Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 8, 2014

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce. Absent: Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Fire Chief Mike Bagott (left at 7:30); Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Councilmember Langsett is ill. Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger to excuse his absence. Motion carried unanimously. Public present: Steve Gill (left at 7:30); Kim Raab & Charis Alderfer-Mumma of ATVP.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Aaron Flansburg resubmitted his skatepark statement with an amendment. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 25, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Our part with the fire was to make sure both well pumps were on and running to supply the necessary water to the fire and in particular the ladder truck. We were losing ground for a while. Our booster pump at the corner of Cannon and I Street went out last night. In the midst of all the chaos, we swapped out that pump. There were approximately 75 houses affected by this for a while. This pump has been in there since 2008. It was a bearing failure.

NEW BUSINESS:
Chief Bagott briefed council on today’s fire at 127 E. Main Street. Palouse FD was on site approximately 4 am. Fire appears to have started on second floor. It was a real race to keep it off adjacent buildings and for a while we were fearful we would lose that battle. When we get dispatched to a structure fire, we immediately get Pullman dispatched. So we had their resources as well. Colfax was dispatched as well. When the ladder truck from Pullman arrived, they were able to get water from up above and that was pivotal. FD and BI did walk-thrus of the adjacent buildings in that whole block and all were deemed safe with the exception of the one immediately to the west (125 E. Main). Approximately 500,000 gallons of water were used on extinguishing the fire. Building will smolder for days. The Fire Inspector and insurance investigators have been on site all day as well. Inspector from Spokane ATF will be here as well to investigate a few peculiarities. Chief is leaning toward an accidental fire but we’re going to cover all our bases. FD will take 4-hour shifts through the night just to make sure there are no flare-ups and to protect the integrity of the scene. South Beach Street has been cordoned off until further notice. Mutual aid received from Pullman and Colfax was fantastic. All the equipment we’ve purchased in the last decade made a big difference. WSDOT was here all day because the fire was adjacent a state highway.

Ordinance No. 915: budget amendment:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. It amends Ordinances 911 & 913. This amendment reflects updated cost estimates and includes Avista costs and grant reimbursements in the city budget for the TIB/LED street light project. It also amends the estimated resources to include changes in the receipt and split of property tax revenue. Affects Funds 001 current expense; 101 street; and 308 fire vehicle and equipment reserve. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman to adopt Ordinance No. 915. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer- As discussed at last meeting, Councilmember Ossinger read aloud the amended 10.1 of the WSP to reflect city policy. To clarify, “……..Water & Sewer Committee meetings are held as needed and are non-voting, non-quorum, workshop meetings. The public may request to attend, which the committee may or may not permit.” Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to include this rewritten version of 10.1 in the WSP. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously. This will now be given to Taylor Engineering to be put into final plan before printing.

Streets & Sidewalks- Councilmember Hicks reported that instead of fixing the concrete on the parapet wall of the bridge, WSDOT is going to install a chain-link fence on the inside of the parapet, flush with the top of the bridge. The fencing is a safety measure to prevent children from getting stuck and/or falling through.

Police, Fire, & Safety- Councilmember Wekenman reported the WSU/UI intercollegiate bike race is this Saturday, April 12. The cycling group gave the city less than two weeks notice. They also said they had all the volunteers covered. The City will clean the streets, open the bathrooms, and provide police presence to the best of our abilities at the intersections.

OPEN FORUM:
Kim Robb and Charis Alderfer-Mumma from Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse (ATVP) gave a presentation on what their organization does. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. They focus on positive youth development: healthy relationships; respect and self-respect; dating violence; biased gender roles; and more. www.ATVP.org

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city buys insurance from CIAW. There are several insurance pools. Every now and again the city goes shopping for insurance. AWC came and presented their insurance package. City has to make a decision by August if we decide to change carriers. So far, the cost difference was minimal. Councilmember Langsett will continue to investigate.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Estes MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:27 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid: Ck. 5598-5616 & EFT $30,309.00
Claims Paid: Ck. #5596 & 5597, & 5617-5645, & EFT’s $13,218.24

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________