[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6157266,"mediaKeyId","5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5","parentId",5465749,"title","Mill Creek residents urge council and police to act on young e‑bike riders; officials say enforcement and education are options","audioSeconds",325,"startMs",91000,"endMs",416000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5&start=91&end=416","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5/thumbnail_91000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6157266/Mill-Creek/Snohomish-County/Washington/Mill-Creek-residents-urge-council-and-police-to-act-on-young-ebike-riders-officials-say-enforcement-and-education-are-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157266-8b035764072300d6ba707daaed148c28/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015257&Signature=ONFvzfBh4t~4voonv1cI~TXWTvgtYXr6d7PbI2zdg0nPggZrrCRJ6TZ31cEFY6xfW5mB53xMZjFeBdzxVSvOzn7z-1owyYx01jxWFdSgagKKJx8GDInwALfTt4Ta~-ttqhHTvYgO5LYm1BbsK4hpvLgD5R1XOWu~57RhMMA78unDfRPEQqNPXBqjGHu95mcOvLiE74Fx5ESV03TkJ5mecPq2WqTzZgdJDdgssX8EuCKvYsaM4n7vUYvKtG7nKcCSbco~6vEF97B0aMljg4ZkkZK2z4mCSPi1iz3vQxuAmTjeu~PdAlsSiyqCPWbMG-Sh57uZh0zBMqKy~WLVIXNg2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Mill Creek, Washington","date","2025-07-24T20:03:08.163Z","article","Two Mill Creek residents used the public‑comment portion of the council meeting Tuesday to describe repeated incidents of children riding electric bicycles and scooters unsafely on busy streets and neighborhood cul‑de‑sacs and urged the city to act.

Karen Brandon, who identified herself as a Mill Creek resident, described an 8‑ to 12‑year‑old riding an e‑bike in a large cul‑de‑sac and down hills at speed, sometimes riding through stop signs. “Half the time he doesn’t look. He just expects everybody to stop for him,” Brandon said during public comment.

Another resident, who identified himself as Wright, asked how police handle enforcement when the rider is too young to hold a driver’s license and the vehicle is not registered or insured: “When it comes to driving a golf cart on public streets or sidewalks the officer can ask does the driver have a driver’s license? ... What happens to [a preteen] on a motor scooter and motorbike without a helmet?”

Mayor Holtzclaw said the council has discussed the issue with staff and that enforcement may be a mix of local and state responses. A resident in the meeting thanked the police for increased patrols, saying, “in the past six weeks, I’ve seen the city of Mill Creek police out working more than I’ve seen probably in the last 20 years.”

State Representative April Berg, who was the council’s invited guest that evening, told councilors and residents she has seen similar concerns elsewhere and that some proposals — including age restrictions or caps on certain classes of e‑bikes — have come up in other jurisdictions. Berg encouraged local officials to coordinate with the state if rule changes are necessary. “I live at Evergreen. I’ve seen exactly what the two folks talked about, and so that’s near and dear,” she said.

What happens next: Councilors and staff indicated they will review options including targeted enforcement, parent education and coordination with state representatives about whether statutory changes are needed. The police department was not asked to propose a specific ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting; councilors said they expect staff to evaluate enforcement options and possible educational outreach.

Ending: Residents said they appreciated the council and police attention and asked for more outreach to parents and more enforcement in problem locations; the council directed staff to follow up and report options at a future meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Regular Meeting - 22 July 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Residents told the City Council they are seeing children riding e‑bikes and electric scooters dangerously on main roads and through neighborhoods. Councilors and police noted enforcement and education are potential responses, and state rules may also be relevant.","taxTitle","Mill Creek, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",71062,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157271,"Rep. April Berg outlines capital wins for Mill Creek, warns of state budget cuts and outlines public‑safety funding option",772,793000,1565000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5&start=793&end=1565","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5/thumbnail_793000.jpg","/articles/6157271/Mill-Creek/Snohomish-County/Washington/Rep-April-Berg-outlines-capital-wins-for-Mill-Creek-warns-of-state-budget-cuts-and-outlines-publicsafety-funding-option","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157271-0b3b1ad6481de94bc2ff7cd48503f71e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015257&Signature=ocIb40ZcYws73JhT58rQuLJKoyHr8IY8u617CDYG6HpLgMv1OdI~wnO52m1vZXEvoRxXesN4QiCH2DbOmOTjaT4gpDR7G05wdoLRTpMfBpQWkQ9~OAUAgdhP4HD65j9cpPsVwZ598b676VRmTzX15wW6xMiDBl4q5r3ZYctqxFCM~LuJEUDxlofsegqBfqDZuCWkGxrO3CK5wvxMWrxk56NPSfWiefe43dVLwqKoZviMKO~SHO~zH~8aKuGGt7L7oDsevtSwhfyIgYb8ugBybYUBxHBZOR4L5pbvq-ssM5xZJCyN2DI0dIx1uZyOgU1mCLou-hia6yediNV1J3WtsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State Representative April Berg, who represents the 44th Legislative District, briefed the Mill Creek City Council on the 2025 legislative session and its implications for the city, describing capital grants, policy changes and state budget constraints.

