Mayors Message

Dear Community Members,

We are beginning this monthly newsletter as a new communication tool to provide updates to the community of information that is shared at our City Council meetings. Staying connected with you is one of the most important parts of my role, and I am excited about launching this new way to deliver news and information to the residents of Duvall and beyond.

My second month as your Mayor has been a whirlwind! Below are a few of the highlights from my work as Mayor in February 2026.

I attended the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) City Action Days in Olympia with City Administrator Cynthia McNabb, Mayor Pro Tem Mercer, Councilmember Olen, and Councilmember Kosloske. We met with Representative Larry Springer and Representative Roger Goodman where we delivered flood impact testimonials to our representatives; requested any possible state support for residents and farmers impacted in the floodplain; highlighted how this devastating event underscored Duvall’s broader challenges with transportation, infrastructure and growth; and requested time to finish work on new land use requirements and to see outcomes before more state mandates are passed.
I also made a second trip down to Olympia to attend the “Mayor as CEO” training offered by AWC, training exclusively for executive mayors, which was extremely helpful. While in Olympia, I also attended the AWC Mayors Exchange in Olympia. There were many great sessions and also visits from legislators including Senator Manka Dhingra, Representative Sam Low, and Representative Joshua Penner. One of the most invaluable pieces of these events is getting together with colleagues is talking about challenges in each of our cities and exchanging ideas!
I attended my first Sound Cities Association (SCA) board meeting while in Olympia and volunteered to assist the Executive Director in participating in a subcommittee to develop events and programming for members. Other SCA activities this month included attending the North Mayors Meeting. One item that came up was feedback on the Criminal Justice Training Commission grant program. Issaquah headed up the effort to create a letter to legislators expressing concerns over implementation as well as the timeline with remaining time left dwindling and very few who have completed the process. Duvall provided feedback to assist and also signed onto the letter. I also participated in the SCA Board and Committee Orientation with Mayor Pro Tem Mercer and Councilmember Olen where I served on a panel of veteran elected officials giving advice for newly elected or new to SCA committee members.
CA McNabb and I met with King County Councilmember Sarah Perry in Duvall. She provided us with King County updates, and we highlighted some of our priorities as well as reiterated needs for intersection improvements at 124th ST & W. Snoqualmie RD as well as W. Snoqualmie RD & Woodinville-Duvall RD.
Councilmember Shaffer and I participated in a Duvall Days Subcommittee to brainstorm ways to improve economic benefit to local businesses during the event and to organize outreach to businesses to engage around what could help business flow during this event.
I attended the silent auction for March of the Vegetables. My family and I also attended the Lantern Festival hosted by the March of the Vegetables. This is such a magical event and the weather was perfect! Thank you to all who create these special moments for our community.
CA McNabb and I met with the City of Carnation and Snoqualmie Tribe for our monthly coffee meetup.
I attended the District 8 Mayors Meeting with United States Representative Kim Schrier. Some of the main topics were FEMA funding for the flood victims as well as fears of ICE in our surrounding communities.
I met with SnoValley Pride and Pride Across the Bridge to discuss possibilities of partnership in the future for Duvall.
In my role as Vice-President of the Snoqualmie Valley Government Association (SVGA), I chaired a meeting of SVGA. There was an introduction to the Snoqualmie Tribe’s Police Chief, an update and program highlights from the Snoqualmie YMCA, as well as member updates.
Another fun community event I engaged with was “Coffee with a Cop.” I deeply appreciate our Police Department’s commitment to community engagement and being accessible for questions and conversations.
I observed the student walk out which ended up down near City Hall and really appreciated the calm, safe environment they fostered for their group while they exercised their first amendment rights.
I convened a Faith Leaders Round Table to foster an environment that led to a lot of great discussion and the start to building deep and impactful relationships among our faith leaders.
I started my first regular meetup with Dr. Leach, superintendent of the Riverview School District, and will be attending a future RSD Superintendent Student Advisory Council.
I met with Kira Avery, Executive Director of the Sno-Valley Senior Center and toured the center as well as the senior apartments. Offered to explore a future partnership if they wanted to resume some satellite events in Duvall.
I participated in final interviews of candidates for Community and Economic Development Director with CA McNabb

What a month and what a privilege to serve as your Mayor!

