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Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

July 26, 2016

CALL TO ORDER:  Mayor Pro-Tem Wekenman called the Council Meeting to order at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL:  Council members present:  Doreen Hanson; Bill Slinkard; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Christopher Langsett.  Councilmember Estes MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wilcomb’s absence.  Councilmember Langsett seconded and the motion carried unanimously.  Staff present:  Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; Incoming Clerk-Treasurer Kyle Dixon; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of July 12, 2016.  Councilmember Slinkard seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT:  Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

The city received one bid for the surplus flatbed from Floyd Boller for $261.00 + tax. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to accept the bid of $261.00 + tax.  Councilmember Estes seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.

The pool boiler wasn’t working for a few days due to an overheating issue.  Riedinger Heating repaired it.

POLICE REPORT: 

The PD is still waiting on First Step to complete their plan on the camera at the sewer plant.  We need them to hook up the link to a data port.  The installed cameras came into use last week for an issue in front of the police department.

We’re working on a junk vehicle issue.

The repeat nuisance yard on the south hill is having issues again so the PD is working on that.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT:

We had 10 permits this quarter, 5 were reroofs.

The mini-storage build has been signed off as final.  They’re still installing the curbs/driveway/sidewalk.

There are a couple ongoing compliance issues being addressed.

The Busch Gas Pump project has begun.

JFB REPORT:

Financially all is well.  EMS budget will be tight but should be fine.  There are multiple FD capital expenses coming within the next three years, specifically replacement of the current air packs and bottles and two of the fire trucks which will be reaching 30 years of age.

6 fire calls in June, 15 YTD.  Through June we thought maybe some fires were suspicious but fortunately those appear to have been just a coincidence.

Fire and EMS each used funds from their non-profit organization to purchase a cargo container to be placed at the station to use for additional storage of equipment and training props.  During the Kamiak fire last month we provided food and drink to approximately 70 people at a cost of about $400 so Darcie Bagott held a lemonade fundraiser to replenish the fund and it brought in approximately $1,600.  As is so often the case, the community really came through and their generosity is much appreciated.

EMS had 8 calls in June and is on pace to hit 108 calls for the year.  EMS has been seeing a trend toward increased call numbers for several years now.  EMS call numbers have been quite variable throughout history so it is hard to say if this is a long-term trend or a just a busy few years.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

The new clerk-treasurer Kyle Dixon was introduced.  He starts full-time Monday.  CT Bagott’s last full day is Friday.  He will be consulting with CT Dixon going forward on an hourly basis as needed and as his work schedule will allow.  CT Bagott thanked council for the job and stressed that he will miss his co-workers.  He has taken a job with Palouse Grain Growers so he will still be in Palouse and able to stay on as Palouse Fire Chief.  He believes that Palouse has a very bright future and looks forward to being able to continue to live and work here.

OLD BUSINESS:

Councilmember Slinkard thinks an electric car charging station is worth looking into, perhaps through Avista.  Apparently Avista is going to install approximately 272 charging stations in their territory and there is an application form.  Much discussion ensued.  Councilmember Slinkard will research this further and will report back.

NEW BUSINESS:

Resolution No. 2016-02 setting the excess property tax street improvements and oiling levy proposition to be on the general election ballot:  Mayor Pro Tem Wekenman read aloud the resolution in its entirety.  This resolution is the wording for placing the Palouse Proposition No. 1 excess property tax levy on the general election ballot.  It funds street improvements and street oiling.  It is for an amount of $44,000, an estimated $0.805 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2016 for collection in 2017.  Palouse has good streets and Public Works take good care of them.  Next year we need to look at a 10% increase to the levy amount; $44,000 doesn’t go as far as it used to and Public Works always does a lot of the work themselves to save money.  Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2016-02 as written.  Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2016-03 setting the excess property tax pool operation and maintenance levy proposition to be on the general election ballot:  Mayor Pro Tem Wekenman read aloud the resolution in its entirety.  This resolution is the wording for placing the Palouse Proposition No. 2 excess property tax levy for the operation and maintenance of the swimming pool.  It is for $31,000, an estimated $0.567 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2016 for collection in 2017.  The pool levy has been at $28,000 since 2012.  The levy is being increased by $3,000 for one year to help cover the cost of painting the pool, which is very much needed.  It is estimated that the one-year increase will cost the owner of a $175,000 home approximately an additional $9.63 next year over this year’s levy. The pool is important to Palouse, just as our park is important.  It’s important to maintain it.  Discussion ensued.  To do nothing means it will cost that much more to repair because it will deteriorate even more.  Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2016-03 as written.  Councilmember Langsett seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS: 

Water & Sewer, Chair Slinkard-  Councilmember Slinkard toured the swimming pool, sewer plant, and wells with Supt. Griffin and Don Myott and was briefed on the facilities.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

The city received another complaint from Jim Farr yesterday.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Claims Paid      7/26/16             Ck. #7592-7606 & EFT               $19,850.44

ADJOURN:  Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn.  Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  The council meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________

ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Public Hearing

Followed by

Regular Council Meeting

June 14, 2016

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

ROLL CALL:  Council members present:  Doreen Hanson; Bill Slinkard (7:41 pm); Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett.  Absent:  Rick Wekenman.  Councilmember Langsett MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence.  Councilmember Wilcomb seconded and the motion carried unanimously.  Staff present:  Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

PUBLIC HEARING:  Six Year Street Plan 2017-2022–  Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:02 pm.

No comments.  Mayor Echanove closed the public hearing at 7:04 pm and began the regular council meeting.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:  Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 10, 2016.  Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to adopt the minutes reflecting the cancellation of the May 24, 2016, council meeting.  Motion carried unanimously.

Interview candidates for City Council Position #2.  The city received two applicants for council:  Bill Slinkard and Mike Murphy.  Both candidates were interviewed separately and asked the same set of questions.  Councilmember Estes MOVED to go into executive session at 7:30 pm to discuss the two candidates.  Councilmember Langsett seconded and the motion carried unanimously.  Council returned from executive session at 7:41 pm.  Both candidates were excellent and this was a difficult decision.  Councilmember Hanson MOVED to appoint Bill Slinkard to council position #2.  Councilmember Wilcomb seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.   Mayor Echanove swore in new council member Bill Slinkard.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT:  Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: 

Regarding the security cameras for the City.  Chief Neumann found one at Costco for $499 that’s expandable.  Chief would like to get the sewer plant/compost site set up right away.  The money has already been allocated; it will be split among all the various funds.  Council told Chief to order the cameras.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

C-T Bagott received a call from State Rep. Nealey of Dayton regarding the City’s public records concerns.  Rep. Nealey has previously sponsored legislation intended to provide relief for local governments that are facing onerous records requests.  It is nice to know that he hasn’t given up on this issue.

OLD BUSINESS:

Solar Project Update:  Mike Fuentes from Apollo Solutions was present.  We have the amended Interagency Agreement from DES for signature tonight.  We’ve received formal notification from Dept. of Commerce for our $276,551 Solar Grant and what they need back from the City as far as documentation.  C-T Bagott has researched financing options for the City’s portion of the project and determined that the State Treasurer’s LOCAL (Local Option Capital Asset Lending) program provides the most advantageous terms.  The anticipated capital finance cost is $133,068.  Solar production will pay for all of Well #3’s power bill and any surplus will go toward well #1’s power bill.  We pay about $8,000 to power that well each year.

Interagency Agreement between DES and City of Palouse.  Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wilcomb, authorizing the mayor to sign the interagency agreement.  Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 944 – authorization for the acquisition of personal property and execution of a financing contract and related documentation relating to the acquisition of said personal property.  Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety.  The city should stand to realize a pretty substantial return after the 15-year loan period.  Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 944.  Councilmember Hicks seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.

West Whitman Street Update:  Project Engineer Daud gave an update on the project.  Discussion ensued regarding project timing going forward and the processing of payments to project contractors.  Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement with WSDOT to transfer the funding dedicated for this project in their name to the City of Palouse, pending legal review.  Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:

Resolution No. 2016-01 adopting the Six-Year Street Plan for 2017-2022:  Councilmember Hicks reviewed the Six-Year Street Plan.  The list can change every year.  Next year the list can be totally different.  This is a wish-list, but in order to work on these, they have to be on the list.  1.  Spokane Avenue from West Main Street to SR 27; 2. West Whitman & Fir Street reconstruction; 3. Culton Street Reconstruction; 4. Park Street chip seal; 5. Cannon Street to Mary Street reconstruction; 6. Beach Street to Church Street reconstruction.  Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety.  Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2016-01.  Councilmember Estes seconded.  Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS: 

Personnel & Pool, Chair Hanson-  Had a personnel meeting to go over the applications received thus far for the CT position.  We are narrowing down our applicants and we continue to advertise.  The interview process has not yet begun.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks-  Discussion ensued on the ongoing sidewalk issue with residents at 300 E. Mohr Street.  The council is staying the course and we will advise our attorney to follow-through with them.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

Steve Alred has resigned from the Palouse Planning Commission so now there are two vacancies.  An email went out yesterday looking for people to fill the vacancies.

Lions Club lease renewal.  No council objections so the lease automatically renews.

Regarding the ongoing building permit case at 520 N Bridge Street, our building inspector sent them another certified letter  today granting them a 180-day extension to secure engineering for their unauthorized project.  Also, the same party was advised that their greenhouse has to be removed no later than July 13, 2016, or a variance applied for by same date with no guarantee of a granted variance.

Wastewater facility committee met with Varela & Associates to narrow down the alternatives for screening of treatment and disposal.  Varela has to deliver the plan to DOE by December 2017.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Claims Paid      5/24/16             Ck. #7468-7478 & EFT              $  1,493.64

Payroll Paid      5/31/16             Ck. #7479-7495 & EFT              $38,777.55

Claims Paid      6/14/16             Ck. #7496-7523 & EFT              $24,036.55

ADJOURN:  Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adjourn.  Councilmember Slinkard seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.  The council meeting adjourned at 9:46 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________   ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

May 24, 2016

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove canceled the Council Meeting at 7:06 PM due to lack of quorum.

ROLL CALL: Councilmembers present: Mike Hicks; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb. Councilmembers absent: Doreen Hanson; Senja Estes; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Attorney Eric Hanson; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

May 10, 2016

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 24, 2016. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: None

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT: C-T Bagott reported:

The notice of the opening for the Clerk-Treasurer position has been posted at City Hall and the Post Office, sent via email on the City Listserv, and listed on the AWC Jobnet site. No cover letters/resumes have been received to date, but there have been several inquiries regarding the position.

The initial reimbursement requests have been submitted to TIB for W Whitman St engineering expenses and to CERB for work on the Wastewater Facility Plan.

Joe from Apollo called on Monday to advise that the City should be hearing from the Dept of Commerce regarding our solar grant application in the near future.

City Hall will be closed on Friday as C-T Bagott will be attending the Eastern Washington Finance Officers Association spring meeting in Spokane and Deputy Clerk Thompson is on vacation.

RV Park revenues are already approximately $400 ahead of revenues through the end of May in 2015. Positive comments continue to come in about the park and about the interactions that visitors have with local residents and businesses.

OLD BUSINESS: None

NEW BUSINESS:

Water Extension Application – Finch: Councilmember Langsett reviewed the application with Supt. Griffin and Councilmember Hicks. There were no concerns. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to approve the application as submitted. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

Council permission needed for contractor to work in City right-of-way on Houghton Street for utilities for Finch’s home installation: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow Mangum’s Concrete Forming to work in the City right-of-way. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Personnel & Pool, Chair Hanson- A committee meeting will be held next week.

