Councilmember raises concerns but Rec Pavilion fee schedule approved

The Mountlake Terrace City Council during its Dec. 19 meeting took a closer look at a proposed fee schedule for the Recreation Pavilion after one councilmember expressed concerns about affordability.

Councilmember Erin Murray asked that the five-year fee schedule be removed from the council’s consent agenda for further discussion because she was concerned about fee increases and anticipated inflation. She explained that Mountlake Terrace residents have complained that they cannot get into swim programs because they are full.

“I think asking our residents to pay higher fees when they oftentimes can’t even get into the programs doesn’t seem… it isn’t how I would approach these costs,” Murray said.

She suggested higher fees for those outside Mountlake Terrace who do not pay the taxes to maintain the building and its programs.

Murray explained that swim lessons currently cost $7.30; the proposed $8.85 is a more-than 21% increase. Further, school-age summer camp fees are increasing almost 13%, “which is almost $100 a month” for a single student, she said.

Councilmember Laura Sonmore asked about having a non-resident fee to offset costs for taxpayers.

Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz said their studies showed that to offset costs, a fee increase “in the 40% range” for non-residents would be necessary, making pavilion programs unfeasible for outside use.

Betz said 75% of their program participants come from outside Mountlake Terrace and are also supporting the programs through the fees. In addition, the city provides a $5,000 scholarship fund for students in need.

The five-year fee schedule for the Recreation Pavilion passed, with three councilmembers voting for the schedule and Councilmembers Murray and Rick Ryan voting against it.

In other business, the council held a rescheduled public hearing on an ordinance extending the city’s multifamily tax exemption code (MFTE), initially scheduled for Dec. 5. The council unanimously approved the extension.

During public comment, A-P Hurd, founder of urban real estate consultancy SkipStone, spoke in favor of keeping the MFTE. Hurd said that the program is a cost-effective way to produce affordable housing.

The ordinance will extend the city’s existing 12-year program, requiring 20% of new units to be affordable at 80% of the area median income (AMI).

The extension allows a 12-year program requiring 20% of new units to be affordable at 80% of the AMI. According to the city’s recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, the program’s target area is the Town Center subarea, which is expected to accommodate 3,000 housing units.

The city council also voted to move generator contracts for the police and fire departments and City Hall to the consent agenda.

Director Betz said the existing 80kW generator for the police and fire departments never had enough capacity to completely power both buildings during a power outage, so operations cannot be fully sustained.

The approved new generator is 200kW and will fully power all operations at both facilities, including the city’s computer server room, heating and cooling, lighting and electronics.

The new generator is larger than the old one and too big to fit between the departments. It will be placed on the south side of the police department, on the concrete pads of the former bunker.

KR Homes LLC won the contract for the work with a bid of $656,977.75. The construction budget is $716,433, including a 10% contingency of $59,455. The total project budget, including $27,741 in design costs, is $744,174.

South County Fire is funding 50% of the generator’s design and installation, and ARPA is funding the other 50%. The city and South County Fire are splitting the contingency amount equally.

Director Betz said it was decided to contract the police and fire department project separately from a City Hall generator after design and cost estimations were made. He said that one generator wouldn’t support all three buildings, and it would ensure that the city had funding for both projects.

The design consultant suggested a 275kW standby generator for City Hall, which will be in a fenced-in area.

Cummins won the City Hall generator contract with a bid of $160,906, not including tax, which was below the engineer’s estimate. The total purchase price with tax is $177,801.

The total budget for purchasing and installing the city hall generator is $187,801, including a $10,000 contingency.

ARPA funds will pay the $177,801 generator bid and tax. The city will pay the $5,000 crane and operator costs and the $10,000 contingency.

The city council also passed an interlocal agreement with Snohomish County for emergency management services. The city plans to work with the county on the following related emergency management activities over the next two years:

– Prepare a document to annex into the Snohomish County Hazard Mitigation Plan.

– Update the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

– Create an Emergency Operations Plan.

– Coordinate with the county to implement the city’s 800 MHz radio system.

– Coordinate with the county and other agencies on public information sharing, policies, and procedures.

– Ensure city staff have proper training through the National Incident Command System and county offerings.

– Participate in an Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop with agencies across the county.

– Plan for the FIFA World Cup events happening in the region in 2026.

– Support a Mountlake Terrace emergency with an experienced county staff lead, as needed.

The cost for the services for 2025 is $34,934.

Other items presented and approved by the council:

– An interlocal agreement amendment for the Edmonds School District. Upon completing the Evergreen Playfield #5 lighting project, the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) requested a change to the agreement. The requests include an additional term that expires on Dec. 31, 2048, and assurances that the contract cannot be terminated earlier unless there is cause and specific language allowing the city to plan, design, engineer, permit, construct, and maintain improvements on school district property. The city will not be reimbursed for the Evergreen Playfield #5 lighting project expenses until the changes are made.

– Property acquisition for a pedestrian plaza. In anticipation of the Lynnwood Link Light Rail Station, city staff and a design consultant worked to develop a pedestrian plaza at the corner of 236th Street Southwest and Van Ry Boulevard, directly adjacent to the station. The city has worked with Washington State Department of Transportation Real Estate Services to review, appraise and relinquish a 2,706 square foot portion of the land. The purchase will be funded through  the Sound Transit Access Enhancement Agreement.

– The proposed agreement with the Police Department Guild collective bargaining unit. City Manager Jeff Niten gave a list of key changes, such as adding a Pilot Pitman Schedule for the day shift and will revert to a regular schedule on Jan. 1, 2026. A Pitman schedule allows each officer to have every other weekend off. Also included were pay increase schedules, longevity pay and bilingual premium pay.

The Dec. 26 council meeting has been canceled due to the Christmas holiday. The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, 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