Take a survey on Island burglaries

The Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) is seeking to reduce the number of residential burglaries in Mercer Island. The Island’s burglary rate is comparable to other nearby jurisdictions, but the MIPD believes that with citizens’ help, it can achieve the lowest burglary rate in the region.Recent postings on NextDoor have reported attempted break-ins, and almost half of home burglaries annually are at Island homes that left their doors and windows unlocked.

The MIPD is developing a campaign to encourage residents to always lock doors and windows when away from home. Residents can take a brief three-to-five minute survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/XXRPF9W before May 29 to help MIPD fine-tune the campaign.

Rates for trash service will increase in July

Republic Services, the company that provides trash and recycling pick-up on Mercer Island, will raise its rates on July 1. The rate increase was included in Republic’s contract approved by the city in 2009.

Depending on the type and level of service, customers will see an average increase of 2 percent.

Sculpture hit by car to be repaired

After a car crash destroyed the gateway art at the corner of 76th Avenue S.E. and Sunset Highway in January, city staff started working with insurance companies on its replacement. The concrete wall has been fixed, and the original artist, Garth Edwards, will make the repairs on the damaged metal sculptures.

The sculptures were hit by a driver having a diabetic episode coming from the I-90 off-ramp at 77th Avenue S.E. earlier this year.

Damages to the Island sign were estimated to be about $3,000. The cost of the gateway project, installed in 1999, was $85,583. The cost of the art, including the metal people, was $20,000.

Summer means it’s time for school bus inspections

The Washington State Patrol oversees the safety of public school buses. There are nearly 10,000 public school buses in Washington, all of which are inspected during the summer months, with a quarter of those checked again in winter.

Over 455,000 students are transported on school buses daily during the school term. Over 100 million miles are driven each year. Last summer, inspectors looked at all of the state’s 9,921 school buses, finding an out-of service rate of just 3.7 percent. Across the combined summer and winter checks, WSP’s 19 inspectors conducted nearly 13,000 inspections.

The WSP said the program is key to reducing school bus collisions related to equipment and is a primary reason why there has never been a school bus-related fatality as a result of defective equipment.

City wins awards for fitness programs and film

The National League of Cities recognized the City of Mercer Island with another gold medal for its efforts as a Let’s Move City. Let’s Move! Mercer Island, led by the Parks and Recreation Department, raises awareness for a healthy lifestyle through good nutrition and physical activity in collaboration with community partners.

As a Let’s Move City, five goals must be met in order to achieve these significant awards. Mercer Island was awarded gold medal status for accomplishing goal four, which is “to improve access to healthy, affordable foods.”

The city commits to implementing healthy and sustainable food service guidelines that are aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in municipally owned or operated venues that serve food.

The Washington Recreation and Park Association (WRPA) awarded the Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Department with the Marketing and Outreach Spotlight Award for Promotional Materials.

The department was recognized for the development and production of a six-part video series, highlighting the Island’s parks, the community center and donation opportunities. The series was co-produced by city employees Jana Raasch and Bre Keveren.

For more information on the Mercer Island Parks and Recreation department and its programs, including the Summer 2015 Recreation guide, visit www.mercergov.org.