MILL CREEK, Wash., April 14, 2022 ̶ Mill Creek City Council discussed new law enforcement bills signed by Gov. Inslee this 2022 legislative session, and the status of city’s Complete Streets Pedestrian Improvement Project at their Regular Meeting on Tuesday, April 12, .
City recognizes Planning Manager Tom Roger’s 30 years with Mill Creek
The council began its meeting by signing a proclamation recognizing Tom Rogers’ 30 years working for the City of Mill Creek as Planning Manager.
The City of Mill Creek hired Tom B. Rogers in April, 1992, to help adapt the City’s Comprehensive Plan to conform to the state’s Growth Management Act of 1990 and Rogers contributed to and/or lead every subsequent major update and amendment to the City’s Comprehensive Plan since.
From 1992 to 2022, Mill Creek grew from 8,354 to 20,930 residents and expanded through 11 annexations to encompass 4.69 miles under those Comprehensive Plans.
“I really appreciate Tom. I appreciate him now more as I’m mentoring to learn more about what he’s been doing his whole career and how challenging that job is,” Councilman Mark Bond said.
Rogers has also participated in and led numerous land use planning efforts over his tenure, including the SR527 Sub Area plan (preparatory to Town Center) and the East UGA Subarea Plan (leading to the 2005 Northeast Annexation and the East Gateway Urban Village plan and developments), and recently initiated and led a study of the Mill Creek Boulevard Sub Area as an input to the upcoming 2024 Comprehensive Plan update.
Rogers will be retiring from his position this year.
2022 Law Enforcement House Bills
Senator John Lovick and Representative April Berg presented council on the passing of new law enforcement house bills passed this legislative session intended to clarify use of force legislation which went into effect last year.
“I really want the community to know that it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle we’re on we all have the same goals – and those goals are community safety,” Sen. Lovick said.
One of the bills, HB1719, is an act modifying the restrictions placed on “military equipment” utilized by law enforcement. This bill narrows the restrictions to include only rifles .50 caliber or greater and clarifying that the restrictions in RCW 10.116.040 do not include shotgun or devices used to deploy less lethal munitions. This allows Mill Creek PD to implement less lethal options such as .12 gauge shotgun bean bag rounds, .40 mm launcher for foam baton rounds, and .68 caliber Pepper Ball launcher.
Another bill signed by Governor Inslee this year, HB1735, modifies the standard for use of force by stating that physical force may be used to the extent necessary to take a person into custody for criminal violation, assist with civil or forensic commitment, taking a minor into custody (RCW 43.185C.260), and execute a court order.
HB1735 also clarifies that deadly force may be used in the face of an immediate threat to protect a peace officer or other person.
HB2037 further modifies the use of force standard in RCW 10.120.010 to prevent a person from fleeing a temporary investigative detention or when authorized or directed by statute.
“We are bringing in new officers that are going to change the culture of the profession,” Lovick said.
Acting Police Chief White led a power point presentation on these new bills overviewing what they’ve changed for Mill Creek law enforcement.
Construction Completion for the 2021 Complete Streets Pedestrian Improvement Project
City Engineer Frank Reinhart walked council through a presentation on the 2021 Complete Streets Pedestrian Improvements consisting of the following three projects:
- 136th Street Southeast mid-block Crosswalk near Jackson High School
- New sidewalk on Heatherwood Drive
- Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Improvements on North Creek Drive
Rawls Electric, LLC, completed all contracted construction activities at each of the three project locations for the 2021 Complete Streets Pedestrian Improvements during March 2022, in time to meet the March 31 deadline of the TIB Complete Streets grant awarded to the city.
The contract with Rawls Electric was awarded by City Council on January 4, 2022, in the amount of $136,965.00.
Funding for this project was appropriated for the Complete Streets Pedestrian Improvement Project by council at their December 14, 2021, update to the 2021 to 2026 Capitol Improvement Plan allocating a total budget of $252, 219 with expenses totaling $217,902.75.
While construction work has been substantially completed and no remaining inspections and/or punch list items remain uncompleted, there remains administrative and financial work to complete during the next month to close out the project’s contracts and formally complete the capital improvement project.
Consent agenda
Lastly, Council approved checks #64547 through #64598 and ACH Wire Transfers in the amount of $114,263.85, Payroll and Benefit ACH Payments in the amount of $215,711.35, and the City Council Meeting Minutes of February 8, 2022, and April 5, 2022, during the unanimous consent agenda.