Water & Sewer, pro-tem Chair Langsett- No report

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- The City attorney is preparing a resolution regarding the deficient sidewalks that were identified by the Streets & Sidewalks Committee. Councilmember Hicks will work with Deputy Clerk Thompson to develop another letter to affected property owners.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings, Chair Estes- No report

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- No report

Policy & Administration, Chair Wilcomb- No report

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett- No report

OPEN FORUM: No public present

MAYOR’S REPORT:

A liquor license renewal has been received for McLeod’s Palouse Market. There were no Council objections to the renewal.

Jeff Baldwin has resigned from the Planning Commission.

The Mayor contacted our insurance carrier regarding the public records requests that continue to be received by the City. He received a call from the carrier this afternoon indicating that they are willing to spend some money on the City’s behalf to engage an attorney in Yakima that specializes in public records issues to review our situation. Much discussion ensued.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Payroll Paid: Ck. #7422-7438 & EFT $38,292.39

Claims Paid: Ck. #7439-7467 & EFT $25,217.79

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:26 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

April 26, 2016

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse Councilmember Langsett’s absence. Councilmember Hicks seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Handley; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hicks asked to amend the minutes under his committee report to add “…that the damage was not likely caused by the negligence of ……..” Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 12, 2016 as amended. Councilmember Wilcomb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

PW is sweeping streets on Thursday in anticipation of the bike race.

POLICE REPORT:

The PD is investigating the theft of a 4-wheeler and trailer. Trailer has been recovered but not the 4-wheeler.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT:

Not a lot of permits in the first quarter. But BI remains busy following up on stuff begun last year. [Left meeting at 7:15].

OPEN FORUM:

Nicole Flansburg and Marie Dymkoski gave a skatepark update. They are applying for ADA access grants. They have 15 confirmed garden partners. They have a $12,000 funding gap they’re still trying to close. There are a lot of partners and a lot of great ideas and all kinds of work going on. [Left meeting at 7:25 pm].

JFB REPORT (2^nd council meeting of month only):

On the financial end things are normal.

2 fire calls in March, 6 YTD. 2 meetings in April. The FD received a private party inquiry into purchasing the old 1970 Dodge fire truck which is currently in storage. The FD passed a motion to declare it surplus so they can move forward with that. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to ratify the JFB’s surplus of the 1970 Dodge fire truck. Motion carried unanimously.

There have been intermittent issues with the Kamiak repeater lately. The County has made temporary repairs and is working on a permanent solution.

8 EMS calls in March, 29 YTD. On track for 120 calls this year if this pace continues.

TREASURER’S REPORT:

No news on the solar grant yet.

OLD BUSINESS:

A new set of plans arrived yesterday from MD&A for the West Whitman Street project.

Chief Neumann is going to round up new numbers for the purchase of security cameras for a few places around town: the sewer plant/compost site/RV Park/city park/PD/skatepark, etc. Technology and prices have improved.

NEW BUSINESS:

City Hall has received a couple inquiries lately about the allowance of radio towers on private property in Palouse. Our current code doesn’t specify radio/tv towers and they don’t fall under the current definition of “building” in our R1. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to request the Palouse Planning Commission look into the allowance and zoning guidelines for telecommunication towers within the city and give their recommendations to council. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Height, lot size, description, conditions, allowed outright or by conditional use, prohibited outright? Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

Liquor license renewal request for the Palouse Lions private club beer and wine license. No objections.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Claims Paid 4/26/16 Ck. #7410-7421 $46,528.18

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:12 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

April 12, 2016

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Councilmember Hicks seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Mayor Echanove called a moment of silence for Councilmember Ossinger who passed away last month. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 22, 2016. Councilmember Wilcomb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

Councilmember Wekenman has some concerns about a citizen taking it upon himself, with good intentions, to mow the nature walk (by the car wash) without permission. He understands there are citizens who want it to be manicured but it’s not supposed to be; it’s meant to be a natural area with plants that are meant to go to seed and propagate like Kamiak Butte or Glacier. Also it’s City property and there are liability concerns. Much discussion ensued with pros and cons of both.

POLICE REPORT:

Officers Merry and Handley completed their access training. Officer Handley will continue more training to become TAC (terminal access coordinator) certified for the keeping of the records database. He is also going to attend range officer training to become certified.

PD is still dealing with a couple nuisance yards.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

1^st Q Treasurer’s Report: Nothing unusual about our finances at this point. By comparison to Q1 2015, sales and use tax are up 14.3%, City Assistance revenue from the State is up 34.6%, liquor excise tax revenue is up 113%, and RV Park revenue is up by 55.1%. Property tax payments are coming in a little later than normal from the county.

1^st Q Police Confidential Fund: No activity so still $500 in that fund.

Munir Daud submitted a written project report on West Whitman Street project. CT Bagott attended a TIB funding training meeting in Oakesdale this afternoon.

CT Bagott advised the Mayor and Council that he is intending to resign within the next few months. He will meet with the Personnel Committee and the Mayor to set a formal resignation date and make plans for transitioning to a new CT.

NEW BUSINESS:

Street Opening request from Ben & Judy Finch: Mayor read aloud the Finch’s street opening request. The guidelines for street openings were followed. Supt. Griffin submitted a written report outlining the scope of the opening, etc. of which a copy was mailed to the requestors and abutting property owners. ALL costs incurred including the street work is the responsibility of the requestor. Requestors must follow all construction standards as per the Palouse Municipal Code. Any trees/plantings removed must be those owned by and on the requestor’s existing property only. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to grant the Finch’s street opening request of Houghton Street from Mary Street west, as per city’s specifications. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Water & Sewer, pro-tem Chair Langsett– Committee members as well as Supt. Griffin and Mayor Echanove met last weekend to discuss another complaint received from Nicole Wood against city staff in regard to the city’s infrastructure maps. The committee determined that her complaint against city staff were unfounded and that city maps are informational only and not a blueprint and their corrections were duly noted. Maps are intended as a guide for the Public Works Dept. Ms. Wood has since sent an email to the individual Council members to complain about the handling of her complaint and to advise that she filed a complaint with DOH about the maps the City provided to Taylor Engineering for completion of the Water System Plan.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Councilmember Hicks went up to review again the sidewalk of one of the properties sent a repair notice. After reviewing, he has determined that the damage was likely not a result of negligence caused by PW Supt. Neil Myott over 20 years ago nor PW Supt. Byron Hodges over 7 years ago, as the property owner alleges. We are in contact with our attorney awaiting his response letter.

Councilmember Hicks is going to look into putting in one or two shelters to protect kids from the elements while awaiting the school bus.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

The Palouse Community Center is requesting permission for a beer garden July 30^th in the city park during the Palouse Music Festival. The Police Dept. has no concerns. Supt. Griffin has no concerns. Councilmember Langsett MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hicks, authorizing the PCC to have a beer garden at the Palouse Music Festival.

April 30^th is the collegiate bicycling race here in Palouse.

DOT will pay their own bills for their portion of West Whitman Street project vs. going through the city for reimbursement. TIB has given permission to proceed with the project in 2016 (vs. waiting to begin in 2017).

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Payroll Paid 3/31/16 Ck. #7358-7376 & EFT’s $41,659.79

Claims Paid 4/12/16 Ck. #7377-7409 & EFT’s $24,299.17

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

March 22, 2016

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Mike Hicks; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse Councilmember Estes’& Hanson’s absences. Councilmember Wilcomb seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 8, 2016. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

The material used in repairing the parapet on the PD last year isn’t holding up; the company who made the repairs is going to re-do at no cost to the city.

JFB REPORT (2^nd council meeting of month only):

Councilmembers Langsett and Wekenman attended the JFB meeting 3/21/16.

On the financial end, things are on target although it’s early in the year.

One fire call in February, 4 calls YTD. There were two meetings in March: both are in classroom driver training for Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention. Physical driving portion of the training will be conducted later. Chief Bagott ordered some fire shelters at a discounted price through a DNR program. EMS will need to purchase four radios for new members and the FD/EMS will be purchasing a 10×20 storage container to put on the west side of the station.

12 EMS calls in February.

EMS is training five new recruits from Palouse.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

The Cascade Bike Club is planning another stay in Palouse August 1-3 with over 200 cyclists + 25 support staff.

CT Bagott is researching funding options for the solar project.

First quarter 2016 sales tax revenue is up over 14% from first quarter 2015 so that’s positive.

OLD BUSINESS:

Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade contract: Dana Cowger of Varela & Associates summarized the contract. Council approved the initial agreement in December 2014 which covered some preliminary work. This amendment is for the next phase of the process. Much discussion ensued. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Varela & Associate’s Agreement Amendment #1 for Palouse’s Wastewater Facility Planning in the amount of $87,405. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:

Mayor Echanove reported on the funding arrangement with WSDOT for the railroad portion of the W Whitman St project. WSDOT has proposed assigning their portion of the funding to the City so that there will be a single source for payment to all project contractors. After attorney review of the proposed WSDOT contract, it does not appear that there is any benefit to the City in going this route.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

WSU-UI collegiate cycling race will be in Palouse again April 30^th.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Claims Paid 3/22/16 Ck. #7343-7357 $14,117.14

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:23 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

March 8, 2016

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; & Mark Wilcomb. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman and Langsett’s absences. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 23, 2016. Councilmember Wilcomb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

The new Dodge pickup is having intermittent transmission shifting problems. It has been to Wysup twice for diagnosis, but they have been unable to determine the cause of the problem. It’s still under warranty.

POLICE REPORT:

Officer Handley made a couple big arrests in Palouse lately including one that turned into a bust for heroin possession, driving under the influence of drugs, and counterfeiting. The Secret Service has taken over the case. The other arrest was for a DUI and stolen vehicle.

New summer tires are being purchased for Officer Handley’s and Chief Neumann’s police vehicles.

Chief Neumann is still working on putting in security cameras at a few locations in Palouse: sewer plant, skatepark/PD, city park, etc.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

Joe from Apollo came down last week to review the solar grant application. The application was submitted on February 29 and we should hear back in approximately 30 to 60 days. The grant application is for $276,551. The local contribution would be $133,068. CT Bagott is evaluating financing options for the local contribution including the State Treasurer’s LOCAL program. If the grant doesn’t come through, we’ll reapply for funding next year.

Mayor Echanove, Engineer Munir Daud, & CT Bagott had a conference call with Bob Westby from the DOT regarding the West Whitman Project. The City will act as the payment administrator for the whole project. This project will follow the same procedures as done with the East Whitman Street project.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

Mayor Echanove, CT Bagott, & project engineer Munir Daud met with the West Whitman Street residents and businesses for a preliminary meeting about the project. It was a positive meeting.

Varela & Associates will be at our next meeting to discuss the next phase for the new WWTP plan.

WSU Cycling Club would like to return to Palouse April 30^th for their annual collegiate bike race.

The city received a special event liquor permit application for the Palouse Arts Council’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration March 17^th. No council objections.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Payroll Paid 2/29/16 Ck #7297-7313 & EFT $38,537.24

Claims Paid 3/8/16 Ck. #7314-7342 & EFTs $11,728.45

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:37 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council

Regular Council Meeting

February 23, 2016

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; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 9, 2016. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:

Officer Merry reported they have a couple active investigations in both Garfield and Palouse.

No problems with Palouse Brew Fest.

