An Update on City Operations, Planning Continues for City Hall

Earlier this year, the City Council voted to permanently close City Hall. City staff, the City Council, and outside experts have since been hard at work planning for a solution to the City Hall closure, as part of the City’s existing Long Range Facility Planning process.

While City Hall may be closed, most City operations continue as normal. Approximately 80% of City employees continue to work in-person on Mercer Island, whether from shared workspaces in administrative areas of the Community Center, the Maintenance Building, the Luther Burbank Administrative Building, or out in the field. Remaining staff are working from a combination of home offices and in shared/rotating office spaces on-Island, often holding meetings at the Community Center or at other locations.

The City is standing up temporary facility solutions for specialized operations that were displaced by the closure of City Hall, including City Court and Police Department facilities:

Municipal Court: At the November 7 City Council meeting, the Council approved a lease agreement with the City of Newcastle allowing Mercer Island Municipal Court to temporarily operate out of Newcastle City Hall. Court staff are currently arranging operating details, with information on accessing court services in Newcastle coming soon.

Police Department: While our Police Department staff have worked hard to continue normal levels of service without access to the Police wing of City Hall, day-to-day operations have been challenging for our officers. At the November 21 City Council meeting, the Council reviewed a budget allocation for Police Department portable facility solutions. These temporary facilities will provide dedicated spaces for the many specialized needs of a police department and greatly ease day-to-day challenges for our officers and staff.

Work on a long-term replacement strategy for City Hall continues. The City will consider a wide range of options that will result in a responsible, efficient, and sustainable future for City Hall operations. While much of the planning related to real estate transactions must be conducted confidentially through the City’s broker, community engagement on the long-term options to replace City Hall is anticipated in 2024. Islanders are encouraged to stay updated and engaged with this project here on Let’s Talk.

As always, City staff remain available and ready to assist you. For the quickest and fastest service, community members should contact the City of Mercer Island Customer Service Team at 206-275-7600 or at customerservice@mercerisland.gov.