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Mountlake Terrace staff and consultants step up outreach to reach mosque and Western African communities
Summary
Commissioners and staff said standard public meetings have not reached all communities; the city’s outreach consultant and staff are planning targeted engagement—intercept surveys, community meetings and high‑school workshops—to bring Western African, Hispanic and other underrepresented residents into the comprehensive plan process.
Commissioners raised concerns that people who do not come to City Hall or go online have been left out of the comprehensive plan process. Mountlake Terrace staff and an outreach consultant described steps to reach groups that have not participated in public-engagement meetings, including targeted meetings, intercept surveys at retail and food-bank locations, and workshops at high schools.
The commission discussed a request from members of a local mosque who said they were not involved in the planning process. Staff replied that the Comprehensive Plan engagement group (CPEG) meetings are public and open to written comment, but acknowledged barriers—language, time, or civic familiarity—and said the city is trying multiple outreach channels. Staff said consultant Marcela (from the comprehensive‑plan outreach team) has contacted community leaders, including mosque representatives, Saint Pius church contacts for Hispanic outreach, and local businesses to collect input.
Marcela and staff are also planning two neighborhood-focused engagement workshops (Melanie Hill and Cascade View were mentioned) and will drop off surveys at neighborhoods and businesses. The planning update will include a draft environmental impact statement and additional public meetings in June.
Why it matters: commissioners said Western African and Hispanic residents were not visible in previous meetings; targeted outreach is needed to produce a comprehensive plan that reflects the whole community. Staff asked commissioners to assist with outreach and to bring community contacts and suggestions to city staff and the outreach consultant.
Next steps: staff will finalize scheduling for targeted workshops, publish dates for neighborhood engagement sessions, and continue meeting planning for the draft environmental impact statement. Staff also said they would follow up with mosque leadership about appropriate formats and venues for engagement.