JFB REPORT (2^nd council meeting of month only):

Rick Wekenman reported they met on Feb. 15^th. All of the financials are in good shape. The county is trying to improve the communication situation for emergency responders and police agencies. The current set up is fragmented. The new system should be up and running before the wildfire season starts this summer.

There were 2 fire calls and 9 EMS calls in January. Palouse is hosting a six-week EMR (Emergency Medical Responder) class beginning May 4. The city is hoping to gain seven new Emergency Medical Responders as a result of this class.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:

Acceptance of high bid for surplus 1990 Dodge: Minimum bid was set at $1,000. Bids closed at 2:00 pm Feb. 23. The city received 5 bids. Mayor read aloud the bids which ranged from $1,520 to $2,550. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the high bid of $2,550 from Robert Koepl. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

Apollo is still gathering information for the solar grant application which is due next week.

The Public Records Bill is not dead yet. State Rep. Joe Schmick said some version will probably come before the House this week. CT Bagott has received numerous PRRs already this year.

DC Thompson requested to use more than one week of vacation at a time this spring. CT Bagott has no objection. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to authorize Ann to take more than one week at a time of vacation this spring. Motion carried unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:

The city received an amended agreement from Department of Enterprise Services (DES). The only changes are the agreement numbers and the attachment numbers. There are no changes to the dollar amounts. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the amended agreement with DES. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Personnel & Pool, Chair Hanson- First round of lifeguard interviews are scheduled for Thursday.

Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger-

Councilmember Langsett reported that he, Councilmember Hicks, and Mayor Echanove had a committee meeting last week to discuss the old water reservoir on the north hill. This brick reservoir was built in 1910. Public Works took the reservoir off line and drained it because of some major needed repairs. In 1998 Kimball Engineering recommended building a new reservoir and putting it on the south hill to help with water pressure on that side of town. The reservoir has served the city well for over 110 years; no one could have anticipated it lasting that long.

At this meeting they reviewed over 20 SOQ’s and narrowed it down to four engineers: JUB, Century West, Taylor, & TD&H. These four firms have a lot of grant experience. Councilmembers Hicks, Langsett, Ossinger, Mayor Echanove, CT Bagott, and PW Supt. Griffin will interview all four engineering firms for the potential build of a new reservoir on the south hill as well as the replacement of West Church Street’s water main. There is money in place for preliminary work to get a plan from an engineer. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to interview the four engineering firms to move forward with the planning for the potential new water reservoir and the West Church Street water line. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously. The city’s other reservoir is right next to this one on the north hill.

MAYOR’S REPORT:

Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board has a renewal request from the Palouse Caboose to serve alcohol. No objections.

Varela & Associates met with the WWTP advisory committee on Feb. 16^th. They’re coming up with many ideas. Ellie Key from DOE was present to give feedback on their ideas.

There is a stakeholders meeting next week to discuss the very preliminary West Whitman Street plans.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:

Claims Paid 2/23/16 Ck. 7274-7296 $37,965.45

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:11 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 9, 2016

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; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann (7:35), & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 26, 2016. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Chief’s vehicle just had repairs to the brakes and front-end steering issues. There is upcoming training for Officer Handley in May. Officer Handley is talking with Colfax PD for some cooperative training.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
Atty. Bishop is working on updating our sewer facility reserve ordinance.
We’re waiting for information from Apollo so the solar grant application can be submitted.

OLD BUSINESS:
Regarding the West Whitman Street project, the property is subject to a mandatory archaeological survey. Plateau Archaeological Investigations, LLC, in Pullman, WA, submitted their price at $4,175 which is in the typical $4,000-$5,000 range for this area. This cost comes out of the design money for the project. TIB project engineer Gloria Bennett has granted approval to go ahead with Plateau for this service. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to approve the Plateau Archaeological Investigations proposal for the archaeological survey for West Whitman Street project. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 943 – Budget amendment for Fund 311 (Police Car & Equipment): Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This ordinance allows for the expenditure and reimbursement of funds from the WASPC grant for the purchase of two handheld radar units and two alcohol breath testers. This is a 100% funded grant and has a zero net effect, it just allows us to expend the bills first then get reimbursed from WASPC. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by councilmember Wilcomb to adopt Ordinance No. 943. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- The city received a complaint regarding a nuisance yard on the south hill. Police have made contact. A couple vehicles have since been moved. There’s still some work to do.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Met with Supt. Griffin to have a 2015 year end equipment meeting. We need to replace our 30 year old locator. Money is in the budget for it so that will probably be the next purchase. The bids for the surplus Ford 1-ton are due Feb. 23. Small tools are fine. Backhoe is great. The next piece of equipment on the wish list for next year is a new zero-turn mower which should cost between $6,000-$7,000. Current one is about 8 years old and we can probably get some good money out of it on trade or resale. City needs to think about saving to replace our 43 year old dump truck; we’ll run it until it’s dead.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city received an outline from Varela & Associates for our contract for the design of the WWTP facility upgrade. CT Bagott and Mayor Echanove will review with Varela and report back to council at next meeting.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:
Void: Ck. #7224 & 7225
Payroll Paid Ck. #7223, & 7226-7241, & EFT $38,802.00
Claims Paid Ck. #7242-7273, & EFT $16,072.81

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:44 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 26, 2016

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; Mark Wilcomb. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Councilmember Langsett’s absence. Councilmember Hanson seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; City Attorney Eric Hanson; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 12, 2016. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Additionally, Well #3 pump and motor has been installed and is back online. The transmission went out on our 2004 Ford pick-up this week. It had been working fine plowing snow, etc. It’s about a $5,000 fix. New transmission should have a 5 year, 100,000 mile warranty.

POLICE REPORT:
Still looking into getting training and access for Whitcom services for background checks, CPL’s, and more. These trainings would eliminate the $180 monthly service access fee we’d have to otherwise pay to use the service. Chief Neumann will continue looking into.
Had one assault arrest and one drug arrest this weekend, one in Palouse, and one in Garfield.
Officer Handley will be attending a firearms range officer training to become state certified through the Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Vehicles are working well. Will probably need a couple sets of new summer tires later this spring.
The department has received a WASPC 100% funded grant for approximately $3,000 worth of equipment: portable breath testing machines and two hand-held radars. Officer Handley took the lead on this project.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT: BI Gladwill reported Palouse had a better year in 2015 than in 2014: six new houses, two manufactured homes, and a mini-storage are all part of our 2015 permits.

JOINT FIRE BOARD REPORT:
Everything good financially both Fire and EMS.
1 fire call in December. 31 total calls in 2015: 10 city, 16 rural, 5 mutual aid. The balance swings year to year between city, rural, and mutual aid. 6 EMS calls in November, 7 in December, 76 total in 2015.
Palouse EMS will be putting on a training class for new Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) in May or June. This is a huge, commendable commitment.
The ambulance contract has been signed. It’s good for two years.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
4th Quarter Treasurers Report: The 4th Quarter went generally as expected or better. General fund came in almost $9,000 better than CT Bagott forecast. No funds went over budget. Of importance note, at the last meeting CT Bagott reported the election expenses were less than anticipated, however another bill has since arrived: Because a third person ran for mayor, a primary election was required which cost the city an additional $1,400.

OLD BUSINESS:
Apollo Solutions presentation: Mike Fuentes from Apollo was present for Q & A. Supt. Griffin had some questions and concerns about Apollo’s numbers and specs. Mayor Echanove and CT Bagott are concerned about the timing. Councilmember Wekenman thinks this is a very pro-active move for energy and cost savings. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED that the City of Palouse contract with Apollo for the investment grade audit for the solar portion only. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Much discussion ensued. Motion carried unanimously.

Selection of engineer for West Whitman Street project: Supt. Griffin, CT Bagott, Mayor Echanove, and Councilmembers Wekenman, Estes, & Hicks all met on 1/14/16 for the interviews of the three previously selected engineering firms: JUB, TD&H, & MDA. They interviewed, reviewed, & discussed the engineering candidates, and then they voted. MD&A received the most votes. All of the firms were excellent. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to authorize the mayor to enter into a contract with MD&A for the construction of the West Whitman Street project. Councilmember Wilcomb seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Water & Sewer Committee needs to begin looking at engineers for the reservoir on the north hill. Supt. Griffin reminded council that we need to piggyback the repair of our deficient water lines on West Church Street with the reservoir project. We need to find an engineer who has good qualifications for in-house grant writing and fundraising.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 942 – Budget amendment for Fund 411 (Pump Maintenance Reserve): In December 2015 we did a budget amendment in this same fund to be sure we had the funds to pay the bill for the Well #3 repairs, however repairs didn’t get completed until 2016 so we have to do the amendment for the 2016 budget. This amendment is strictly housekeeping. This is strictly money from Fund 411; it’s not coming from any other funds. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 942 as written. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Personnel & Pool, Chair Hanson- They had a committee meeting 1/20/16 with Councilmembers Hanson, Wekenman, Wilcomb, & DC Thompson to discuss the lifeguard turnover and the hiring of lifeguards and a pool manager for the 2016 pool season.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett- They had a committee meeting 1/19/16 with Councilmembers Ossinger, Wekenman, & Langsett, CT Bagott, and Mike from Apollo Systems present.

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.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 12/31/15, 13th month Ck. #7186-7204 & EFT $ 7,863.80
Claims Paid 1/26/16 Ck. #7205-7222 $14,272.47
Voided 1/12/16 Ck. #7177 & #7180 $ (260.00)

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 12, 2016

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Mark Wilcomb; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Estes MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of December 8, 2015. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. He asked for permission to surplus the 1990 Dodge W350. It will be by sealed bid and have a minimum bid set of $1,000. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wilcomb, to surplus the 1990 Dodge. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported:
Officer Handley is doing very well and is exceeding their expectations. He will be participating in additional training this spring and fall.
The state has changed some requirements on our ability to process CPL’s. We’re working with the State of Washington on how we can continue to provide this service so we’re looking at developing our own computer system that will allow us to perform the background checks ourselves. However it will cost about $180/month. There is also a required yearly training for all users which will cost money. We haven’t done a cost benefit analysis yet to determine the end cost to us. Chief Neumann will try and have some more specifics on costs at next meeting. In the mean time, CPL’s need to be obtained through the County Sheriff’s office.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
4th Quarter PD investigation fund report: As of today the PD has not expended any money so the entire $500 is still there.

Release of Sand Road Bond: The as-built maps on the new subdivision have arrived. PW Supt. Griffin has reviewed them and is satisfied. Attorney Bishop, with city approval by motion (no ordinance or resolution required), can reconvey the deed of trust. There are still a couple fees we need to collect from Roy Druffel (approx. $480) that just came to our attention. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the as-builts and authorize the attorney to proceed with the reconveyance of the deed of trust pending payment of all applicable fees. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Once signed, they become city property. Motion carried unanimously.

CT Bagott will have a 4th Quarter budget report after all of 2015 expenses come in. Things are ending better than anticipated.

OLD BUSINESS:
Report from Apollo Solutions: Staff from Apollo Solutions performed their energy review/audit last week and presented their findings. They discussed in-depth the three facility improvement measures and the anticipated energy and cost savings: Well Pump 1 upgrade; Well Pump 3 to solar; and exterior lighting upgrades at the sewer plant. Much discussion ensued.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- In regard to the sidewalk letter that was mailed to approximately 18 property owners regarding their dangerous sidewalk(s), Councilmember Hicks wanted to ensure the public that due to conflict of interest, he cannot and will not be doing any work on any of the properties who received the letter. It was never his intention.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- Last fall there was a complaint against the PD and the Mayor. The complainants withdrew their complaint and the issue has been resolved.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Special Condition liquor permit from the Liquor Control Board for the Palouse Brew Fest. No objections.

