By Nancy Lee
Special to the Reporter
The following headlines related to opportunities for community engagement are from the Sept. 16 Mercer Island City Council meeting.
Opportunities to attend community special events/openings
• Community Mobile Blood Donations from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 29-30 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.
• Town Center Trick-or-Treating Event from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Oct. 31; provides an opportunity to “join and stop by” many participating downtown businesses. Businesses interested in participating can email chris.delpilar@mercerisland.gov.
Opportunities to learn more/provide feedback
• Next city council meeting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7: Options for joining the meeting include in person at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center, a Zoom link on the city’s website, and MI-TV (Channel 21). Citizen appearances: An opportunity to speak to the city council on items of interest. Speakers must register by 4 p.m. on the day of the council meeting at cityclerk@mercerisland.gov and are given three minutes to speak.
• Councilmember Ted Weinberg will hold his next monthly gathering at noon on Sept. 21 for a lunch at Anise Thai in Tabit Square. This gathering provides an opportunity to discuss a variety of topics of interest for Mercer Island residents. If you would like to attend, an RSVP is appreciated at tedweinberg@comcast.net.
Other important citizen notices
• WSDOT closure of I-90 eastbound on-ramp at East Mercer Way: Beginning at 8 p.m. on Sept. 18, WSDOT will close two I-90 eastbound on-ramps for repair work on the East Channel Bridge roadway surface. East Mercer Way on-ramp — closed for approximately 6–8 days (expected to reopen Sept. 24-26). HOV on-ramp at 80th Avenue Southeast — closed for approximately 16 days (expected to reopen by 7 a.m. on Oct. 5).
• E-motorcycle regulations beginning January 2026: Revisions were presented and approved by the council, ones seen to better educate the public regarding proper use in the community of E-motorcycles and E-bikes, recommendations for parental responsibilities, and planned enforcement actions.
