Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

The Beacon invites community engagement

The City of Mill Creek meets online March 9 started at 6 p.m. on Zoom. The city is online with meetings through an emergency proclamation that has moved meetings and other activities to Zoom and online platforms. That proclamation is currently running through April 6.

The link to attend is here: https://zoom.us/j/95779373011. Restaurants all over Mill Creek offer take-out and delivery. We invite you to combine them, and experience community engagement: local government and local edibles. Support your local restaurateurs and experience their support for you; support your local government with your attention and ideas, and learn about what they do for you.

Small town logic can be at work in Mill Creek: every community has its problem-solvers and its support system. Be a problem-solver by connecting. Then reflect in a letter to the editor: [email protected] Please add "community connection" in the subject-line.

Upcoming public meeting opportunities are as follows, and upcoming take-out is available in and around Mill Creek:

• An online Town Hall is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 16. Mayor Brian Holtzclaw and Mayor Pro Tem Stephanie Vignal will take questions from the public. The Zoom link for that Town Hall meeting is here: https://zoom.us/j/93320143337.

• The Everett Public Schools school board meeting is at 5 p.m. March 16.

• The next regular City Council meeting is 6 p.m. March 23 on Zoom, with a link posted on the city of Mill Creek website under the "City Government/City Council" tabs.

Regular Mill Creek City Council meetings are 6 p.m. the first, second, and fourth Tuesday of each month. They are currently on Zoom due to COVID-19, and some discussion has suggested they may be offered online once in-person meetings are again allowed. In usual times, they are at Mill Creek City Hall South in council chambers.

Two spots open on Planning Commission

The Mill Creek City Council is seeking two volunteers to fill vacancies on the Planning Commission, with a term that expires on April 30, 2024. Planning Commission meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

Duties of the Planning Commission are covered in state law, chapter 35A.63 RCW. The Planning Commission prepares a comprehensive plan for anticipating and influencing development of land and building uses for the City of Mill Creek. It also conducts public hearings on all proposed regulations concerning the use of land in the City of Mill Creek, as well as amendments to existing regulations. The commission uses its information to make recommendations to the City Council for action on land use issues.

If interested in volunteering, applications are due at 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2021 and can be requested via email at [email protected]

Fire inspections to resume

Due to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and safety protocols that were put in place, annual fire safety inspections were placed on hold in 2020, according to Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, which serves the cities of Mill Creek, Lake Stevens and Monroe. The prevention element of fire safety is bolstered by inspections that have already resumed.

Fire safety inspections are walk-throughs of local businesses, restaurants, shopping plazas, industrial buildings, hotels, and apartments to identify any conditions that may cause a fire or injury. Once a fire safety inspection is complete, the business owner is given a written list of violations that must be corrected by the business owner within a given time frame. While each city's municipal code is different, in general fire marshals have the authority to issue penalty fees and close businesses that do not fix dangerous fire and safety violations.

The top two violations found in inspections include emergency lights not working and needing new bulbs or batteries, and fire extinguishers needing annual service. Other items that could lead to a need for change include extension cord misuse, holes in walls, exit signs not working, sprinkler systems needing repair, open electric wiring, and blocked electric panels.

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue's goal is to inspect all businesses for fire safety at least annually. For more information on fire marshal services, request an inspection, or to file a citizen fire code complaint, call 360-794-7666 or email at [email protected]