Mercer Island City Council adopted a pair of ordinances regarding bonds related to improvements to the Island’s water distribution system and parking citation fees at its regular meeting on Sept. 17.
Both items were approved on the consent agenda early in the meeting, which also featured council adopting a proclamation for the city’s observation of Sept. 21 as Peace Day on Mercer Island in accordance with International Day of Peace.
WATER SYSTEM
On the water front, the ordinance authorizes “the issuance of limited tax general obligation and refunding bonds to finance and refinance capital improvements to the city’s water distribution system,” according to city documents. Council engaged in a first reading of the ordinance at its Sept. 3 meeting.
With major components of the Island’s system reaching the end of their useful life, the city is leaning into replacement mode by undertaking several major capital projects that are either in motion or in the planning and design stages. A pair of those projects are the 2024 Water System Improvement and 2024 AC Water Main Replacement.
The Island’s water utility requires an estimated $74 million in capital spending between 2025 and 2030, and staff recommends financing a portion of these investments with proceeds from the city’s bonds, documents read.
In 2011, the city was issued bonds to finance part of the First Hill water system improvement project and an outstanding $655,000 of those bonds are on the city’s books. Documents add that the proposed bonds will be issued in October in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $29 million.
“Financing this work through bonds will allow the city to spread out the cost of these projects over time, maintaining smooth year-over-year utility rate adjustments for customers and ensuring residents now, and in the future, pay rates that equitably pay for these long-lived investments,” the city said.
PARKING CITATIONS
In the parking realm, city council voted to increase infraction citation fees from $20 to $54 effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Recent parking counts have provided evidence that the $20 citation fee “does not deter people from violating existing parking regulations in the Town Center. Many vehicles overstay the parking limits, making on-street spaces unavailable for Town Center customers and visitors,” according to city documents.
Council recommended the escalated $54 fee to match the city of Bellevue’s current citation fee for parking infractions and create parity between the cities, the city said, adding that the Mercer Island Police Department will take an education-first approach by initially issuing non-fee warning notices.
Additionally, council voted to end the Town Center Community Parking Permit Program on Dec. 31 of this year after being utilized since 2001. The $5-per-year permits — of which 337 and 233 were sold in 2022 and 2023, respectively — were available for Island residents and a limited number of local businesses to gain priority access to designated on-street spaces from 7-9 a.m. on weekdays.
“Sunsetting the Town Center Commuter Parking Permit Program and encouraging former permit holders to use the Park & Ride and the future Commuter Parking Lot at the former Tully’s site will preserve valuable on-street parking for Town Center customers and visitors and create consistent parking restrictions within the Town Center,” the document reads.