Berg said the capital budget delivered “over a million dollars” to Mill Creek for a potential Boys & Girls Club and noted additional capital investments in the district, including funding for a Snohomish Public Safety Campus and conservation district facilities. She encouraged local officials to request funds for projects and to coordinate with state legislators.

On the 2025 operating budget, Berg described a roughly $16 billion deficit the Legislature addressed by a mix of cuts and revenue increases and detailed the governor’s priorities. She said some federal and state passthrough grants were reduced or delayed and said the state employed both cuts and revenue to rebalance the budget.

Notable policy items Berg highlighted for the council:

- Housing: The Legislature passed a statewide rent‑increase cap for ongoing tenancy at 10 percent (state analysts estimated a 9.7 percent maximum in practice). New construction remains exempt and mobile‑home parks are capped at 5 percent. A bipartisan bill expanded middle‑housing provisions into rural areas and the Legislature established a housing‑cost task force to study barriers to building.

- Education: Lawmakers removed an artificial cap on special‑education funding and extended special‑education services to age 22, steps Berg said should ensure districts receive the state’s share of special‑education costs.

- Public safety: Berg described a new bill that lets local jurisdictions impose a council‑adopted public‑safety tax to raise revenue for local law enforcement, behavioral health co‑responders and other public‑safety priorities; the state created a matching grant program administered through the Criminal Justice Training Commission.

On the broader fiscal outlook, Berg told councilors the state remains a donor state — sending more federal tax revenue to Washington, D.C., than it receives — and warned that federal cuts and delayed payments have left the state facing difficult tradeoffs. She said Medicaid-related pressures and delayed federal funds could create service shortfalls in coming years.

Councilors pressed Berg on topics including the Boys & Girls Club funding, condominium liability reform, the potential for state action on fentanyl and proposed pilot programs for safer supply; Berg said some committee reports did not yet have authoring legislators prepared to turn recommendations into bills and emphasized that any legislation would require a full committee and caucus process.

“Some of that money went to the city of Mill Creek for potentially a Boys and Girls Club,” Berg said. “The only way they can spend that money is if they make a club in the city of Mill Creek.”

Berg closed by urging local leaders to send project requests to her office and to state senators representing the area if Mill Creek seeks additional capital funding.

Ending: Berg’s update combined specific capital outcomes for Mill Creek with warnings about ongoing budget risk and new local options for public‑safety funding. She encouraged the council to pursue state grants and to continue communicating local project priorities to the legislative delegation.","State Rep. April Berg told the Mill Creek City Council that more than $1 million in capital funding was secured for a possible Boys & Girls Club in the city, summarized major 2025 budget decisions and described a new public‑safety local tax option available to cities.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157276,"Mill Creek council directs staff to pursue master plan for Dobson-Remillard civic campus, plans for future City Hall relocation",1817,6079000,7896000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5&start=6079&end=7896","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5/thumbnail_6079000.jpg","/articles/6157276/Mill-Creek/Snohomish-County/Washington/Mill-Creek-council-directs-staff-to-pursue-master-plan-for-Dobson-Remillard-civic-campus-plans-for-future-City-Hall-relocation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157276-e9784e9f3606138e3f96ca834024302d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015257&Signature=eGI-7zwJGaa3Add74FAJJxlnpwlx78snDPUDhxFdRl4bJfUbS86cGjbe4LqQ5w3NLKMWrPaKIsClyMHDoIvKFBMunzvtoqyd3ub3xxvs8oitCX3WoYFgdNhsIItTqSbX0VDq4Wasg385lo-A1BSiDknyJ9S1P~rfkVSY1NR8oqeX~KrhbQDgWyoD5S4cxSf3ywrxIUd-gA-M3QY1P8Xm0lXK3DvtBkDqyFyFRCu8BCtzYVZKogjRscbDxGv0ANuAHd78UOSbHmPx7wKKR2uSa-ZjBN~xM-ZnrWYWBEvtBuI~Bao31fJHSD0rmDEDQJemgLKLtdJl6npfV7j0GsSUcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mill Creek City Council on Tuesday directed city staff to pursue a detailed master plan for the Dobson‑Remillard Civic Center (DRCC) site that includes a multipurpose community facility and planning for the eventual relocation of City Hall to that campus.