Council Reports

City Councilmembers provided the following reports of their activities in support of the residents of Duvall and our community at the February 3^rd Council Meeting:

Councilmember Rick Shaffer reported to Council that he attended a couple of environmental forums, the first hosted by the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum, which allocates funds for various restoration projects, promotes education, and provides a forum for discussion. During the meeting, scientists attending described their current projects and reported on their findings. They discussed their efforts to restore the fish population to levels that would remove them from the endangered species list. The second environmental forum Councilmember Shaffer reported on was the Fish, Farm, Flood Implementation Oversight Committee, which provides advice and oversight on behalf of the County Executive and King County Council. One item on the agenda was the December flood and its potential impact on local flora and fauna.
Councilmember Adam Olen attended a summit for Crime Survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation in Seattle. This discussion included information related to a potential increase in activity during the World Cup this year. He also provided background information he learned from victims who participated in a survivors’ panel, and what tools may be available for those in danger of falling victim to sexual exploitation, and what more can be done.
Lastly, Mayor Pro Tempore Ronn Mercer reminded Council to remain alert to email communications from state legislators that may address specific issues of importance and include information on how to participate. He concluded by reporting on a dinner event he attended, hosted by the Snoqualmie Valley Governments Association, and the important updates they received.

On February 17^th, Councilmembers provided the following reports:

Mayor Pro Tempore Ronn Mercer informed Council about his attendance at a Sound Cities Association orientation and meeting, which included a discussion about indigent defense. He also informed Council that he attended a Public Issues Committee meeting of the Sound Cities Association, during which the City Administrator had the opportunity to inform attendees of the City’s legislative priorities.
Councilmember Rick Shaffer provided an update on his attendance at a meeting held by the Duvall Days’ Economic Development subcommittee, in which it was discussed that a survey was created for local businesses, and that members of this subcommittee would visit different local businesses to highlight the importance of completing this survey to have their voices heard.

City Council took the following actions on agenda items during the month February 2026. The City of Duvall’s Agenda Center contains more specific information on each agenda item. In addition, all City Council meetings are recorded and available on the City of Duvall YouTube Channel.

Agenda Bill	Bill Description	Approve	Reject	Absent

2/3/2026

N/A	Approval of Meeting Agenda	6	0	1
N/A	Payroll & Claims Approval	6	0	1
N/A	01/20/26 Meeting Minutes	6	0	1
26-06	Approval of Parks Advisory Committee	6	0	1
26-08	Approval of Contract for Design Standards	6	0	1
26-09	MOC Design Contract	6	0	1
26-10	Termination of 12/11/25 Emergency Declaration	6	0	1
26-11	Auth. to Apply for KC Futures Grant	6	0	1
26-12	Biosolids Hauling Contract	6	0	1
26-13	Amendment to ILA with King County IFIT	6	0	1
26-14	Contract for Indigent Defense Services	6	0	1
26-15	Co-Living & Parking Code Revisions	6	0	1
26-16	Non-Rep. Staff, Councilmembers & Mayor Comp. Review	6	0	1
26-17	Contract Amendment for On-Call Planning Support	6	0	1

2/17/2026

N/A	Approval of Meeting Agenda	6	0	1
N/A	Payroll & Claims Approval	6	0	1
N/A	02/03/26 Meeting Minutes	6	0	1
26-18	Design Contract for NE 150th Sidewalk Project	6	0	1
26-19	Roof Replacement for Wastewater Treatment Plant	6	0	1
26-20	Reorganization of the Department of Public Works	6	0	1
26-21	Proposed Amendments to DMC § 2.15	6	0	1
26-22	Proposed Amendments to DMC § 2.30	6	0	1

Picture of Artist Dan Cautrell with Wood Planks

City Administrator Reports

Even though it has been cold outside this month, city staff are looking ahead to the warm weather months and planning to make this 2026 spring and summer special! In February, we met with the Farmer's Market to discuss improvements to Taylor's Landing that will enhance the Farmer's Market's amenities this spring. We are also looking forward to installing new carved wood planks in downtown Duvall. Thank you to artists Dan Cautrell and Joe Lee for their beautiful works of art that will grace our beautiful City this summer.

City Administrator Cynthia McNabb and Rita Moreno, Communication and Community Events Manager, also met with KCLS to discuss installing 3 separate "Story Walks" in our parks this summer to provide fun access to reading and learning while also playing. We have also almost completed the lineup for SummerStage 2026, with only one band left to sign! We hope to have the full lineup out this March.

In February, we also hosted University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance students who chose to complete their capstone projects on the City of Duvall and "Building What Matters."

Next month, the City will issue a Request for Proposals for our City Attorney services. We look forward to receiving proposals and ensuring the City has the proper legal resources in place to support the City and manage our risk environment. Over the two Council meetings in February, we have also had robust conversations about a Generative AI Policy for the City, focusing on ensuring the City uses AI tools responsibly and ethically.

Finally, we are very excited to launch a Parks Advisory Commission. The City of Duvall has not had a parks advisory board since the early 2000s. The City Administrator worked with the City Council and the Mayor to revise the Duvall Municipal Code to support the reinvigoration of a Parks Advisory Commission. The application announcement will be out at the end of February or early March.

