The Mountlake Terrace City Council at its Nov. 18 meeting unanimously approved proposals for a 1% increase in the city’s general operations and emergency medical services levies. The 1% increase will generate approximately $84,035 for the general levy and $21,471 for the EMS levy. The property tax will result in a $13 annual increase — from $678 to $69 — based on the estimated assessed value of $411,802 for an average Mountlake Terrace home.
The council also unanimously voted to approve mid-biennium amendments to the city’s 2019-20 budget. These include $20,590 in revenue and $30,331 in expenditures tied to the city receipt and use of federal narcotics seizure money received in 2019. In addition, the council approved an amendment in the Capital Improvements Fund of $371,500 in revenues and $376,000 in expenditures, and $2.7 million for capital projects that were unintentionally left off the 2019-20 budget ordinance adopted at the end of 2018.
And as part of its consent agenda, the council okayed a professional services agreement with C.J. Rench for public art in the new Civic Plaza. Rench is one of two artists chosen by the city’s Arts Advisory Commission to create visual art as part of the Civic Campus redevelopment project.
The plaza will be located between the new city hall and 232nd Street Southwest and 58th Avenue West. Under city policy, the Civic Campus redevelopment project – which includes a new city hall, police station addition and park/plaza area – requires that 1 percent of the construction budget fund visual art.
The council on Nov. 4 approved an agreement with the other artist — Louise McDowell — to create three life-sized cast bronze figures of children gathering in the proposed park/plaza. That amount was for $47,000. The agreement before the council Nov. 18 involves the proposal by Rench to create a 9- to 16-foot wildflower metal sculptures with glass/resin flower petals. The sculptures will be wired to be lit at night. The cost for installing two flowers and one stem is $45,000, which includes a $5,000 from Premera Blue Cross. The hope is to find additional funding of $15,000 to cover the cost of a third flower.
In other matters, the council discussed a petition to vacate street right-of-way at 218th Street Southwest and 64th Avenue West. That topic will be the subject of a public hearing at the Monday, Dec. 2 council business meeting.
And it reviewed a proposal by City Manager Scott Hugill — to appear on the council’s Dec. 2 consent agenda — that calls for a 2.75% cost of living raise in 2020 for non-represented employees. The recommendation is aimed at keeping the city competitive in the hiring market and is based on both a recent 2.5 percent rise in the consumer price index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics –Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue and to ensure non-union employees’ wages are comparable to proposed adjustments for union-represented employees.
A 2.75% increase for non-represented employees will cost the city approximately $148,500.
The Police Guild, which represents police officers and sergeants, is receiving a 3% increase for 2020. The Teamsters Local 763, which represents finance, public works and parks/facilities workers, is still in the process of negotiating 2019 and 2020 wages.
The proposal also includes the following adjustments:
- Moving the Police Cadet position from the city’s H-2 range to the H-3 range to align with the Office Assistant and Clerk I range.
- Moving the H-3 salary starting point from $12 per hour to $13.50 per hour based on the 2020 Washington State minimum wage. The change to minimum wage will result in an annual increase in costs (wages/benefits) of approximately $9,000.
- Increasing the H-6 range to ensure that supervisors make more than the people they staff (in the H-3 range).
- Changing the Support Services Specialist position title to Support Services Coordinator and moving it from the H-7 range to the H-9 range to align with the Recreation Coordinator positions. This change will result in an annual increase in costs (wages/benefits) of approximately $14,750.
- Increasing the H-20 (Recreation Specialist) salary starting range to $13.50 per hour based on the 2020 Washington State minimum wage.
The net effect of a 2.75 percent COLA for non-represented employees will be approximately $148,500.
You can see the entire proposed salary schedule here.
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