Mercer Island facilities to close for holidays
City facilities will close in observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day on Monday, Dec. 25, and Monday, Jan. 1.
The Mercer Island Community and Event Center (MICEC) is also currently closed from Dec. 18-25 for end-of-year maintenance, and has other reduced hours during the holiday period until Jan. 2.
On Dec. 26-30, the MICEC is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the meeting rooms and gym will be closed. On Dec. 31, the center will close at noon, and the meeting rooms and gym will be closed all day. The fitness center will remain open. Regular hours and services resume on Jan. 2.
The Mercer Island Library is closed on Dec. 24-25.
New bike commuting options open
On Dec. 20, the long-awaited pedestrian and bicycle trail along the new SR 520 bridge officially opened to the public. For several months, users from the Eastside have been able to reach halfway across the bridge before encountering a security fence.
With the 2.7 mile, 14-foot wide trail now complete across Lake Washington, cyclists in particular will experience far greater regional mobility. The trail not only offers new bicycle commuting options, but also completes a loop when used in tandem with the existing I-90 trail across Mercer Island.
In preparation for the potential increase in new riders seeking to complete the 15-mile loop across both bridges, the city of Mercer Island is working on improved trail signage, as well as a master plan for the long-term upkeep and improvement of the trail.
Pipeline fieldwork continues along North Mercer Way
King County Wastewater Treatment Division is continuing its field investigations to inform the design and exact alignment of an upgraded sewer pipeline from Mercer Island to Bellevue, to be built in 2019.
As part of the project, field crews have begun “potholing” near North Mercer Way to locate underground utilities including gas, sewer, power, water and telecomm lines.
Work will occur from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31. No work will occur on Dec. 25-26, and one lane of traffic with flaggers will always be maintained. The I-90 bike trail will remain open.
Parks Department increases efficiency of funds
Facing tight city budgets year after year, the Parks and Recreation Department (MIPR) has been successful in finding additional revenues to supplement city funds, according to the city’s weekly newsletter.
“Over the last [six] years we’ve secured more than $1.6 million in grants from local nonprofits, King County and Washington State,” said Bruce Fletcher, MIPR director.
The additional funding has been critical in helping park facilities, programs and services keep pace with growing demand, but it comes with concerns.
“It’s not sustainable to rely on all these grants and donations every year, outside the city’s general fund, because grants are very competitive and we can’t count on winning them. We need a better long-term solution,” Fletcher said.
The department routinely hears from Mercer Island residents that the community wants more ballfield time, playground equipment or recreation programs, and needs a more sustainable revenue source to provide the community with those services, Fletcher said.
To keep costs down in recent years, MIPR has delayed hiring new staff, and made a myriad of small changes that include actions such as reducing its custodial contract, eliminating lifeguards at some beaches, designing its recreation guide in-house instead of contracting it out, reducing print and postage costs for the recreation guide, stretching the lifecycle of parks equipment and vehicles and installing smart irrigation clocks to reduce water usage at parks.
“At this point, we are as efficient as possible,” Fletcher said. “The only way to get any leaner will be to drastically reduce services and cut programs.”
With a staff of 30, the department maintains 460 acres of parks and open space and 30 miles of trails, oversees the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, and delivers 150 recreational programs and events per year.
