Mill Creek mayor outlines strategic plan, secures $361,000 for sidewalks and previews South Town Center vision

Mayor Stephanie Bridal delivered her first State of the City address for Mill Creek, framing a multi-year strategic plan and previewing major projects and budget planning.

"Today, I sit before you and I'm honored to share my very first State of the City with you as mayor," Bridal said, emphasizing volunteers, small businesses and long-term planning as cornerstones of the city's approach.

Bridal outlined five council priorities adopted in 2024: a South Town Center/sub-area vision, a multi-purpose DRCC community campus, financial viability, clearer public-space standards and increased community engagement. She said those priorities have been captured into guiding principles to shape budget and project decisions over the next three to five years.

The mayor called public safety a top priority and described current staffing and traffic-enforcement activity. "We currently have 2 traffic officers now," Bridal said, adding that the Mill Creek Police Department has "23 full-time equivalent positions as police officers and 5 full time positions as civilians" and that the department is "currently fully staffed." She also praised school resource officers for building relationships with students.

On infrastructure, Bridal said the city is handling more public-works projects in-house and singled out a funding win for sidewalks: according to the mayor, Representative April Byrd "positioned" Mill Creek to receive $361,000 for citywide sidewalk repairs. The mayor asked residents to expect visible work on corridors such as Seattle Hill Road and noted the city is prioritizing deferred maintenance such as sidewalks, stormwater pipes and other critical assets.

Economic development and the South Town Center were front and center. Bridal described the South Town Center sub-area plan as a city-led effort to guide redevelopment in one walkable area, protect existing neighborhoods and prioritize phased, flexible commercial spaces to attract local businesses.

Bridal said the DRCC community campus remains a long-term civic investment and that multiple study sessions this summer will examine costs, land constraints and feasibility before the council makes decisions. She also described annexation as a potential tool to strengthen fiscal sustainability but said the council is conducting significant infrastructure and fiscal studies before any move.

The mayor closed by naming regional partnerships and a legislative agenda as priorities, listing indigent-defense costs and condominium reform as issues the city will advocate on at the state level.

During a brief question-and-answer period, a resident asked how the city could ensure commercial spaces at South Town Center stay affordable to small businesses. Director Todd, the city staff member who responded, said: "What we're doing is we're working with our design team to kind of look at incentives ... to figure out how could we incentivize the right kind of retail spaces in there." He cautioned that property-rights limits the city's ability to dictate private owners' choices.

The mayor urged continued community engagement and noted next steps: study sessions on South Town Center and DRCC this summer, start of long-range financial planning looking six to 10 years ahead, and preparation of the 2027 28 biennial budget. She closed by inviting residents to the Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Monument and to volunteer for upcoming events such as the Mill Creek Festival in July.