If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or mystified by the hows and whys of city government, the City of Mountlake Terrace has a program designed to change that.
The MLT Community Academy was launched this spring. Created to inform and encourage civic engagement, six free sessions were taught by city leadership, staff and officials. Many topics were covered, like the police drone program, public records requests, emergency management, parks planning, stormwater management and more.
Many cities across the U.S. have started offering similar programs, including Bellevue and Shoreline. “We all have the same goals: empowering our residents by educating them about how the city functions and encouraging them to get involved and participate,” Communications and Community Engagement Manager Sienna Spencer-Markles said.
Approximately 30 people attended and graduates received a certificate of completion at a Mountlake Terrace City Council meeting in April.
The academy will be offered again next spring and is open to anyone 16-plus who lives, works, worships or attends school in Mountlake Terrace.
Too bad you don’t teach a history lesson on the city. Who started Alpine days which became tour de terrace. Who (without Consultants) got funding for the pavilion, Evergreen play field, and purchased the Ballinger Park with the help of Henry “Scoop” Jackson. Now these people in the city council shell out millions to these consultants. You children need a history lesson.