Director Ryan presented three development concepts and recommended the DRCC civic campus approach, which would consolidate municipal services and public-facing community space on the DRCC site while preserving opportunities for third‑party partners. The council voted 6–1 to move forward with the option and to authorize staff to solicit a qualified consultant to complete schematic planning, permitting strategy and preliminary engineering.

Why it matters: The DRCC site has been the subject of study and debate for nearly two decades. The council’s direction starts a formal master‑planning process that will define the site program, scale and financing strategy. Planning also will inform the South Town Center redevelopment and the city’s use of existing assets.

What staff told council: Ryan summarized prior work — wetland delineation, needs assessments and economic analysis — and said the city has roughly $450,000 available to fund master planning activities. He presented three broad options: build a civic campus at DRCC (option 1), build only a multipurpose facility at DRCC while keeping City Hall downtown (option 2), or sell DRCC and redevelop City Hall in the South Town Center (option 3).

Ryan said the DRCC site totals about 18 acres but that only about 8.3 acres are developable after accounting for slopes and wetlands. His team provided preliminary valuations from an economic analysis: under current zoning the DRCC property’s lower-range market value was estimated at about $22.1 million; under an alternative zoning or higher-density scenario that estimate rose to roughly $30 million. He also presented order-of-magnitude cost ranges for civic facilities based on square-footage scenarios — estimates that will be refined during the master-planning process.

“We have about maybe $450,000 for master plan that we can use to complete this project,” Director Ryan said in his presentation. He told the council the scope to be advertised would include schematic site planning, preliminary engineering and a permitting strategy; he said the consultant selection could begin in August with the objective of beginning master‑planning work in the fall.

Council debate and decision: Council members voiced varied priorities — some stressed immediate community uses such as a multipurpose center and theater; others emphasized the long‑term value of holding city‑owned land for future revenue or development leverage. Several councilors said they want a phased approach: develop community-serving facilities first and preserve the option to consolidate City Hall at the site later.

After discussion, Councilor Cavalieri moved that staff prepare the RFQ and scope to pursue the DRCC civic campus (option 1) and explicitly include planning for a future City Hall relocation; a majority of councilors seconded and the motion passed 6–1.

Next steps and timeline: Staff will issue an RFQ for master‑planning services under federal procurement guidelines in August or September. If a consultant is selected on schedule, schematic planning and community engagement would occur through winter and spring with the goal of completing a master plan next year. Staff plans to present financing and phasing options during that process and to return to the council with recommended next steps.

Ending: The council’s direction begins a formal planning phase to define program, costs and potential funding strategies for a civic campus at DRCC. The next public milestones will be the consultant selection and the first community‑engagement sessions planned once a scope is finalized.","After months of study, the City Council instructed staff to prepare a master‑planning RFQ for a civic campus at the Dobson‑Remillard Civic Center site and to include planning for a possible future consolidation of City Hall there.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157281,"Mill Creek council approves $2.21 million to repair 1,016 failing catch basins after mandatory inspections",858,3710000,4568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5&start=3710&end=4568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465749-8ab56d14969d2f015a4fd7a9cb3884b5/thumbnail_3710000.jpg","/articles/6157281/Mill-Creek/Snohomish-County/Washington/Mill-Creek-council-approves-221-million-to-repair-1016-failing-catch-basins-after-mandatory-inspections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157281-4a072915e317928949121ecde37be31a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771015257&Signature=DMQNySiUmAFAk9xfzDZNx49DEDHwwP2n3ouxC1J0K0iV0xj6TqPAZYFHvXkGEaRWUkRH-LsJGGCYcBJPwmcfQXSgfaiqRiWXBreSnt69IGNj6xv2LupIUH8hdRflLlik4m0rOpXH1GyDJMNcYNOpj6fuxlLhjrib6HUmELzpOBfVsoqd~8Cs2iuwwH7EzxFqqq2Sm2mxmIp-EQCbO2Rl35mtnmwIWh6GZlmgGsujMx2mgtH1fT9wyLHJOhP5izzIzAaKZgzgWHOjs8dZ3aSvTomKEBmA9SXpZvtZ-L-q5YNP6vQAZtq6sbLQ66VQnTErx2asdGSlTgmkWcOLijk3sg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Mill Creek City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to amend the city’s capital improvement plan and appropriate $2,210,000 from the surface water utility fund to begin a citywide catch-basin repair program ordered under the 2024 Western Washington Phase II municipal stormwater permit.