Public Works Updates

We have a lot happening in our Parks this month! We recently installed a basketball hoop at the 278^th sport court. Thanks to our Valley Little League, we have begun the installation of a Batting Cage system at Big Rock Ball Field. Also at Big Rock Park, the city upgraded and replaced cameras and installed an AED for emergencies. We also continue to work with the King County Conservation Futures program to acquire additional land to expand Big Rock for trail and low-impact use.

Thanks to our partnership with King County, we were able to offer Taylor’s Landing as a site for debris collection for those families/property owners impacted by December's floods.

We also continue to appreciate the efforts of our Emergency Management Coordinate, Luke Eckert, who regularly monitors and tests the city’s AEDs, which came in handy this month as police used one on a call. He also spearheaded efforts to make the Duvall Visitor Center more secure by adding cameras and installing an electronic door code, key pad and electrified door access system.

Public Works Director Leniszewski reported on his work with Seattle Public Utilities and the interesting fact that even with a higher population served by SPU, water use continues to decrease overall in the region. He also reported that the city’s water department team continues to monitor our systems for residual chlorine levels (low flow time of year). Director Leniszewski also reported that the City’s Stormwater and NPDES annual report is in draft form and will be ready to be published to the community in March.

We have created a new landing spot on our PW website for Fiber Installation activities in the city (https://duvallwa.gov/587/Fiber-Installation-in-Duvall )

Helpful Visuals
Weekly Updates
What to Expect
Where they are this week

Finally, the Public Works Department is in the process of seeking the following grants:

2026 Conservation Futures: Feb 9
- Land Acquisition for Big Rock
WRIA 7 – Miller Street grant: Mar 19
- Asking for $620,250 which is 75% of $827,000
WSDOT Pedestrian / Bike: April 1
- $40,300 for part of construction
3^rdAve project
- Request of $2,500,000
RCO – Big Rock Park: April 30
- Construction grant
- Request max amount of $1,500,000

Community & Economic Development Department News

Duvall Main Street Development, located on Highway 203, roughly across from Safeway, has submitted its Building Permit application, which is currently in review by internal departments. This development of this area will add first floor commercial space, with residential housing above the commercial space.
On the Planning side, interviews for the Community and Economic Development Director have concluded. We are very excited to present our final candidate to City Council in March.
The Planning Department is actively engaged in large code revisions projects! The kick-off meeting for revisions to the City’s Design Standards was on 2/19. The City met with the State Department of Fish and Wildlife on 2/20 to discuss the City’s adoption of revised Critical Areas rules, specifically working with Fish and Wildlife to identify the best approach for Riparian Management Zones. Finally, after many revisions and much discussion, the Planning Department is excited to share a draft of new Sign Code rules with City Council at either the 2^nd meeting in March or the beginning of April.

people covered in colors at a Holi celebration

Community Events

March kicks off our events season, and we’re excited to see our parks and community spaces come alive again! In addition to City events, there are some great community hosted gatherings happening around town:

• March 13 – Campfire with a Cop at Depot Park
• March 14 – Holi Celebration at Depot Park
• March 21 – March of the Vegetables at Depot Park
• April 4 – Easter Egg Hunt at Dougherty Farmstead

Our 2026 season has something for everyone, from Movies in the Park to Splash Day at Big Rock Ball Field. We hope you’ll find something that inspires you to get out and enjoy our small town.

Have an event you’d like us to help promote? You can submit it on our website, and we’ll help spread the word!

Check out our 2026 Special Events lineup below.

Finance Department and City Clerk's Office Updates

Applications for the Human Services Grant opened on January 30 and will close on March 9. The purpose of these grants is to distribute funds to non-profit organizations that provide essential, cost-effective services and programs for City residents, including children, seniors, individuals, and families in need. These needs may include physical survival (food, shelter, protection from abuse/neglect), gainful employment, social support and interaction, mental health, or access to available, appropriate services such as transportation, information, and referral services. The grant recipients will be announced during the April 21 Council meeting. For more information, or to apply, please visit: https://duvallwa.gov/539/Human-Services-Grant.

The City Clerk's Office will host a training by Jurassic Parliament on Robert's Rules of Order, the Open Public Meetings Act, and the Public Records Act for our Council, boards, and commissions on March 14. Additionally, Council will hold its annual retreat on March 28. More information will be available before the meeting date.

Duvall is a Well City for 2026!

The City of Duvall has been recognized as a Well City for 2026, which means that City staff and the City receive a 2% discount on their active medical premiums in 2027.

Shout out to Deputy City Clerk Kelsey MacDonald for helping us keep our Well City designation.