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Council reviews pilot interlocal for street sweeping with Town of Woodway; staff asked to bring agreement back for consent vote
Summary
Public Works staff proposed a one-year pilot to provide street-sweeping services to Woodway for 2026 at an all-in rate of $130/hour (about 240 hours). Council members supported exploring the pilot but sought clarifications on cost accounting, impacts to Mountlake Terrace service levels and termination language before formal approval on the consent calendar.
Mountlake Terrace public works staff presented a proposed interlocal agreement on March 5 to provide street-sweeping services for the Town of Woodway in 2026 as a pilot. Public Works Director Gary Shemick said the approximate service level would be about 240 hours (roughly 30 days) and that the all-in charge would be $130 per hour to cover labor (fully loaded), fuel, wear and tear, and a modest administration component.
"We're using an overtime rate for the per-hour charge to account for administration and route planning," Shemick said, explaining the calculation and noting an 18% administration component in the proposal. He told council the pilot would reduce Mountlake Terrace’s 2026 sweeping level of service unless a second sweeper or additional FTEs are added in a future budget.
Council members asked how the proposed price compared to the third-party vendor Woodway currently uses, how the city calculated fully loaded labor costs (including benefits), and whether the agreement included a practical termination or "kill-switch" if the pilot proves unsuccessful. Shemick said the packet includes a draft agreement and recommended bringing the item back on an upcoming consent calendar for formal approval and signature so work could begin in April.
Council members spoke in favor of exploring regional partnerships while urging staff to clarify the budget implications, termination clauses, and the operational impacts to local service levels before formal authorization.
