Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

City council meets

The regular meeting of the Mill Creek City Council is 6 p.m. Tuesday May 4. The hope is to offer both onsite and offsite options for the public, but Snohomish County's Phase-status relating to COVID-19 may factor into an ability to offer onsite options.

Onsite reservations are made by contacting [email protected]. Whatever phase the county ends up in on May 3, meetings will be offered remotely through a Zoom invite posted on the City's website, and will be streamed on YouTube. Onsite space is first-come-first-served. An automated message saying "no more seats are available" is sent, once reserved spots fill. The City of Mill Creek's Washington YouTube Channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5cbO2c2cyUvIj0JMkOTi3Q, and Zoom links are regularly posted on the City's website. For more information, go to http://www.cityofmillcreek.com.

City Council seats up for re-election

The Mill Creek City Council has all but two seats up for re-election. The following are listed with the Public Disclosure Commission as running for Mill Creek City Council:

• John Steckler, position 1

• Stephanie Vignal, position 2.

• Benjamin Briles, position 3.

• Connie May Allison, position 3.

• Brian Holtzclaw, position 4.

• Eric J. Cooke, position

• Adam Morgan, position 6.

• Melissa Duque, position 6.

Vignal is both a council member and Mayor Pro Tem. She mediated the last Town Hall event for the City and said it may be the last one for a while, due to concerns about PDC rules. The PDC prohibits use of City resources for the purpose of campaigning. She said individual candidates may run events on their own.

"We are not allowed to use the city funds, the city apparatus, the city staff to campaign," Vignal said.

Of those who have led, Duque, Allsion and Cooke are not already a council members.

The Public Disclosure Commission governs activity for elected officials, and limits activity to assure that taxpayers are not funding campaigns, the PDC website states. They are free to engage in political activity in their personal time or support ballot measures, the PDC states.

The only two on the Council who are not up for re-election this year are Vince Cavaleri and Mark Bond. Both have seats that are up at the end of 2023.

COVID-19 vaccine information

The Snohomish County Task Force continues to vaccinate citizens all over the county and Mill Creek has two close-in options: one at Boeing Activity Center, and a second at Ash Way Park & Ride. As of April 23, 30% of eligible people, 16 and older, had been fully vaccinated.

Vaccines are open to all people older than 16 and can be scheduled at pharmacies, health care clinics, Costco, Fred Meyer, and mass vaccination clinics. Each location has its own scheduling website.

County health officials request people try to access appointments at pharmacies and health care agencies first. If no appointment is available, go to prepmod.doh.wa.gov to schedule a mass vaccination clinic. The Department of Health vaccine locator is here: https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov.

Those who are 16 and 17 years of age can only get the Pfizer shot. Minors need to bring a parent or guardian. Both the adult and the minor need to carry ID to the vaccination appointment.

Anyone who is homebound or knows someone who needs help accessing a vaccine due to an inability to leave home, contact the COVID-19 call center at 425-339-5278, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county will connect homebound people with mobile vaccination. The call center can also assist with scheduling for people who do not have the ability to schedule online.

Health officials strongly encourage vaccination for all who are eligible. Dr. Chris Spitters, Health Officer for the Snohomish Health District, said herd immunity is the goal, with an estimation of 80% vaccinated before officials will consider a lifting of restrictions.

Asked about variants, he said P1, while not the dominant variant, as a higher hospitalization rate than the original version of the virus; and the B.1.1.7 variant has a higher death-rate. Variants arise more easily due to more opportunity, meaning more people infected with COVID-19, so vaccination and prevention, as a community, reduces the chance for more variants developing.

If you have questions on the vaccines, send them to [email protected].

Conservation kits available in parts of Mill Creek, Bothell

Water leaks and lawn-watering during the hottest part of the day can lead to higher water-bills for customers of the Alderwood Water District, which provides water and wastewater services to parts of Mill Creek and Bothell.

Conservation kits can reduce water usage and the district is providing those to customers, on selected dates in the month of May.

Indoor and outdoor water conservation kits will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last during four physically distanced, drive-through events. Visitors can drive through the East parking lot of the agency's administration building, at 3626 156th Street S.W. in Lynnwood.

The kits are available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 3, May 10, May 17 and May 24.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, water conversation kits are not available from the lobby.

The district's service boundary covers approximately 44 square miles spanning from Puget Sound east beyond the Bothell-Everett Highway and north from the Snohomish-King county line, to just South of Paine Field. It encompasses portions of Mill Creek and Bothell, Mukilteo south of Paine Field, and portions of Lynnwood and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County.

For more information, visit http://www.awwd.com.