Sharon Tharp resigned last week from the Planning Commission bringing the total vacancies to three. Three community members have submitted letters of interest to be on the Planning Commission: Chris Cook, Jeff Snook, and Steve Alred. Mayor Echanove appointed all three. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to ratify Mayor Echanove’s appointments of all three to the Planning Commission. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Supt. Griffin, CT Bagott, Councilmember Hicks, and Mayor Echanove reviewed all the Statements of Qualifications and have chosen three to interview for the Whitman Street project: Munir Daud & Associates, J-U-B Engineers, & TD&H Engineering.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll paid 12/31/15 Ck. #7138-#1756 & EFT $42,813.00
Claims Paid 12/30/15 Ck. #7133-#7137 & #7157-#7173 $17,611.69
Claims Paid 1/12/16 Ck. #7174-#7185 $16,386.73

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:11 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
December 8, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hicks added a slight clarification under his committee report regarding the description of sidewalks in disrepair. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the November 24, 2015, Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting, as amended. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
The PD has had a few calls over the holiday. Winter tires are now on all the patrol cars.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
Cascade Bike Club will be coming through Palouse again this August.

Earlier this year we talked about having an energy audit done by Apollo Solutions to see about cost savings to the city. Apollo Solutions comes in and does an audit at no cost to the city. The city isn’t under contract to do anything. The State Dept. of Enterprise Services (DES) serves as the project manager and acts as a clearinghouse for contractors and consultants. Apollo is under contract with DES and DES meets all RCW’s for competitive bidding. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign a contract with DES for an energy audit. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 940 – adopting 2016 budget: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 940 adopting the 2016 budget. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 941 – 2015 budget amendment: Well #3 is currently undergoing scheduled routine maintenance. The city has $20,000 budgeted for the Pump Maintenance Reserve Fund. This ordinance amends it to $25,000 just to give us a buffer in case the repairs come in a little higher than expected. This has a zero effect on the 2016 beginning budget, just gets us in the good graces of the auditor’s office by bumping the appropriation from $20,000 to $25,000 just in case. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 941. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2015-14 – 2016 salary schedule: Zero changes and zero raises to the 2016 salary schedule. As scheduled, Officer Handley’s salary increases in May 2016 on the one year anniversary of his hiring. Councilmember Langsett MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson to adopt Resolution No. 2015-14.

Resolution No. 2015-15 – 2016 fee schedule: Changes to the cost for variance, conditional use, rezone, and street vacation applications, and to the mobile home install application permit. All other fees stayed the same. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-15, seconded by Councilmember Hanson. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Council made a couple slight recommendations to the letter being sent to property owners with dangerous sidewalks. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to approve the letter, with amendments, to be sent out. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Tonight is Councilmember Pearce’s last council meeting as her term is up. She thanked her fellow council members for their service and CT Bagott and Deputy Clerk Thompson for all their work.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Citizen Advisory Group for the WWTP met last week. It was a very productive meeting.
Liquor license renewal request for beer and wine at the Green Frog. No objections.
Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett to allow City Hall to be closed Dec. 24th. Motion carried unanimously.
Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to cancel the 2nd council meeting in December. Motion carried unanimously.
The Request for Qualifications for the city’s roster went to the paper. Closing date to submit SOQ’s is December 28, 2015.

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

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 11/30/15 Ck. #7082-7103 & EFT $41,018.34
Claims Paid 12/08/15 Ck. #7104-7132 & EFT $ 6,379.28

SWEARING IN OF COUNCILMEMBERS: New councilmember Mark Wilcomb, incumbent council members Rick Wekenman and Bo Ossinger, and incumbent Mayor Echanove, each individually read aloud their oaths of office from the county auditor.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:43 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
FINAL PUBLIC HEARING
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting
November 24, 2015

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; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Senja Estes was absent. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse her absence. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

FINAL PUBIC HEARING ON 2016 BUDGET: Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:01 pm. No public comments. Mayor closed the public hearing at 7:04 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting of November 10, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The city’s new pick-up arrived yesterday.

POLICE REPORT:
Have had some concerns about the moose being sighted near the school. The PD and school are working together.
Officer Handley’s vehicle will be getting snow tires tomorrow.
Chief Neumann’s vehicle will be getting one new regular tire due to non-repairable sidewall damage.

JOINT FIRE BOARD REPORT:
Councilmembers Wekenman, Langsett, and Ossinger attended the JFB meeting 11/16/15.
Annie Pillers reported they’re under budget, even with the insurance renewal bill.
2 fire calls in October, 30 YTD. There might be a building on Frazen Road available for a possible structure fire training burn. Had to secure and barricade the old, vacant Palouse Arms building due to a collapsed external wall.
11 EMS calls in October. No injuries this year at any home GPHS football games.

Larry West and Annie Pillers negotiated with the City of Pullman on the ambulance contract. There hasn’t been a raise to the contract for two years. The JFB agreed to Pullman’s offer of a 4% increase for 2016 and a 2% increase for 2017. CT Bagott/Fire Chief Bagott and EMS First Responder Bev Pearce both vowed what a wonderful service this ambulance contract is for the people of Palouse. Their trainings and feedback to EMS are invaluable. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to authorize Mayor Echanove to sign the EMS contract with the City of Pullman. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 936 – Shoreline Management Master Plan Adoption: Mayor Echanove read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 936. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 937 – Adopting property tax increase for Emergency Medical Services for collection in 2016:
Mayor Echanove read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 937. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 938 – Adopting the regular property tax increase for collection in 2016: Mayor Echanove read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 938. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 939 – Setting the regular and special levy amounts for 2016 budget year: Mayor Echanove read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 939. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- The committee went through all the streets to evaluate and identify approximately 20 houses that will be receiving the sidewalk repair notice/letter. Identification will be ongoing. The identified properties have a common thread of either trip steps or other significant safety issues. Letters will be sent out within the few weeks.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
Councilmember Pearce researched Nicole Wood’s 10/27/15 complaint against Mayor Echanove, Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson, & CT Mike Bagott for violating her due process at public hearings. Councilmember Pearce read aloud the complaint and her subsequent written response to Nicole Wood. In summary, the personnel committee cannot find where there is any violation by city staff or by the mayor.

OPEN FORUM:
Sharon Tharp, representing the Palouse Planning Commission. Wants to publicly thank and recognize the resigning planning commission members for all their knowledge, expertise, and work on the Palouse Comprehensive Plan and also on the rewrite of Title 17. Mayor Echanove read aloud a letter of interest received today from resident Liz Rousseau to be on the Planning Commission. Mayor Echanove appointed her to the Planning Commission. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to confirm Liz Rousseau’s appointment to the Planning Commission. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously. The Planning Commission still needs a couple more members.

Sharon Tharp, representing herself, spoke about her ongoing issues with her neighbor’s yard. Chief Neumann addressed Sharon’s concerns. Much discussion ensued.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor Echanove and CT Bagott made a presentation to CERB (Community Economic Revitalization Board) members in Olympia on November 19 in support of the City’s grant application for $48,113 in planning funding for the upcoming WWTP upgrade. Funding was approved by the Board. CERB members praised the City for looking for innovative solutions and engaging the community by forming a citizen advisory group. Total estimated planning costs are $180,000.

The Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) announced their 2016 project list on November 20. The City’s application for funding in the amount $370,500 for West Whitman Street was approved. The total estimated cost for this project is $700,000. The City’s contribution is estimated at $19,500. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

The city received more communications today from Jim Farr and Nicole Wood. Councilmember Pearce spoke with our attorneys and shared with council what she learned and additional discussion ensued.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:20 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 11/24/15 Ck. #7059-7081 $106,625.70

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing on 2016 Preliminary Budget
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting
November 10, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Public Hearing to order at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce. Council members absent: Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Councilmember Langsett’s absence. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC HEARING – 2016 Preliminary Budget: Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:01 PM. No members of the public were present. C-T Bagott reviewed the preliminary 2016 budget for each of the funds and discussion followed. Mayor Echanove closed the public hearing at 7:45 PM.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-13 in support of preservation of John Wayne Trail: Tekoa Councilmember Ted Blaszak joined the meeting by phone at 7:46 PM. Mayor Echanove read Resolution No. 2015-13 in its entirety. Mr. Blaszak gave a presentation about the efforts that are underway to prevent the closure of a portion of John Wayne Trail and discussion followed. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2015-13. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 27, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Handley reported: No major Haunted Palouse incidents. He attended 40-hours of Field Training Officer Academy training in Spokane last week. The PD made a drug related arrest in Palouse today.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT: C-T Bagott reported that he will have property tax and Shoreline Master Plan ordinances and fee and salary schedule resolutions for consideration at the next council meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson- Doreen is looking into the possibility of increasing the City’s manufactured home installation permit fee. She will contact Dan Gladwill and survey different towns to determine what is typical.

Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger- No report

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Mike is working on a rough draft of a letter that will go out to property owners with dangerous sidewalks . He will have committee meeting in next few weeks to discuss.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings, Chair Estes- No report. Senja is planning to have a committee meeting soon.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- No report

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Bev reported that the personnel committee will be meeting tomorrow to discuss personnel issues. She is looking into grant funding for items such as the slide that need to be replaced at the swimming pool.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett- No report

OPEN FORUM:

Mayor Echanove acknowledged the receipt of letters from Nicole Wood, Steve McGehee, and Jim Farr. Councilmembers received copies of each letter. Mayor Echanove stated that the letters would not be read at the meeting and directed C-T Bagott to review them and respond as is necessary and appropriate.

MAYOR’S REPORT: The Mayor and C-T Bagott will be traveling to Olympia next week to make their funding grant application presentation to the CERB board.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:45 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 10/30/15 Ck. #7011-7028 & EFT $38,046.12
Claims Paid 11/10/15 Ck. #7029-7057 & EFT $35,495.50
VOID Ck. #7056

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
October 27, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Handley; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; City Attorney Eric Hanson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Under Clerk-Treasurer report, there was a typo: the total amount remaining due on the backhoe is $7,647.75, not $71,647.75. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing on the Shoreline Management Plan and the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 13, 2015. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Well #3 pump was pulled for annual preventative maintenance. Some bearings and other minor things are needed.

Councilmember Wekenman inquired about the care of the Nature Walk; do we or do we not want the public to maintain the landscaping there? The Parks Committee will meet to discuss the future care of the Nature Walk.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Handley will be attending a field-training in Spokane next week.
The PD is continuing to investigate a resident verbally accosting people around Palouse.
The battery on Chief Neumann’s police vehicle went bad but replaced for free because it was still under warranty.

The city received a complaint letter today from a north hill resident regarding their neighbors. The complainant is concerned with accumulating garbage and junk in the yard as well as a persistently barking dog, all of which may be violations of Palouse’s nuisance ordinance. Councilmember Wekenman observed the property today from the vantage point of the complainant and it’s very obvious what’s going on. Councilmember Wekenman encouraged the police to treat it as any other complaint/issue. Police will proceed accordingly. Councilmember Wekenman will follow-up with complainant.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT:
End of third quarter. Palouse has done pretty well this year. 4/6 new houses in the new development have had their final inspection and been signed off. The other two are mid-stage.
Regarding the safety concerns of the vacant Palouse Arms Apartment Building, BI Dan Gladwill inspected it from the outside and it doesn’t look safe. Dan has written a letter to the property owner which will be mailed tomorrow via certified mail.

