Utility board preview: February meeting to include Confluence Engineering update and draft work plan

City staff told the Mercer Island Utility Board on Jan. 14 that the board’s draft 2025 work plan will be presented at the Feb. 11 meeting and will include items tied to a planned transmission and supply line contract amendment.

Jason (staff member) said the draft work plan is still in preparation and that important upcoming topics will include discussions with SPU related to a contract amendment for a new transmission/supply line, the emergency well and system reliability measures. "We will have that draft work plan for you guys at the February meeting, to sort of walk through the rest of the calendar year," Jason said.

Staff said routine items are likely to reappear on the calendar: fall rate discussions, chair and vice‑chair elections in June, and a Recology update early in 2026. Jason said the board should expect to meet on the second Tuesday of most months and that the Feb. 11 meeting will be hybrid (Zoom and in person).

Staff said the board will also see updates on the sewer capital program, describing it as “pretty extensive over the course of the next two years” and flagged the transmission/supply‑line work as a touchpoint that will involve the utility board as contract amendments and resiliency work proceed. The Confluence Engineering presentation will address resiliency and reliability work in the background and how it ties to the transmission work and emergency well.

No board action was taken; staff asked members to reserve the Feb. 11 meeting and noted some internal administrative email issues that delayed meeting notices this month.