Published October 27 2014
In 1994, opening a "mini" city hall in the Crossroads area may have seemed odd. Sure, a citizen survey found that residents wanted services in their neighborhood as an alternative to "maxi" City Hall, located a few miles away. But the idea of taking government to the people -- putting it in a mall -- rather than having people come to it, was, well, unusual.
Mini City Hall's anniversary is on the front page of the October It's Your City, which landed on residents' doorsteps last week.It's Your City, the resident newsletter, comes out three times a year. Also in this month's issue:
- City pushes to make performing arts center a reality;
- Council Corner column from Councilmember John Chelminiak;
- Historic fire truck found, resotration planned; and
- Bellevue nurtures startups, entrepreneurs.
Today, as Mini City Hall (MCH) celebrates its 20th anniversary, the idea of not having it in Bellevue's most diverse neighborhood seems odd. To mark the occasion, Crossroads Shopping Center and the city threw a community party on October 22.
Mini City Hall and its staff impacted Maria Sitzman's life in a profound way.
"In 1997 I came to Crossroads and found Mini City Hall," said Sitzmann, who had moved to Bellevue from her native Colombia. "I just escaped an abusive relationship and I was looking for somebody to help."
Sitzmann, who still gets emotional when she talks about her experience, said MCH provided a safe haven, staff helped arrange for her to learn English, and she was able to connect with a wider community. "The most important thing I got from Mini City Hall that day was hope to fight for my life," she said. "I got empowered to continue fighting for me.â€
Barb Tuininga manages the MCH program as part of her job with Neighborhood Outreach. She splits her time between the 350-square-foot office at the mall, and the 350,000-square-foot City Hall building downtown.
Tuininga said that while MCH assists the community in a variety of ways – including language services, housing referrals and human service needs -- what sets it apart is its location and its welcoming atmosphere.
The city created Mini City Hall to reach residents who would ordinarily have little opportunity to connect with city government," said Tuininga, adding that its location makes that possible. "For people who are doing their daily business, it's accessible.
"It's about having a safe place and a comfortable place in your neighborhood where you can ask any question," she continued. "That's a pretty unique and amazing service not offered everywhere. It really is about building a sense of community in this tiny little place."
For Sue Popma, marketing director for Crossroads Shopping Center, having Mini City Hall at the mall makes good business sense. It provides a service her customers want and the mall has provided strong support for Mini City Hall since its inception.
"I think it's a huge benefit having Mini City Hall here. It helps our customers think of Crossroads as their go-to place, whether to shop or eat or access community services," Popma said. "People think of this as the heart of the Crossroads neighborhood. Mini City Hall is really central to that."
Another client touched by Mini City Hall was Yingying Yu, who first visited for a job fair in 2013 after immigrating from China in 2011 with her husband and daughter. She spoke little English at the time.
As fate had it, Tuininga called Yu to offer her a volunteer position on the same day Yu learned she had suffered a miscarriage. Tuininga was able to provide much needed support during a difficult time.
"My first encounter with Mini City Hall changed my life a lot. I felt like one door closed but another door opened," Yu said of her conversation with Tuininga.
Community partners at Mini City Hall offer services. International Community Health Services and Public Health provide service in several languages. The Cultural Navigator program, managed by the Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC), provides help to immigrants and refugees on the Eastside.
"I tell people all the time, go to Mini City Hall," Sitzmann said. "It's like a mini-United Nations. I'm so grateful to be part of that. First being helped and then helping others. It's a chain I want to continue."
A video featuring some of the voices in this story is available online on the city's YouTube channel.