JOINT FIRE BOARD REPORT:
The meeting was 10/19/15. Councilmembers Wekenman, Langsett, and Ossinger were in attendance.
On the finance side, Annie Pillers reported that everything is still way under budget even though they dispensed firefighter reimbursement checks early and the EMS spent $3,800 on training and supplies.
There were 8 EMS calls in September. There were 3 fire calls in September, 26 YTD.
The FD had a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) training. Firefighters Marv Pillers and Moses Boone attended the Emergency Vehicle Incident Program. EMS is sending two individuals to EMT training.

OLD BUSINESS:
Nicole Wood’s ongoing issues with her property and city maps:
The SMP consultants responded in detail 10/21/15 to Ms. Wood regarding the shoreline management plan issues she submitted in writing 10/13/15.
Nicole Wood’s ongoing issues with her property and the city were discussed and no further action was taken.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks-
Follow-up on the dangerous sidewalks, Councilmember Hicks has begun identifying properties in town. He is drafting a letter to go to those specific property owners whose sidewalks are in definite violation of code. He will also have rest of the committee review properties.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings, Chair Estes-
Councilmember Estes will follow up on the Palouse Arms Bldg.
Additionally, she will meet with committee in regards to the care of the Nature Walk.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
Received a formal complaint today from Nicole Wood against city staff. Councilmember Pearce has already started her research. She will take to committee and follow-up with Ms. Wood.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett-
Finance Committee members Wekenman and Langsett met with CT Bagott and Mayor Echanove on 10/22/15 to review the 2016 budget. They examined the budget for nearly two hours going line-item by line-item. Overall the budget is extremely conservative. CT Bagott reduced the expenditures and lowered estimated revenues for a “worst case” scenario outlook. With telephone land-line revenue dropping and unknown factors such as sales tax revenue, it’s best to be cautious and factor revenues in lower than they currently are. Overall our finances look sound and attainable.

The legal announcements for both the preliminary budget public hearing and the final budget public hearing have been sent to the paper for publication.

OPEN FORUM:
Hua Ming Newman was in attendance to observe the meeting in order earn a Boy Scout badge.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
CT Bagott and Mayor attended the IACC conference last week in Wenatchee. Heard from multiple funding partners in attendance and what they see in store for 2016 and 2017.

In November, CT Bagott and Mayor Echanove will be attending the CERB meeting in Olympia in regards to the $50,000 applied for grant for the WWTP facility plan. The Palouse WWTP citizen advisory board will be meeting November 3 with the city’s consultants Varela & Associates.

The city received a liquor license renewal for the Bank Left Gallery & Bistro for beer, wine & restaurant privileges. There were no council concerns.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:48 PM.

After adjournment, PW Supt. Griffin remembered Roto-Rooter needs council permission to work in the city right-of-way on I Street to replace a sewer line for a resident. All council was still present and there were no council objections.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Void: Ck. #6979 $ (3.74)
Claims Paid Ck. #6997-7010 & EFT $1,918.98

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing – Shoreline Management Plan
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting
October 13, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Planning Commission members present: Nicole Flansburg; Jeff Baldwin; Jay Iverson; Sharon Tharp; Lynne Nelson.

PUBLIC HEARING: Nicole Wood dropped off comments for the Shoreline Management Plan public hearing just prior to tonight’s hearing. City staff will forward her comments to our SMP consultants. Nicole Flansburg of the Planning Commission thinks the SMP is a well-crafted document and most of the people’s concerns will probably be grandfathered in by DOE. Sharon Tharp thanked Councilmember Wekenman for his efforts on the SMP. Public Hearing closed at 7:04 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mayor had one correction under the Mayor’s Report: they toured the property adjacent to the new transit building in Moscow (not the actual building). Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 22, 2015. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Had a property theft (chainsaw and gas can) in Palouse. The stolen items were found at a rental property in Palouse. The PD will be filing charges of possession of stolen property and trespassing.
All the PD equipment is operating well. Depending on weather, they may need snow tires this winter.
There have been a couple incidents lately of people trespassing on railroad property and train cars in Palouse. As a reminder, it’s a law that railroad tracks are considered private property and the railroad can prosecute you for trespassing. There are a lot of ways to get hurt on or near the tracks and equipment; please stay off of vacated train cars, etc.
Had six drug-related arrests in Garfield last two months.

OPEN FORUM:
Kent Nelson- Kent is doing his joint senior/Eagle Scout project here in Palouse. He will be painting 15 Palouse fire hydrants in the downtown corridor. He is estimating two hours for each hydrant when you consider all the prep work, etc. He will have a few other Scouts helping him. Due to that he will be sending information letters to neighbors of the fire hydrants so people don’t become concerned with kids messing around. Kent got approval of the color from Chief Bagott. He will be using green paint to go with the downtown city color scheme. He explained that there are three different colors for hydrants: green = best water pressure and flow, yellow = pipes are smaller with less flow, and red = even smaller. The total estimated cost is $100-$150. The city is paying for the paint however Kent’s church may go 50/50 with the city. Sherwin Williams paint experts told him to paint in above 50 degree Fahrenheit so he’s hoping to start this week or next. All of council supported his project. Clerk Treasurer Bagott praised Kent’s communication regarding the project.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
3rd Quarter Treasurer’s Report/2016 preliminary budget report: CT Bagott is working on 2016 budget prep. It looks like we’re going to see ending balances that exceed what we were budgeting, some drastically, so we’re in a solid position financially. We’ve had a number of people come into the office expressing concerns over the city’s financial health. Debt: as of the payments we’ve made thus far we’re looking at a grand total debt of $52,221.42, $45,000 of that is the for the current sewer plant (only one payment remaining) and the well work done a number of years ago. Remaining debt is interfund debt. Street fund took a loan from the water fund for the backhoe last year. We only have two payments left totaling $7,647.75 with interest. Bottom line is we have less debt for the city as a whole than most citizens have. Cash & Investments had $278,000, LGIP had $660,000 for a total of just shy of $937,000. Of course not all of the money is available, but bottom line is the city is solid on the cash position and CT Bagott has no concerns. General Fund has been discussed recently as well. You see a lot of ebb and flow in the general fund. Since 2009 with a $133,784 high mark, and a low mark in 2013 of $55,590. His forecast for the 2015 general fund ending balance is $88,639.88, quite a bit higher than budgeted. Had to transfer $7,500 out of general fund this year to replace the second police vehicle, an unexpected expense due to a car accident, but just pulled it forward a few years from when it was scheduled to be replaced. The city also had a substantial loss of property tax value because of a decrease in RR property valuation. We started approximately $7,000 less than anticipated in the General Fund. Revenues are expected to be roughly the same next year. General fund is predominantly funded by property tax, sales tax, utility taxes, state shared funds. Assuming our businesses stay the same, our sales tax will be close to expectation, utility taxes are a mixed bag, and telephone revenue is down. State assistance will be up about $10,000 in revenue over what was projected. Building permit revenues are awesome. Mike will be conservative in his budgeting, but he has good reason to believe we’ll have good revenue for the next few years from building permits. When all 21 houses in the new development are built, Mike estimates we’ll have property values back in the vicinity they were in prior to the railroad revaluation. Most of the towns around don’t have that positive of an outlook. Palouse has potential for growth that many of the small towns don’t have. We will benefit where so many other towns will struggle. CT Bagott met separately with PW Supt. Griffin and Police Chief Neumann to discuss their 2016 budgets. PW is looking at replacing the zero-turn lawnmower next year and also purchasing a new locator from water/sewer funds. There will be 2016 budget hearings at both council meetings in November. Budget is usually adopted at first meeting in December.

CT Bagott and DC Thompson attended an AWC meeting in Pullman last week. Communities present were Palouse, Rosalia, Albion, Chewelah, Rockford, Pullman, and a couple others. A few common threads that all cities are facing: Fiscal sustainability because of a 1% property tax increase cap; paying prevailing wage; PRR’s; and loan funding. Trying to reenergize the infrastructure funding partnerships between the state and cities is an AWC priority. Overall we came away feeling pretty good about Palouse’s situation. The city is currently not receiving state distributions of marijuana taxes and will not in 2016.

CT Bagott submitted the grant letter to CERB for the WWTP on 9/28 and heard back on 10/1 that we passed first round. He and the Mayor have been invited to give their presentation to the board on November 19th. This is a great $50,000 grant opportunity.

CT Bagott will be attending the EWFOA meeting in Spokane this Friday.

CT Bagott and Mayor Echanove will be attending the IACC conference in Wenatchee next week on funding. They got scholarships to attend so just have to pay mileage and one night lodging.

No money has been expended through the 3rd Q from the police confidential informant fund.

OLD BUSINESS:
Authorization to sign DOE funding application for Wastewater Facility Plan: The total estimated project cost for the plan Varela has provided is $167,670. It is possible to come in under that but they budget high so not to have any surprises. Because the CERB situation is hopeful but unknown, we’d like to submit this funding request from DOE for the entire amount. If CERB funding comes in, it will reduce the amount needed from DOE. We will also continue to look for other funding opportunities. In the aggregate we shouldn’t see any burden to the citizens on the planning side. Construction side there will be. Rockford got their whole $3+ million sewer plant funded with grants. Varela has been invaluable; they’re the ones who put all this together and sent this to DOE for comment, etc. This application is due Friday. Our planning documents have to be submitted December 2017 so this gives our consultants plenty of lead time. DOE doesn’t award until next summer so we won’t know for a while. Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to authorize Mayor Echanove to sign the DOE funding application for the WW Facility Plan. Motion carried unanimously. We want to get another 20 years out of the next plant. PW will have a lot of input.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson- Councilmember Hanson expressed her views on her role as a councilmember. She will call a committee meeting when there’s a need but doesn’t feel the need to hold monthly meetings when there’s no cause. Nor does she feel it’s necessary to attend numerous trainings on the taxpayer’s dime and will attend trainings when she sees the need. Councilmembers Ossinger, Hicks, Estes, Pearce, and Langsett all concurred with Councilmember Hanson regarding themselves and their individual council roles as well.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Councilmember Hicks nor city staff have received any feedback from anyone regarding his sidewalk letter that was emailed and posted September 10. Councilmember Wekenman pointed out that the gentle approach didn’t work so the next step will be to send letters directly to those households with obvious hazards. PW Supt. Griffin pointed out that our code is very specific on the requirements and also the penalties of non-compliance. Councilmember Hicks will begin drafting the letter and city staff will be taking notes and compiling a list of those homes to receive the letter. It will be ongoing. Councilmember Pearce recommended starting with the most-travelled sidewalks (Main Street), then the main arterials near the school and so on.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings, Chair Estes- Councilmember Estes tried without success to contact the owner of the Palouse Arms Apartments to follow-up on the stability concerns of the vacant building. She did speak with Building Inspector Gladwill. He is going to inspect it and will give an update at the next council meeting.

