Jan 6, 2016 | Vol. 11 | No. 1
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 Council Names Interim City Manager: Steve Lancaster
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Steve Lancaster - Interim City Manager; click to learn more
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At its regular meeting on Monday night, January 4, the Mercer Island City Council selected Steve Lancaster as interim City Manager.
Based on a unanimous 7-0 Council vote, Lancaster will temporarily replace outgoing City Manager Noel Treat who resigned in December 2015 to take a position with the Seattle School District.
Prior to retiring as Tukwila's City Administrator in 2011, Lancaster spent 12 years as that city's Community Development Director, and two and a half years (2007-2009) as the Development Services Director for the City of Mercer Island. Earlier in his public service career, he also worked for the cities of Auburn and Puyallup.
"While we were disappointed to have to refill this position, we were thrilled with the quality of applicants, and are very pleased to welcome Steve back to Mercer Island," said Mayor Bruce Bassett.
In the coming months, the City will select a recruitment agency that will help locate candidates to permanently fill the City Manager position - the process is expected to conclude by June 2016. |
Council Selects Bassett as Mayor and Bertlin as Deputy Mayor
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The City Clerk swears in Debbie Bertlin (with daughters, left) and Bruce Bassett (right); click to learn more about the City Council
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At the City Council's first meeting of the year, newly elected Councilmembers were sworn into office (see next story) and the biennial mayoral elections occurred.
Based on a unanimous Council vote, returning Mayor Bruce Bassett was selected to again serve as Mayor for another two-year term. Bassett joined the Council in 2007, first became Mayor in 2012, and recently won his reelection campaign in last November's general election.
A Washington native, Bassett holds engineering degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan and had a successful career as founder and CEO of a small high tech company before moving to Mercer Island in 2003. Bruce is an active community volunteer who has also served on the Open Space Conservancy Trust Board, the Utility Board, the Design Commission, the Arts Council, the Green Ribbon Commission, the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee, and the Sustainability Subcommittee.
At the same meeting, returning Councilmember Bertlin was selected unanimously as Deputy Mayor for a two year term. Debbie Bertlin joined the Council in 2011, and recently won her reelection campaign last November.
Bertlin moved to Mercer Island as a child in 1976, graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1982, and went on to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University. In 1988 she was awarded a Rotary Graduate Scholarship from the Mercer Island Rotary Club and in 1999 earned a second master's degree in economics from University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. Debbie has most recently served on the Utility Board as well as the Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, and I-90 Subcommittees, and has previously served as Chair of the Open Space Conservancy Trust and as a Board member for the Mercer Island Pre-school Association (MIPA).
Learn more about the Mercer Island City Council, and watch meetings at: www.mercergov.org/council
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New Councilmembers Wendy Weiker and David Wisenteiner Sworn In
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The City Clerk swears in David Wisenteiner (left, with son) and Wendy Weiker (right); click to learn more about the City Council
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At Monday's first regular council meeting of the year, new Councilmembers Wendy Weiker and David Wisenteiner were officially sworn in to start their four-year terms.
Before joining the Council, Wendy Weiker served on the Mercer Island Utility Board for five years and was a member of the Town Center Visioning Group in 2014 and 2015. Over the years, Wendy has been active in the PTAs at Island Park Elementary, Islander Middle School, and Mercer Island High School where she now serves on the Executive Committee. She is currently the King County Community Outreach Manager at Puget Sound Energy, and holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from the UW Evans School of Public Policy.
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Westbound I-90 Closure This Weekend
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Click map for detailed closure information
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After a brief break for the holidays, the I-90 detours that began a year ago will resume this weekend. These detours allow 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, January 8, the WSDOT will funnel westbound traffic from Bellevue to the center express lanes for construction purposes. The detour will end by 5:00am, Monday, January 11. Click here for other scheduled closures.
All westbound drivers wishing to exit onto Mercer Island must use East Mercer Way, but will again have the option to continue through the interchange back onto the right lane of I-90, in order to exit at Island Crest Way. View closure map here.
There are up to 19 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.
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City Adds Temporary Commuter Parking in Town Center
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Temporary parking location; click for permit information
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In an ongoing effort to provide additional Town Center parking for commuters and others, the City has crafted an agreement with New Seasons Market, the upcoming tenant of the old Albertsons supermarket location.
New Seasons is planning to open a fully remodeled store late in 2016, but in the meantime, the company has kindly agreed to provide unused parking stalls (approximately 26) as temporary overflow parking for Island residents wishing to shop or use bus transit at the nearby Park & Ride. The City appreciates this gesture for the benefit of Island residents.
Vehicles may be parked all day, but drivers must have a Town Center Parking Permit (applications, for residents only, are available here), and NO OVERNIGHT use will be allowed. Call (206) 275-7783 for permit information.
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