The Mountlake Terrace City Council reappointed Councilmember Bryan Wahl as mayor pro tem for 2025 during its Jan. 2 meeting.

The City Council Protocol Manual requires the council to elect the mayor pro tem by a majority vote at the council’s first meeting of the year. Wahl has served in Position 5 on the city council since 2012 and as mayor pro tem since 2020.

Councilmember Steve Woodard said during the meeting that that the mayor pro tem position was meant to help new councilmembers “learn the ropes” of city government and that other members have declined the position over the years. However, future councilmembers may consider a change.

Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright is in the middle of her third term as mayor. She took over the position after the death of Mayor Jerry Smith in 2018.

Following the appointment of Mayor Pro Tem Wahl, the city council appointed liaisons and representatives to city, county, and regional boards and commissions. Councilmembers traditionally share this responsibility as much as possible and can choose their committee seats based on seniority.

The 2025 board and committee representatives are:

– Arts Advisory Commission (One-year term): Rick Ryan

– Diversity Equity and Inclusion Commission (One-year term): Erin Murray

– Finance Committee (One-year term): Primary: Steve Woodard. Alternate: Bryan Wahl.

– LEOFF 1 Disability Board (Two-year term, appointed by the mayor) Primary: Laura Sonmore. Alternate: Rick Ryan.

– Recreation and Park Advisory Commission (One-year termerm): Laura Sonmore

– Alliance for Housing Affordability (AHA) Board (One-year term): Primary: Kyoko Matsumoto Wright. Alternate: Erin Murray

– Lake Ballinger/McAleer Creek Watershed Forum (One-year term): Primary: Erin Murray Alternate: Steve Woodard

– SeaShore Transportation Forum (One-year term): Primary: Rory Paine-Donovan Alt: Kyoko Matsumoto Wright

– Snohomish County Tomorrow Steering Committee (One-year term): Primary: Bryan Wahl. Alternate: Steve Woodard

– Snohomish County City Council of Presidents/Mayors Pro Tem: Bryan Wahl

– WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council: Rory Paine-Donovan

In other business, following a review, the city council approved the BlueBridge Alliance memorandum of agreement to operate a community-based program with the Mountlake Terrace Police Department. The program enables officers to provide on-the-spot, short-term assistance to people facing an immediate critical need, including food, shelter, clothing, fuel and auto repairs.

Mountlake Terrace Police Department Cmdr. Scott King gave an example of a broken car headlight. While most municipalities issue a citation, commonly called a fix-it ticket, under the BlueBridge Alliance officers will help the person with the replacement.

BlueBridge Alliance is a non-profit organization inspired by Kennewick, Washington, Police Chief Ken Hohenberg, who created a similar program with community leaders and local businesses in 2015.

Hohenberg was moved by the final act of San Diego Police Officer Jeremy Henwood, who was killed while sitting in his patrol car after buying a local child a snack at McDonald’s in 2011.

King said the police department “strives to make our community safer, but sometimes the challenges people face go beyond traditional law enforcement,” and officers understand that unexpected events can throw a person’s life off balance.

The program creates a path to immediate help, such as buying someone food, overnight lodging, a bus ticket, clothes, gasoline or a baby seat for a car.

“Our police officers, countless times, have used their own money to help those in need,” King said.

In the past, officers have encountered families without food, King said, and officers would pool money to purchase groceries. Through the BlueBridge Alliance program, officers will be given a pre-loaded debit card with a modest but adequate amount of money the community would raise, which is kept and tracked by BlueBridge. The officers must turn in their receipts with a short report of how they used the money.

“These things are a small part of a bigger picture that makes a huge impact on people’s lives,” King said.

King explained that a $2,500 grant would cover start-up costs, and BlueBridge would match up to $2,500 of donated funds to start the program, for a total of $5,000.

During his report to the council, City Manager Jeff Niten shared the news that the Smith family is retiring the Tour de Terrace festival after 30 years.

The three-day summer celebration started in1994 when residents Jerry and Judi Smith established it to commemorate Mountlake Terrace’s 40th birthday.

Jerry Smith later served as a councilmember starting in 2001 and was the city’s mayor until he died in 2018.

“We would very much like to thank the Smith family for all the volunteer hours and effort that they have put in over the years and made that a great event for Mountlake Terrace,” Niten said.

Niten said the Tour de Terrace was not a city event, but the city supported it. Over the next few weeks, city staff will evaluate possible event options to present to the council.

Councilmember Erin Murray said the festival was one of the first ways she experienced the community, as she lived only blocks away from the parade route.

Councilmember Laura Sonmore said that Smith would be saddened that it had stopped, “but he would definitely understand.”

Sonmore said it would take some time to decide how to proceed, as many contracts must be signed early in the year for the July event.

Councilmember Rick Ryan, who has coordinated the parade for the past 12 years, commented on the complexity of the task, given the various needs, such as contracts, equipment, chairs, tents and tables, a website and coordination with the city.

Ryan recalls the early parades that the Smiths held, which included people pushing or riding lawnmowers and beds with wheels.

“They had beds going up the main drag,” Ryan said.

Ryan explained how Smith used his connections as a retired Seattle police officer to recruit the motorcycle brigade to open the parade.

Councilmember Rory Paine-Donovan said he hopes that Mountlake Terrace residents’ civic energy will inspire a similar event to fill the gap.

“My son has been in that parade, I don’t know how many times,” Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright said.

Matsumoto Wright said her son would breakdance during the parade, stationing a piece of linoleum with a radio to entertain the crowd before moving along the route.

“Lots of fond memories growing up with Tour de Terrace,” Matsumoto Wright said.

The next city council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 9 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.

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

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

The agenda can be viewed here.

— By Rick Sinnett