Council to consider MICA lease

The City Council is set to discuss the lease for the Mercer Island Center for the Arts (MICA) at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The lease was revised to incorporate council feedback from the Nov. 16 meeting. Recently, MICA redesigned the layout and location of the center to avoid direct impacts to the nearby Category III wetland.

The council is not scheduled to take a final vote on the issue.

At the Jan. 19 meeting, the council is also set to discuss an update of the city’s 2014 water advisory event and an audit of the maintenance department.

City receives clean audit

The city of Mercer Island is audited annually by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, and was recently found once again to be fully compliant under government auditing standards. The city has received “unqualified” (i.e. clean) audit opinions since at least 1995, according to records.

For more, see www.mercergov.org/financialreporting.

Council to hold planning session this weekend

The City Council’s annual retreat and planning session will be held this weekend, Jan. 22-23, at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.

The council will meet Friday from 3-6:15 p.m. and 7:30-8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Friday topics include a review of the group’s 2015 work plan, a discussion on council/staff roles and responsibilities, a city manager position profile development and the selection of the Citizen of the Year.

On Saturday, the group will discuss the Joint Commission Town Center report, the Development Services Group work plan and residential development standards, a “levy lid lift scenario,” the 2016 biennial citizen survey, streamlining council meetings and parking lot issues.

Go to www.mercergov.org/councilmeetings for a full schedule.