discuss the topic at its annual Planning Session in late January, and to have staff define the work required to consider revisions to the City's single-family development standards.
Click here to read the Council Meeting materials on the proposed moratorium. Watch archived video footage of the meeting here (click on December 7 meeting agenda).
For more information, please contact Alison Van Gorp, Administrative Services Manager/Ombudsman at (206) 275-7733
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Eastbound I-90 Closure This Weekend
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Click for detailed closure information
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This weekend (December 12 and 13) I-90 detours return again with an Eastbound closure, related to light rail preparations inside the Mt Baker and Mercer Island tunnels.
Starting at 11:00pm on Friday, December 11, the WSDOT will funnel eastbound traffic from Seattle to the center express lanes for construction purposes. The detour will end by 5:00am Monday.
Eastbound closures typically have a more limited impact on Mercer Island residents than westbound.
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.
This is the last I-90 detour of the year. There are up to 20 more weekend directional closures of I-90 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 in 2017. |
Save the Date: Leap for Green Sustainability Fair Returns in 2016
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Leap the frog is the fair's mascot
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Mercer Island's Leap for Green community sustainability fair started back in 2008, to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) by promoting environmental practices and activities for kids and adults, and to raise general awareness of local sustainability resources.
Save the Date!
After a hiatus in 2015, the fair will return once again to the Mercer Island Community and Event Center on April 16, 2016. As usual, the fair will include children's activities such as arts and crafts, educational exhibits, live music, nature-based programs, food trucks, and much more.
Volunteer!
The City's event planning committee is looking for a few more community volunteers who might be interested in helping with preparations or assisting on the day of the fair. If you are interested in joining the volunteer team, email Ross Freeman, City Sustainability Manager, or call (206) 275-7662.
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Mercer Island Library Board Vacancy
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Click to learn more about
the MI Library Board
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The Mercer Island City Council is seeking applicants to fill one youth vacancy on the Mercer Island Library Board, effective immediately.
The Library Board provides the residents of Mercer Island with a means to give input and recommendations to the King County Library System (KCLS) on how to change the operations, services and facilities of the Mercer Island Library so that it better meets the changing needs of the residents of Mercer Island. The MI Library Board also makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees of the King County Library System, and local library officials for consideration and decisions.
Nine members meet on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:00 pm at the Mercer Island Library. The MI Library Board has a sunset date of December 31, 2016.
Questions should be directed to Karin Roberts, Deputy City Clerk at (206) 275-7795 or by email at [email protected]. |
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