Mountlake Terrace accepts $120,000 Department of Ecology stormwater grant for permit compliance

The Mountlake Terrace City Council voted Monday to authorize the city manager to accept a $120,000 stormwater capacity grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology for municipal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit compliance.

Patrick Hutchins, the city’s stormwater program manager, told the council the grant covers the 2025–27 biennium and requires quarterly progress reports and documented deliverables but does not require a local match. “There is no match required by the city, so this is about as close to a free lunch as you can get,” Hutchins said.

Hutchins outlined how the funds would be used to bolster staff capacity and community outreach: routine business inspections that provide technical assistance to operators at risk of polluting, targeted outreach where testing has identified elevated fecal coliform in the Scriber Creek Basin, and public education campaigns at community events. He emphasized the funds cannot be used for capital projects and would be reimbursed quarterly, increasing the stormwater utility fund by $120,000 over the biennium.

Council members asked about reporting and oversight. Hutchins said reports are submitted directly to Ecology staff and that the city would have an Ecology case manager; he said he would provide more detail about potential penalties if reporting obligations were unmet. The council also discussed low‑cost interventions the grant could support, including additional pet‑waste stations in areas identified with higher bacteria levels and expanded outreach on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in older buildings.

Councilmember Murray moved to authorize the city manager to sign the grant agreement; Councilmember Sonmore seconded. The motion passed (recorded 6–0). Hutchins said the grant will be tracked through an existing allocation code to document staff time and program deliverables.

The city manager’s office and stormwater staff will submit the required progress reports to Ecology and use the reimbursement process to deposit funds into the stormwater utility fund. Staff said accepting the grant reduces the need to shift utility funds to cover staffing and outreach for permit compliance.

The council did not attach additional conditions to the acceptance; staff will return with any implementation details and reporting as required by Ecology.