Since last council meeting 9/22/15 there have been $1,575 worth of RV reservations sold.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- Councilmember Wekenman just returned from vacation yesterday. There is a pending complaint from the Gaber’s against the PD and Mayor. Councilmember Wekenman had a cordial meeting with Jamie Gaber in person today. She said she has other documentation and has requested more time to provide it. Once she gathers her information, Rick will meet with the Gabers and the committee and follow up on the complaint. Just last week she sent an email stating she had a positive encounter with Officer Handley.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
In anticipation of a lifeguard shortage next summer, Deputy Clerk Thompson has sent fliers and emails to the aquatic managers of the UI and the City of Pullman, the GP school counselor, and to the city list-serve. We’re trying to be proactive in finding enough staff. Applications will be accepted now until filled.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor Echanove praised CT Bagott and the council for all their efforts and hard work.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 9/30/15 Ck. Nos. 6922-6939, 6941, & EFT $43,036.93
Claims Paid Ck. Nos. 6921, 6940, 6942-6996, & EFT $27,362.12

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
September 22, 2015

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Hicks was absent. Councilmember Estes MOVED to excuse his absence. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 8, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Bid results for new public works pick-up: CT Bagott sent out bid requests to 10 area Dodge dealers for a 2016 Dodge Ram 3500. In response, the city received three sealed bids: Wysup Dodge – $33,791.41; Dave Smith Dodge – $34,993.45; & Kendall Dodge – $39,333.21. CT Bagott had $36,000 budgeted for the pick-up, distributed between the general, water, sewer, & cemetery funds. We’re good budget-wise. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to accept the low bid of $33,791.41 from Wysup Dodge. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Palouse Day was great; had three alcohol-related incidents in the evening.
Chief Neumann requested permission to get rid of a bunch of old scanners, printers, etc. which are probably 20+ years old that have been sitting in the PD basement. Council advised him to look at recycling them prior to dumping them. There are also a bunch of old bicycles which Chief Neumann will try to donate.

JFB REPORT:
JFB meeting was 9/21/15. Councilmembers Wekenman, Langsett, & Ossinger were in attendance.
Annie Pillers reported that things are good financially. Maintenance and repair line item for the fire department is a bit over budget but overall the budget is coming in under estimate. There were 7 fire calls in August, 25 YTD. Due to much better conditions, the fire ban was lifted September 17th. There were 5 EMS calls in August. EMS is actively recruiting EMT candidates and has a number of people that are interested. Scheduling conflicts will prevent any of them from being able to attend an upcoming local course. They may try to get some of them certified as Emergency Medical Responders (EMR) instead. The requirements for EMR vs. EMT (emergency medical technician) are substantially different: 62 hours vs. 160 hours. Officer Handley is interested in becoming EMT certified if training funds can be allocated. He is interested in an online class, but it is much more expensive ($1200 vs $500-$700) than the classes that are held locally. They will continue looking into options.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
CT Bagott will have a preliminary budget for review at the next meeting. He expects next year’s budget to be very similar to this year’s. Capital expenditures will be lower as PD vehicles and the Public Works pickup will be purchased this year. Public Works will be looking at the purchase of a new mower and a utility locator, but these are relatively minor expenditures compared to purchasing vehicles.

Deputy Clerk Thompson shared a comparative revenue report for months 1-9. Most revenue funds are status quo with the exception of pool donations which were up over $400, and building permits which are up over $7,000 from last year. 52% of our swim lesson revenue comes from non-residents. The telephone B&O tax revenue is down over $3,000 and will continue to decline due to loss of land-lines. There’s nothing we can do about that; it’s just a sign of the times.

OLD BUSINESS:
Shoreline Management Plan update: The city submitted on Aug. 18 the required SMP documentation to the state and other stakeholders. We sent out the 60 day Department of Commerce notice, the Determination of Non-Significance, the SEPA, etc. We can’t do anything until the 60 day review process passes. We will plan to hold a public hearing on this at the first meeting in October. Assuming there are no issues, we will most likely approve the final draft at the end of October. The Colville Tribe was the only stakeholder who has responded thus far and has some wording regarding artifacts, etc. The city received an inquiry from a resident asking if the city has to do this SMP. Yes, we have to. If we don’t opt in, the state will do it for us and then we have no say, no control. We’d be at risk for losing some of our setbacks, etc. The Planning Commission reviewed the SMP draft in August.

Wall Street paving project – revised pricing: To recap last meeting, we received only one bid for paving Wall Street. There was concern that the bid amount of $18,260 (880 sy at $20.75/sy) could put our arterial street fund over budget when combined with the other anticipated street projects we have going on. So Supt. Griffin asked Ken Ailor at Motley & Motley if they would consider 710 sy of paving instead of 880 at same sy price and they said no. Ken Ailor offered a few other options: 710 sy at $21.50/sy for $15,265; 710 sy @ $20.75/sy but use some of Palouse’s equipment and man hours for $14,732.50; or 800 sy at $20.75/sy for $16,600. Supt. Griffin and CT Bagott think it best financially to go with 710 sy at $21.50/sy. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to go with 710 sy at $21.50/sy for $15,265. Councilmember Hanson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Dept. of Ecology’s 2014 Performance Award presentation to Don Myott and the Palouse WWTP:
Ellie Key, Palouse’s permit manager and facility engineer from the Department of Ecology presented Don Myott and the City of Palouse with the award. The hard work and dedication it takes to achieve this award is huge. To achieve this recognition, a facility has to have perfect compliance for a year, no effluent violations, all reports provided on time, etc. She really wants to recognize Don and the dedicated city staff. This is the second time the city has received this award.

Resolution No. 2015-12 – Authorization for submittal of CERB planning grant application for WW Facility Plan:
Ecology is requiring us to submit to them by Dec. 2017, the plan on how we’re going to meet their new permit requirements. There are different funding mechanisms: USDA RD, CDBG, DOE & CERB. CT Bagott has been working to complete the CERB grant application which is due Monday. He has consulted with Dana from Varela and has developed a subset of plan that CERB grant funding will apply to if received. CDBG isn’t even an option because of the City’s median income level. We’ll qualify for loan funding from DOE but because Palouse’s median household income is slightly over their threshold we are most likely locked out of all DOE grant funding. Rural Development will be a more applicable partner in the design phase of the project. Their grant funding is normally tied in with a loan. Former CT Beeson always tried to avoid USDA funding because the applications and reporting are very difficult. We know we’re going to end up with debt on the sewer plant; there’s just no way around it. The rough estimate is a $3-$4 million project. Our hope is to get through this initial phase without taking on much debt. CERB awards in November so the immediacy is awesome; we can start at the beginning of the year if we receive the grant. We won’t know about DOE funding until mid year 2016. This funding opportunity will allow Varela and us to spend some time on the economic impact on the plant and remedies that provide an economic good to the city.

The Community Advisory Group (CAG) met last week. Bruce Baldwin is the chair of the CAG. All six CAG members, Dana from Varela, Mayor Echanove, Don Myott, Councilmember Ossinger and CT Bagott were in attendance. The meeting began with Don giving a tour of the WWTP. The committee was very impressed with both the WWTP and with Don. All six CAG members are passionate about this project and represent a great cross-section of our community and all offer good input. There is potential to partner with other jurisdictions in our efforts.

Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The DOE is requiring the City to submit a WW Facility Plan by December 1, 2017, and Varela and Associates has estimated the cost to complete this plan to be $167,670, and the city isn’t able to fund this planning project from reserve funds and will need to seek loan and grant funding. This resolution authorizes CT Bagott to submit a planning grant application to CERB to assist in funding a WW Facility Plan. Phase 1 of the project will be $64,150 so the grant request amount will be $48,113 and will require a $16,037 match from the city. Bottom line is we HAVE to have a plan and we need money to get it going. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-12. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously. If the city gets this grant we won’t be incurring any kind of debt which is great news.

Since the deadline is Monday, Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to authorize the Mayor to sign the planning grant application to CERB. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- Had a committee meeting last week to discuss Phil and Jamie Gaber’s official complaint against the PD and the Mayor for his lack of response. The earliest complaint to the Mayor was received July 7, two months ago not four as indicated in the Gaber’s complaint. The time frame doesn’t seem valid. Rick has since received a letter from one of the Gaber’s neighbors explaining their side. Rick appreciates the Gaber’s voicing their concerns but there are concerns from a lot of people, not just from them. In order to make an informed decision on the Gaber’s complaint, the situation is ongoing until the committee can hopefully meet with Phil Gaber and also with the other parties involved.

Also discussed were budget requirements for the PD next year. There will be some training requirements in regards to preparing Officer Handley to be the OIC (officer in charge) upon the retirement of Joe Merry. That will require training dollars above what we normally budget for that line item. We will also need two sets of snow tires because the two newly acquired used vehicles obviously had used tires. We would also like to make sure the fund for undercover work is maintained. Officer Handley’s one year probation will be up May 1 and committee would like to get him a pay raise at that time. If there is any kind of salary increase for any city staff, the PD would like to be included.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
Bev reviewed the pool wish list from pool manager.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett-
A citizen inquired about the safety of the vacant Palouse Arms Building. Buildings committee chair Senja Estes will look into that.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor Echanove attended an excellent brownfield seminar last week hosted by SEWEDA. Also in attendance were the Dept. of Ecology, Dept. of Commerce, investors, and more. The group took tours of brownfields in Pullman and Palouse, and also toured a formerly nasty brownfield property next to the new transit building in Moscow.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 9/22/15 Ck. #6902-#6920 $15,941.99

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
September 8, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce. Christopher Langsett is absent. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse his absence. Councilmember Hicks seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry (until 7:15); Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 25, 2015. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Getting ready for Wall Street paving project. The city sent out bid requests August 21 for 880 sy of paving and we only received one bid. Motley & Motley bid $20.75/sy for a total of $18,260 (includes tax). Supt. Griffin is going to re-measure and downsize the length from 880 sy to approximately 710 sy. That will ensure that we stay within our budget. If Motley is agreeable, this would take price from $18,260 to $14,732.50. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the square yard price of $20.75 from Motley & Motley as long as they’re willing to allow the city to reduce the size of the total project. Councilmember Pearce seconded. If Motley isn’t agreeable to this, the city may have to go out for bid again or just gravel Wall Street and pave next year. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Handley’s training is going well; we’re continuing to introduce him around both towns. He has exceeded Officer Merry’s expectations.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
CT Bagott is still working on a grant application with CERB for WWTP project planning. He will have the application completed and a resolution authorizing that by next meeting. We’re looking at $50,000 in grant funding with a $16,667 local match.
RV Park revenues have come back down to earth and we’re right at where we were last year. Of course we’re still above budgeted revenues so that’s good. The smoke caused a few RV Park cancellations but we can’t forecast those types of things.

OPEN FORUM:
Jamie Gaber: Jamie and her husband and kids have been Palouse residents for about three years. The Palouse PD has made numerous contacts with them over the years and the Gaber’s feel like they’re being harassed. They feel as if the contacts are unwarranted and they think the officers’ demeanors are unprofessional. As a result, they are submitting a formal complaint against the PD for harassment and also against Mayor Echanove for not addressing their concerns. Mayor Echanove thanked her and explained that filling out the formal complaint form is the correct first step. Councilmember Wekenman, as the chair of the Police, Fire, & Safety Committee will have a meeting to discuss it. He will get all sides of the story.

Connie Newman – skatepark update. The skatepark committee has hired a private contractor skatepark designer. The skatepark is under construction and should be skateable by next spring. Many generous donations have come in including a $3,000 donation from Idaho Beverage and Pepsi Cola. The edible forest surrounding it will begin next spring.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Ratify appointments to Citizen Advisory Group for WWTP project: Received three more letters of interest for the CAG. They will be joining Bruce Baldwin, Carie Saunders, and Tony Wright. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to allow the mayor to ratify the appointment of Dennis Griner, Bob Barry, and Dave Tharp to the Citizen Advisory Group. Six is plenty so this will be our group. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. September 15 Don Myott is going to give them a tour of our plant followed by a meeting. This group is advisory to the council and mayor.

