The City Council discussed the City Council recruitment timeline and emphasized the importance of appointing a new member prior to their goalsetting retreat that would occur early in the year. The Council also discussed not conducting interviews until after Mayor Smith’s memorial service on January 25.
Applications are available at www.cityofmlt.com/469 or at Interim City Hall located at 6100 219th Street SW #200. Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 4:30 p.m.
To qualify as a City Council candidate, interested parties must be at least 18 years of age, a United States citizen without any felony convictions, and a registered voter who has lived within the city for at least one year prior to the appointment. The term runs until the November 2019 election is certified and the appointee would need to stand for election in November 2019 to continue to serve for the remainder of the four-year term through December 31, 2021.
The City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of each month unless it falls on a national holiday and then they meet the following day at 7:00 p.m. There is a work/study session on the Thursday night preceding the regular meetings at 7:00 p.m. Some special meetings will occur at earlier times and on weekends as needed. Councilmembers are also asked to serve on city and intergovernmental boards and committees, attend community events and trainings, and spend time reviewing materials for each meeting. Councilmembers are paid a stipend of $800 per month and attend an average of 50-52 City Council meetings per year in addition to their intergovernmental work, events and training. City Council Rules and Procedures can be found in Chapter 2.10 of the Mountlake Terrace Municipal Code.
The City Council plans to interview candidates for the vacant Council position in late January or early February at a special meeting. Following the candidate interviews in open session, the City Council will discuss the qualifications of the applications in a closed executive session, and then reconvene in open session to discuss and select the new City Councilmember. The new Councilmember is tentatively scheduled to be sworn in at the February 19 regular City Council meeting.
For more information, please contact City Clerk/Community Relations Director Virginia Olsen at (425) 744-6206 or via email at cityhall@ci.mlt.wa.us.
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