Residents urge council to delay MFTE decision and remove RTA map vote from next week's agenda

Several residents used the public-comment portion of the April 20 study session to press the Maple Valley City Council on housing and process concerns.

Jonathan Miller (Maple Valley) told the council he opposed MFTE and said the proposal "pushes property onto others" and that there had been minimal public awareness about the topic. Kathleen Dunham (Hobart) warned that rising home prices risk pushing potential homeowners out of Maple Valley by shifting taxes. Bhrett Monroe (Unincorporated King County) asked the council to return MFTE to the Planning Commission so those affected would have more time to weigh in and also requested that the planned vote on the RTA map be removed from next week's agenda.

During later public comment, Elisa Foreman (Maple Valley) thanked the council for its work on parks and raised concerns that services might be "double dipped" in planning and urged attention to affordability for current residents while considering new amenities.

Council minutes record these statements as part of public comment; the transcript does not show a council response or a formal vote on MFTE or the RTA map during this meeting. The Parks Capital Improvement Plan item on the agenda was not discussed and will be rescheduled.