The Mountlake Terrace City Council is scheduled to meet on March 28 to review an interagency agreement for a middle housing grant, among other items.

The grant awarded to the city from the Washington State Department of Commerce will fund updates to the city’s municipal code to implement the requirements of HB 1110.  

The city received a $50,000 grant award, which will be funded in two installments of $25,000. The council must adopt regulations by June 30, 2025.

In other business, Public Works Director Jesse Hoffman is scheduled to review a resolution to surplus and replace public works fleet equipment.

When city-owned equipment or vehicles are no longer useful, they may be declared surplus and then offered for sale. If the council declares vehicles surplus, it is the city’s policy to offer them for sale through auction, sealed bids or trade-in surplus to recover the costs of new vehicles or equipment.

City staff is requesting that the three fleet vehicles and one piece of equipment that have reached their end-of-life be declared surplus and approved for trade-in.

The council will also review an ordinance to amend the city’s purchasing policy, which the staff has entirely rewritten. The new policies will include an ethics statement, consideration of environmental factors when making purchases, and standardization of purchase authority.

Also scheduled for review is an ordinance to amend the public comment policy. City staff has updated the public comment policy to match the language in the City Council Protocol Manual adopted in 2023.

Last, councilmembers will discuss a proposal to amend the city’s media sharing policy, ensuring that city communications – including social media – provide timely and accurate information. 

The new policy clearly states the city will not share private fundraising events, promote private business interests other than context-specific economic development initiatives, or make posts promoting religion other than culturally significant events for which the city council has issued a proclamation.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. on March 28 at Mountlake Terrace City Hall, 23204 58th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace. 

To attend the meeting online, visit zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID 810 1113 9518; no passcode is needed.

To make a public comment remotely, complete the registration form within 24 hours of the meeting’s start at cityofmlt.com/FormCenter/City-Council-17/Remote-Public-Comment-Request-Form-12. 

To listen via telephone, call 1-253-215-8782 and enter the same meeting ID.

You also can view livestreamed meetings and past video recordings at www.youtube.com/cityofmlt. 

The agenda can be viewed here.

— By Rick Sinnett