Mountlake Terrace council adopts 'Together We Thrive' DEI strategic plan after term-limits debate

The Mountlake Terrace City Council on Nov. 19 adopted a citywide diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan titled "Together We Thrive," after extended discussion and two council amendments that preserved a commission recommendation to "consider" term limits and clarified restroom and access language.

Deputy City Manager Carolyn Hope and members of the DEI commission presented the plan and explained that it reflects community input gathered since 2021 through surveys and listening sessions. The plan includes personnel-policy recommendations, operations changes and an action table (chapter 7) that assigns leads, status and performance metrics for items such as improving access to city government and evaluating volunteer capacity.

Council members spent the bulk of the meeting debating CA 3, a commission-suggested line that originally read, in part, "consider revisiting the city code to limit the term of service for all commissions and council." Several council members and commissioners said the word "consider" was important because it preserves the council’s discretion and ensures the recommendation remains visible for future review. Others warned that term limits could reduce institutional knowledge and make it harder to recruit volunteers.

As a compromise, council adopted an amendment that restored the commission’s original language to "consider revisiting the city code to limit the term of service for all commissions and council," while also retaining added language to "create more opportunities for community members to participate in leadership roles within the city and bring new ideas forward." A separate amendment changed CA 7 to describe restroom goals without using the term "gender neutral" — instead directing staff to "provide options for restrooms that are not designated for a specific gender, featuring private stalls in city buildings as remodels are planned, new buildings are designed and funding is available." That amendment passed on a recorded voice/roll-call sequence prior to the final vote.

DEI commissioners and students who spoke during public comment urged adoption. Anita Francisco, a commission member, said the plan "reflects what our community told us: clearer communication, easier access to information, and a city where people of all ages and backgrounds can participate." Student commenter Emily Francisco told the council young people care about local government and called the plan "a simple step forward" to make the city more accessible.

Councilmembers praised the commission’s work and called the plan a road map for future engagement. The council voted to adopt the plan as amended. The motion passed and staff said implementation items that require funding will be considered during future budget cycles; several items already have partial funding or are eligible for staff resources this year. The council also directed staff to bring forward follow-up implementation plans and to budget for translation and accessibility where feasible, noting that in-person translation can cost roughly $172 per hour and that selective translation of plan sections had previously been quoted at $844 to $2,258 depending on scope.

The council closed debate by thanking commissioners and staff. The adoption sets the city’s DEI priorities and asks council and staff to report back on implementation milestones and any budget implications.