City accepts additional COVID-19 emergency funding

Money will benefit Youth and Family Services and the emergency operations center.

The Mercer Island City Council accepted two sources of emergency funding at its July 21 meeting.

Via a fundraiser headed by the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Foundation, $815,000 in donations was made available to the council.

The council accepted $102,600 of fundraiser money at the meeting. The city will be using it to partially restore part-time administrative support, family and senior therapy and mental-health counselors for the Youth and Family Services (YFS) Department.

The remaining $712,400 won’t be accepted or allocated until upcoming 2021-‘22 budget discussions.

The council also accepted during the meeting CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds amounting to $734,000. This sum will aid Mercer Island’s emergency operations center (EOC), which was activated March 5.

Since its opening, the EOC has had to spend a large amount of its resources on supply needs and unbudgeted staffing as the pandemic has progressed.

In a city press release, it’s noted that Mercer Island is still pursuing other funding sources like FEMA Public Assistance reimbursements. The city is additionally seeking $37,000 for local businesses through King County CARES Act funding.