Mayor and Councilmember Hicks attended the mayor’s roundtable last week in Tekoa. Marijuana was the main topic. The tax rate on retail sales of marijuana is 37% and this money isn’t making its way back into the communities. The state is producing about $1 million a day in revenue sales. Marijuana is the second highest cash crop in the state behind apples. The whole issue of legalizing it was to lessen the black market demand but it’s having the reverse effect because retail is so high. It’s a cash cow for the state legislature to balance their budget rather than going back into the communities. Sheriff Brett Myers reported there’s also a larger amount of impaired drivers now.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:05 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 8/31/15 – 23 employees Ck. #6848-6874 & EFT $45,258.87
Claims Paid Ck. #6875-6901 & EFT $27,097.30

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 25, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Staff: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 11, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
Regarding the clean-up at the house on Alder Street: The owner came to town and has made noticeable improvement. A lot of the junk was hauled off, vehicles moved, etc. Chief and Officer Merry viewed the progress and will follow-up in a couple weeks.
There have been three arrests in last couple weeks: an assault; an attempting to allude; and one false impersonation.
The bike rodeo is this Thursday on Whitman Street near the PD.

JFB REPORT:
This report covers June & July as there was no meeting in July due to lack of quorum.
Things are on target financially. The 2016 budget was reviewed, voted on and approved.
There were 6 fire calls in July, 21 YTD. 2 EMS calls in June, 9 calls in July.
Using donated funds, wireless headsets & intercom units were purchased for the brush trucks.
Nine Palouse firefighters spent a total of 28 hours at the Potlatch fire station on August 14 and 15 while Potlatch personnel were fighting the Big Lost fire near Harvard. They took the pumper tanker and a brush truck so they could respond to structure or wildland fire calls if necessary. Fortunately, no additional calls were received during their time at the station.
The burn ban is still in effect.
Palouse had a couple of small fires during harvest but considering the conditions we’ve been lucky. Fires were contained quickly with help from farmers using tractors to plow fire breaks.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
CT Bagott got the TIB application submitted last week for west Whitman Street project. The total for the entire project is $700,000: $30,000 from DOT for railroad portion, $19,500 from city, $280,000 from the legislature and the rest is what we requested from TIB. We’ll find out in November if it is awarded. CT Bagott and Mayor met with Gloria Bennett from TIB and Bob Westby from WSDOT. WSDOT may be putting in additional money to replace/repair the entire line from Mill Street all the way to the grain growers.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-11 – Authorization to go out to bid for 1-Ton for Public Works: Mayor Echanove read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Resolution authorizes the solicitation of bids for the purchase of a 2016 Dodge Ram 3500 4WD Cab & Chassis for the Public Works Department. Finding something used has been fruitless. Supt. Griffin is looking for a regular cab, gas not diesel, non-luxury features, low miles, etc. The current 1990 1-ton has been on its last leg for a long time and we need to act before we’re desperate. The old service box will go on the new vehicle. This will be a secondary plow truck; we’ll still use the Ford to plow. Anticipated total cost is under $36,000 and funding is available in the 2015 budget. The truck, as specified, will most likely have to be ordered from the manufacturer as opposed to being purchased from dealer stock; anticipated turnaround time is two to three months. Supt. Griffin’s five-year payroll history was used to determine the % split amongst budget funds for this purchase: 22% streets; 43% water; 18% sewer; 16% current expense; .68% cemetery. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-11. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger- committee met 8/24 to discuss the rates to hook water and sewer into the city’s system. The city is grossly undercharging and losing money at the current rate. Committee will gather more information and continue to look into this.

OPEN FORUM:
Will Hume, on behalf of the Viola Community Center and operating under the Palouse Caboose’s liquor license, is seeking council permission to set up a beer garden during Palouse Day (Sept. 19) on south Beach Street for the music venue. Same set up as last year. The only egress and ingress is a 10’ area in the front and the rest is completely fenced. There will be I.D. checkers on Main Street going into the venue. Beginning at approximately 4 pm and ending at 10 pm. There are no police concerns from Chief Neumann. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to allow permission for Will Hume/Viola Community Center/Palouse Caboose to use south Beach Street for Palouse Days beer garden. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city needs to start looking at funding opportunities for Varela & Associates for 2016 because we are required to deliver a plan to DOE by end of 2017. USDA Rural Development and CERB both have grants opportunities that CT Bagott will be researching. The CERB grant is due at the end of September.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:13 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 8/25/15 Ck. #6826-6847 $6,193.15

APPROVED: ________________________________
ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 11, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Council members absent: Doreen Hanson and Rick Wekenman. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to excuse their absences. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of July 28, 2015. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
To follow up on the drinking fountains and slide issues from last council meeting: The fountain by the library is working fine. Supt. Griffin ordered parts for the fountain at the park. The bottom of the slide portion of the toddler slide wiggles because it isn’t secured to the ground. Supt. Griffin said perhaps a weight limit is in order because it’s meant for small children.
Public Works finished metering the cemetery. That leaves only the Lions Club park left to meter. The whole city is required to be metered by 2017. This will be awesome for our water use efficiency report.
PW has about one more week on the Wall Street water line then they’ll move to working on the actual street.

POLICE REPORT:
The city received a few inquiries/complaints about a suspicious bad odor in a neighborhood on the north hill. Upon investigation, a residence was discovered with four pigs, roosters, and a lot of chicken waste. Pigs were removed immediately and roosters were removed within 48 hours. The smell has subsided.
Equipment is working fine.
The air conditioning in the PD went out last week. It was repaired by Redinger.
Kids’ Bike Rodeo is coming up August 27. New helmets will be distributed. The hope is if the helmets look cool, the kids will want to wear them.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
CT Bagott received the May sales tax revenue report from Dept. of Revenue. He was very encouraged by what he saw for the one day in May the Palouse Caboose was open; it should be a sizable impact on sales tax revenue.
Representatives from Berk Consulting and the Watershed Company are coming for a meeting next week with CT Bagott and Deputy Clerk Thompson to discuss the Shoreline Management Plan procedures.
CT Bagott attended a Palouse RTPO meeting in Colfax on 7/31. Mike will look into how the RTPO interfaces with Palouse and how the City can benefit.

NEW BUSINESS:
Authorization for Mayor to sign the TIB application for West Whitman Street: The application for the West Whitman Street Project is due next Friday. Mayor Echanove requested engineers MD&A freshen up the numbers from last year’s estimate. Last year MD&A estimated $360,000 for the TIB portion: road bed, sidewalk, curb, gutter, and lighting. It will probably be a little higher this year due to inflation and the economy overall. Numbers aren’t firm, just ballpark. The legislature pledged a firm $280,000 for the project. DOT pledged $30,000. The city will be requesting approximately $375,000 from TIB to reconstruct and improve West Whitman Street, including railroad, sidewalk on one side, remove both existing street sections and RR tracks that bisect the street. There will be drainage pipe collection system and possibly two LED standard street lights, and ADA ramps. The City contribution to the project is estimated to be $21,000 for a $700,000+ project. If everything comes together, this project will begin next summer 2016. DOT wants to hire their own engineers and contractors for the railroad part. DOT is ready to begin engineering right now. They’re also doing some work by the Palouse Grain Grower elevators so DOT is proposing fixing the railroad all the way from the funeral home to the grain elevator. So the city stands to gain a whole bunch of new rail line with this project. TIB awards in November. There are approximately five property owners who will be directly affected so once the city knows if we get this award, a letter will go out to them. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the TIB application for West Whitman Street. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger-
The city received three letters of interest for the Citizen Advisory Group for the wastewater discharge process and WWTP upgrade: Bruce Baldwin, Tony Wright, and Carie Saunders. Mayor hereby appointed all three to the Citizen Advisory Group. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to ratify the Mayor’s appointment to the Citizen Advisory Group. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks-
We’re considering putting a bid out for a new one ton. CT Bagott thinks the money can be there for the purchase if the price comes in where he suspects. DG forewent extra summer help so he has extra funds for this purchase. CT Bagott is trying to get fairly solid numbers and specs.
DG still wants to look into a new locator too.
Councilmember Hicks is still working on drafting the sidewalk letter.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Pool is closing August 20th.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett-
Councilmember Langsett attended the DOE meeting regarding the river and the dissolved oxygen levels, etc. He was very disappointed in DOE’s attitude regarding the financial end for the City of Palouse. The DOE rep’s attitude was basically “just get a loan” for $5 million every twenty years for a new sewer plant. Is today’s 20 year plant going to only be good for 10 years tomorrow? Councilmember Langsett did some research; this is a global issue all because of global warming. Increased temperatures and lower dissolved oxygen content is affecting ALL bodies of water. Mayor Echanove, Waste Water Treatment Plant Operator Myott, Clerk-Treasurer Bagott, and Dana Cowger from Varela spoke about the City’s concerns. The City just received another award for having one of the top performing plants in the state; we aren’t changing what we’re doing; they keep changing the rules. Our plant is only 20 years old. The city is proud of the fact that we have very little debt; but that may be a negative when looking for grant funds. Local cattle producers are also dealing with DOE water quality mandates. Debbie Snyder, representing local cattle producers, contacted City Hall to advise that they are collecting river data and will be happy to share their data with ours to see how it compares to DOE’s. The City has roughly two and a half years to deliver to DOE our plan. Last year, Palouse’s median income was too high and the sewer rate was too low to qualify for grant funding. Dana Cowger is going to go to the DOE funding meeting next week to see if funding thresholds have changed or there are any new funding opportunities. We will also be looking into planning funding from the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB).

OPEN FORUM:
Phyllis Montgomery. Can anything be done about her neighbor’s nuisance weed and trash infested yard. Mayor asked Chief Neumann to follow-up on that. Perhaps the city can send a letter to ask him to address these concerns.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 7/31/15, 24 employees Ck. #6767 – #6794 & EFT $49,638.59
Withdrawal 7/29/15 Ck. #6766 $ 500.00
Claims Paid 8/12/15 Ck. #6795 – #6825 & EFT $21,205.50

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
July 28, 2015

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; Bev Pearce. Absent: Councilmembers Wekenman, Langsett, & Estes. All had notified staff of their pending absences. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to excuse their absences. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Police Officer Joe Handley; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting of July 14, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Councilmember Pearce reported the drinking fountain is broken at the park and the one near the library isn’t working well. She’d like them fixed. A citizen reported one of the slides at the park is very wobbly. All three items will be reported to Public Works.

POLICE REPORT:
Music Festival was this weekend. There were no problems.
The PD has 75 helmets ordered for the bike rodeo August 27 @ 10 am by the Police Department. There will be a raffle for a bike.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT:
There are four houses being built currently. There is a manufactured home going in on South River Road. There are a few re-roofs and a few mechanicals.
The deadline for Scott Storch to unhook his mobile home from city sewer is July 31st. Dan Gladwill gave him a temporary certificate of occupancy on the new build, meaning it’s safe for occupancy but not complete.

JFB REPORT (2nd council meeting of month only):
No meeting last week due to early harvest. Chief Bagott and Annie Pillers are working on the Fire and EMS budgets.
There have been a few spooky fires due to dry weather and wind. Equipment and people are performing well. Burn ban is still in effect for the City and Fire District 4 and likely will be into September unless there is a dramatic change in the weather.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
We’ve already exceeded our budgeted revenue of $9,000 for 2015 at the RV Park. It still remains very popular and people are very happy with it.
We budgeted $2,500 revenue for building permits and we’re at $7,000+ already thanks to the four new homes. And there are a few more new homes coming so that figure will still go up. The building permit money helps bridge that gap between now and when those properties are added to the property tax roll.
Pool donations were budgeted for $500 and we’re at $1,100.
City Assistance revenue from the State was budgeted at $19,000 in 2015. After reviewing budget preparation guidance from MRSC and City Assistance forecasts from DOR, CT Bagott thinks it’s conceivable that City Assistance could hit $26,000+. Again, there’s a nice cushion for when property and sales tax are low. CT Bagott feels very good about the revenue side of things. No causes for concern on expense side yet.

