At its Sept. 6 meeting, the Mountlake Terrace City Council made fast work of three agenda items and announced a mayoral proclamation honoring the U.S. Constitution.
The council adopted unanimously an ordinance to clean up some errors in language to city regulations concerning code enforcement, adoption of a hazard mitigation plan to make the city eligible for federal funding in case of a natural disaster, and pushed along plans to absorb the city’s Transportation Benefit District into the authority of City Hall.
The plan to dissolve the city’s Transportation Benefit District, an independent taxing district that collects funds from license tab fee payments, drew a couple questions from city councilmembers, but City Manager Scott Hugill and City Attorney Greg Schrag advised that the plan to take over control of the district wouldn’t change how it was operated or managed. The district’s boundaries are the same as the city limits of Mountlake Terrace, and the city council currently serves as its board.
“The only difference will be that there’s no longer going to be two separate legal entities,” Schrag explained. “You (the city council) will assume all the power and duties of the board, therefore the (district) will be dissolved.”
The potential change will get a public hearing at the Oct. 3 City Council meeting before final action is taken on plan.
The Mountlake Terrace Transportation Benefit District was established in December 2011 and collects a $20 surcharge on all yearly vehicle license tab fees paid by city residents. Funds collected for the district are earmarked for improvements to the city’s Town Center District.
At the council meeting it was also announced that, by proclamation of Mayor Jerry Smith, Sept. 17-23 would be Constitution Week in Mountlake Terrace. Two local chapter members of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Sally Buckingham of Mountlake Terrace and Judy Lehman of Lynnwood, were welcomed by council members and presented with a copy of the proclamation at the meeting.
— Story and photo by Doug Petrowski
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