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The Mountlake Terrace City Council at its Nov. 6 meeting reviewed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission (DEIC) strategic plan and the results of a survey that the Commission had proposed at its Sept. 11 meeting. DEIC collected public feedback on its community access plan through an online poll available from Sept. 13 to Oct. 3 in English and Spanish.
A total of 65 people responded with one responding in Spanish, one by email and two on posters at Welcoming Week. Respondents were mostly:
- Female (63%)
- White (54%)
- U.S.-born (nearly 90%).
About 14% of the respondents were Asian or Asian American, 7% were Hispanic or Latino, and smaller percentages identified as American Indian, Black or other. Roughly half said they spoke only English at home while others reported speaking Spanish, Chinese, Russian or other languages.
Deputy City Manager Carolyn Hope noted that while the poll wasn’t statistically representative, it provided useful insights into community perspectives and showed that many multilingual households include U.S.-born residents.
According to DEIC Commissioner Kermet Apio, more than half of the respondents supported 18 of the 20 proposals. The two remaining items – hosting conversations and trainings on DEI topics and providing gender-neutral restrooms in city buildings – received mixed support (43-46%).
“Gender-neutral bathrooms are not required by the state, but they do help provide safety for people who are gender neutral, transgender or otherwise wish to have a private restroom,” Apio said.
He also raised concerns about representation of seniors, restroom conversion costs, trauma inclusion, disability accommodations, Indigenous land acknowledgments and term limits of councilmembers, board members and commissioners.
“Essentially, people experience various types of trauma. This could be from fear of government, having experience of violence, trauma as a result of an accident or abuse, etc.,” Apio said. We do need to include people with trauma in conversations, provide welcoming environments, be patient with their needs, listen and acknowledge. Trainings are planned within the next year, and it is important to build trust with individuals with trauma.”
Hope presented eight amendments to the strategic plan, including changes to the language of recruiting and hiring efforts of city jobs that reflect the city’s demographics; and design engagement opportunities for those who are experiencing trauma.
In response to Councilmember Laura Sonmore’s question about implementing strategies to people with trauma, Hope gave an example of immigrants who may have bad experiences with government or are afraid of government.
“We could host conversations or meetings in places that aren’t city buildings,” Hope said. “We could have them in the community. We could have them with people…they could be invited by a friend or a leader in the community who they have trust with…to host a conversation to learn about something that’s impacting their community or their neighborhood.”
Hope said that the cost of the plan implementation is about $7,500, which would be used for community engagement activities, small events and certain required services like translation and ADA compliance.
Mayor Pro Tem Bryan Wahl suggested that the topic of gender-neutral restrooms requires more careful wording, noting that while private or family restrooms make sense, fully gender-neutral shared restrooms could make some residents uncomfortable.
Regarding term limits, Wahl is opposed to it, arguing that while the city should encourage broader participation, limiting service could discourage engagement, especially during times when it is difficult to fill positions.
After several discussions about community engagement, Mountlake Terrace Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright reminded everyone that the topics discussed are recommendations and are not concrete. “There are several areas where I would like to dig a little deeper before we do anything,” she said.
“We as a commission exist to ensure that one group is not prioritized over others,” Apio said.
The Council agreed to continue to review the DEIC strategic plan on Nov. 20.
In other agenda items:
- The City Council voted 6-0 to authorize the city manager to sign change orders not to exceed an additional $283,758 with Granite Construction for the Transit Connection Corridor Project. Councilmember Erin Murray was absent from the meeting.
This project aims to improve connectivity to the MLT light rail, including converting existing dirt paths into paved, lighted pathways, installing a new pedestrian bridge over a storm water channel and completing required frontage improvements along 58th Avenue West.
- The Council reviewed the ordinance of adopting a franchise agreement with Puget Sound Energy (PSE). Mountlake Terrace Public Works Director Gary Schimek and legal counsel Lisa Marshall presented the 1982 original agreement and the new draft, highlighting updates such as a 25-year term with two five-year extension options and a relocation clause. PSE will fund relocations for city projects while private developments will cover their own. The ordinance was moved to a second reading scheduled for Nov. 20.
The meeting can be viewed on the City’s YouTube channel.
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