The action follows inspections that found 1,016 catch basins — about 27.5 percent of the city’s 3,689 catch basins — failed or in need of maintenance. Public works staff told the council the work is required by the city’s permit and must be completed in two groups under the timeline the Department of Ecology sets.

“This allows us to discharge our surface water that we collect from our roadways ... into these waters of the state,” Public Works staff member Carmody told the council during a presentation on the program’s status and schedule. Carmody said the city inspected 3,128 basins on lower-traffic neighborhood streets and 561 on higher-traffic roads and highways and identified 1,016 basins with defects ranging from cracked risers to exposed rebar and failed sumps.

Why it matters: the state stormwater permit requires catch-basin inspections every two years and sets repair deadlines tied to whether the repairs are performed in-house or as part of a capital project. If the city performs repairs with its crews, many fixes must be completed within six months; bundling work into a capital project extends that deadline to two years. Ecology enforces the permit.

Council heard a detailed tally of the deficiencies: 731 basins were tagged as the higher-priority Group 1 work, and 285 basins comprised Group 2. Group 1 repairs are due by Nov. 24, 2026; Group 2 repairs are due by June 10, 2027. Carmody’s cost estimate placed Group 1 at roughly $2.5 million and Group 2 at about $2.0 million, for a total project estimate near $4.54 million.

To start immediate work and meet the permit timeline, staff proposed deferring or delaying portions of other surface-water capital projects and increasing the surface-water program budget for this biennium. Carmody said staff identified $900,000 of near-term capital that could be deferred and proposed increasing the surface-water capital program from $5,005,000 to $7,125,000 for the biennium.

Council action and next steps: Councilor Cavalieri moved and the council approved an ordinance amending the 2025–2030 capital improvement plan and appropriating $2,210,000 from the surface water utility fund. The motion passed unanimously. The adopted budget amendment gives staff authority to solicit an engineering firm and issue an invitation to bid; staff said they expect a notice to proceed for the engineer in August and to begin contractor work in September, working through the dry-weather season.

City staff emphasized the schedule is aggressive because much of the work must be performed during dry weather, and that contractors will be required to meet the performance schedule. Carmody said crews and contractors will prioritize work that avoids extended lane closures on state highways and that some night work will be necessary on major arterials.

Council discussion focused on the project’s scope, fund reserves and timing. Finance staff noted the surface-water fund would have roughly $1.12 million in reserves at the end of the biennium under the proposed plan, and that staff would return in the fall with options — including rate adjustments, one-time assessments or borrowing — to stabilize the utility over the midterm.

“Due to the quantity of these repairs, we’re going to do it as a capital project,” Carmody told council. “That gives us two years to repair these. Group 1 will be due 11/24/2026 and Group 2 is due 06/10/2027.”

What remains uncertain: staff said the city has limited historical inspection records and that much of the deferred maintenance has accumulated over decades. They also warned that the city’s uninspected 18-inch-plus pipes will require further inspection and rehabilitation in later years, and that those costs could be substantial.

Ending: Council’s appropriation funds the immediate capital bid and contracting steps to address the most urgent catch-basin repairs. Staff will return this fall with a six‑year financial projection for the surface-water program and recommendations on rates, borrowing or other tools to replenish reserves and cover future pipe rehabilitation work.","After citywide inspections found more than 1,000 catch basins in need of repair, the City Council amended the capital plan and appropriated $2.21 million from the surface water utility fund to begin repairs required by the state permit.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mill Creek residents urge council and police to act on young e‑bike riders; officials say enforcement and education are options

Rep. April Berg outlines capital wins for Mill Creek, warns of state budget cuts and outlines public‑safety funding option

Mill Creek council directs staff to pursue master plan for Dobson-Remillard civic campus, plans for future City Hall relocation

Mill Creek council approves $2.21 million to repair 1,016 failing catch basins after mandatory inspections