Regarding the energy program we’ve been working on with Apollo and the Department of Enterprise Services. We ran the contract with DES through our city attorney’s office and our attorneys don’t like the contract. Attorney Hansen spoke with the DES representative and still has concerns with the contract. Due diligence dictates we pay the attorney for a reason and we need to heed their advice. CT Bagott will keep working on this.

NEW BUSINESS:
State Representative May Dye – council visit: Representative Dye said Palouse is a very bright spot amongst all the smaller communities in the state. When she sees the pictures of where we came from, we offer hope to other small towns. Representative Dye said that, until she took office, she didn’t truly appreciate the impact that the 2008 economic downturn had on the State at its cities and towns. She was impressed that Palouse had been able to continue to move forward through this downturn and the one in 2001. She said Palouse is deserving of a great deal of praise. She is looking forward to working with the City and pledged to fight to ensure funding that is allocated for projects in eastern Washington stays in eastern Washington.

Ordinance No. 935 – amending 13.20.080 wording regarding late fees:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This ordinance codifies the policy of adding late fees only on delinquent bills with a balance in excess of $10.00. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 935 as written. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2015-08 – street improvements and road oiling levy:
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This resolution places Proposition No. 1 on the November 3, 2015, General Election Ballot, to be voted upon by the voters of the City of Palouse. Proposition No. 1 funds street improvements and street oiling in the levy amount of $44,000. It is an estimated $0.820 per $1,000.00 of assessed value in the year 2015 for collection in 2016. Council had decided to leave the dollar amount the same as last year even though the need is higher. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to pass Resolution No. 2015 -08. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2015-09 – swimming pool levy:
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This resolution places Proposition No. 2 on the November 3, 2015, General Election Ballot, to be voted upon by the voters of the City of Palouse. Proposition No. 2 is for the purpose of funding the operation and maintenance of the swimming pool in the levy amount of $28,000. It is an estimated $0.522 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2015 for collection in 2016. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-09. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. This is the same amount as last year. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2015-10 – creating a Police Department confidential informant fund:
For the payment to informants to purchase narcotics for the purpose of drug interdiction. Drug issues have arisen and they need this resolution to pass in order to address this. CT Bagott worked with City Attorney Bishop and a representative from the State Auditor’s Office with regards to the language of the resolution. As ominous as it sounds, we’re developing a strictly monitored and regulated petty cash fund for their use for this purpose. This doesn’t increase the dollar amount in the Police Budget. It doesn’t authorize any extra expenditures, Chief still has to stay in the confines of his budget. The auditor was thrilled the City called in advance. The biggest thing is the city has to monitor the funds and this resolution dictates how that’s done. CT Bagott said frankly we’re talking about a fund of $500, not thousands. The money isn’t recoverable; it’s just the cost of doing business. The money comes out of the PD budget as it’s expended.

Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The resolution outlines in specific detail exactly the procedures for dispensing funds for confidential investigative expenses and the reconciliation, etc. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-10. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Councilmember Hanson would like to see Garfield contribute ½ ($250) toward this fund. CT Bagott explained Garfield’s portion is covered with their contract. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Still working on the sidewalk repair letter to residents.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Had a meeting last week to discuss pool operations. It was a good meeting.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Sewer Plant upgrade planning. DOE is requiring us to have a plan by 2017 to lower our effluent temperatures and our inorganic nitrate levels. Effluent is an asset. We need technology. Representative Dye commented about an algae based system that is being used at Inland Empire Paper Company in Millwood to remove inorganic nitrates. We will look into this. The Palouse sewer plant didn’t change from 10 years ago when DOE gave us an award for our sewer plant operations; DOE just changed the rules on us. Mayor Echanove would like to put together a blue-ribbon committee made up of citizens for input and information dissemination. It would be an advisory committee only. We did this with our Brownfield site and it worked great.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6753-6765 $2,614.40

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing followed by
Regular Council Meeting
July 14, 2015

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. Councilmember Estes MOVED to excuse Christopher’s absence. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

PUBLIC HEARING to discuss 2016 Revenue Sources: Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:02 pm. Clerk-Treasurer Bagott is expecting very little change for 2016 for our local levy and our EMS levy. State law only allows us a maximum 1% increase annually on our general and EMS levies. Palouse’s valuation took a sizable hit from last year (dropped about 7%). County Assessor Joe Reynolds said it was from the railroad: he clarified it isn’t land but it’s the railroad’s rolling stock that is taxed as a business. We shouldn’t expect a change in valuation for next year. Whitman County’s tax on a millage basis is the second highest in the state at $14.21 per $1,000 valuation; Palouse’s is $4.94 per $1,000. The Sand Road development will have an impact over time but minimal in 2016.
Mayor closed the public hearing at 7:14 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 23, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Backhoe is working great.
Road oiling went well.
North River road chip sealing went great.
The water main at Sand Road development is in but no hook-ups yet to the houses in the new development.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Handley has been on force for two months now. He’s exceeding all of Chief Neumann’s expectation in work ethic and eagerness
The kids’ bike rodeo put on by the PD is coming up in August. AWB, Palouse Library, the coffee club, and a few individuals are sponsoring financially. The money buys new bike helmets for kids.
There have been five arrests in last few weeks; one in Palouse, four in Garfield. Mostly drug-related.
PD received an inquiry from the Viola Community Club about having a beer garden during Palouse Days on south Beach Street. They will go through the liquor control board etc. Their representative will come to a council meeting to ask for council permission. PD doesn’t have a problem with it.
Updating the camera system is still being discussed by committee. The cameras would be motion-activated and would be used in places such as compost site, restrooms at the park, skate park, at the PD, etc. It’s a safety thing; last year, in Sprague, WA, security cameras helped catch a kidnapper. Costco sells them for approximately $800 with 4 cameras. They’re expandable and have a good warranty. Council liked the idea but discussed concerns regarding public perception, necessary signage, and having to maintain them for PRR’s. CT Bagott and Mayor Echanove want a total dollar proposal with installation and also want more investigation by committee on how these videos have to be maintained etc. for PRR’s. Councilmember Wekenman will get some solid numbers and definitive answers on PRR’s and bring back to a future council meeting.

Whitman County Humane Society contract renewal: This is our annual contract with the humane society for the care and sheltering of animals picked up in Palouse. The only changes to the contract are in the cost which is $1,100 (up from $1,000) for 2015-2016; $1,125 for 2016-2017; and $1,150 2017-2018. This contract has been a real asset to the city. The city isn’t a kennel and has no place to keep lost and found dogs. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to accept the contract as written. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
2nd Quarter Treasurer’s Report: Sales tax revenue is down and CT Bagott isn’t sure why. He’s anticipating we’ll be down in the aggregate this year. Telephone revenue continues to decline substantially because of the loss of so many land-line services. Three positives on the revenue side: 1) the Sand Road Development has greatly boosted our building permit revenue this year. We haven’t seen the property tax income from that yet. The developer anticipates three more homes in the near future. That would be 7 of the 21 lots which is very unusual for a development that isn’t even finished yet. 2) City Assistance from the state is a pleasant surprise; up 45% from this time last year. 3) The RV Park is up 16% from this time last year. These things help balance the things like the loss of the phone revenue.

NEW BUSINESS: Last Friday, the Washington state legislature approved a transportation package. Included in it was a line item for $280,000 for the replacement of the west Whitman Street railroad tracks from Bridge Street to Mill Street. It is hoped this project will begin in 2016. The total reconstruction costs of the project are estimated to be about $680,000. The city will be working with TIB and WSDOT for additional funding to complete the project. The city’s estimated contribution is $20,000. West Whitman Street will be designed to look just like east Whitman Street (sidewalks, new railroad, new surface work, etc.). Representative Schmick and Senator Schoesler joined the meeting via speaker phone for the announcement. Mayor Echanove and council thanked them for being integral in getting Palouse this award.

Resolution No. 2015-07 fee schedule: Mayor read aloud the resolution by title only. The resolution adds the inadvertently omitted street vacation fee of $100 to the fee schedule. Councilmember Hanson noticed the dog tag fee wasn’t on the list either. Deputy Clerk Thompson will add that too. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-07 as amended. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- The city has received concerns about some sidewalks throughout town in various states of decay, trip hazards, etc. They are a danger. Palouse code makes clear that sidewalk care and repair is the responsibility of abutting property owners. Councilmember Hicks will be drafting an email to citizens of Palouse as a reminder. We will also be contacting the city’s insurance carrier and have them do an evaluation of sidewalks. Letters will follow to those specific property owners whose sidewalks are out of compliance.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- Had a committee meeting. Everyone is pleased with how new Officer Handley is doing. Discussion also included the possible purchase of security cameras, how the new vehicles are working, and trying to implement a 3% COLA raise for staff this fall.

OPEN FORUM:
Tony Burt addressed the council to ask that a waiver be granted for a late fee on his water/sewer bill. He expressed his reasons for requesting the waiver. Of primary concern was the period of time from when bills are received until payment is due, especially as it relates to those who use online bill-pay. Additionally, he feels that the bills should contain more detailed information regarding usage and billing terms. Finally, he asked about the City’s policy to not charge a late fee on balance of $10.00 or less and why it isn’t reflected in the PMC. Council discussion followed and it was agreed that it is ultimately the responsibility of the consumer to make sure that water/sewer bills are paid on the due date and in the correct amount. The City has no control over bills that are lost in the mail, bill-pay checks that don’t arrive on time, automatic payments that are not in the correct amount, etc. Consumers are encouraged to contact City Hall if they have any questions regarding their bills. As stated on the water/sewer bills, payments are always due on the 15th of the month and late fees added on the 16th. Mr. Burt’s request for a waiver of the late fee was denied. Mike and Ann will develop a letter to email to consumers to provide detailed information regarding their water/sewer bills and where detailed information can be found online. They will also research the policy basis for the late fee waiver for bills $10.00 or less; Ann stated that is how she was trained to do it when she started 9 years ago and Councilmember Pearce did it during her time at City Hall. Deputy Clerk Thompson will research the policy to see if she can find any history on it. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to codify the long-standing policy of only charging a late fee on balances of $10.01 or more. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Councilmember Wekenman voted nay. Motion carried.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city received a letter from WSDOT regarding the speed signage on the south side of town heading to and from Pullman. WSDOT will install new signs at their own cost. The PD will put the radar trailer there for a while to make people aware.

Chief Bagott doesn’t foresee the burn ban coming off until September. Conditions are still extremely, dangerously dry.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:13 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Voided misprinted checks Ck. #6658-6684
Payroll Paid 6/30/15 Ck. #6685-6711 & EFT $44,652.79
Claims Paid 7/14/15 Ck. #6712-6752 & EFT $47,521.42

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
Special Location at Palouse Community Center, 220 E. Main Street
June 23, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Planning Commission members present: Jeff Baldwin; Jay Iverson; Nicole Flansburg; Lynne Nelson; & Judy Finch.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Special Council Meeting of June 9, 2015. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
The city’s new backhoe just isn’t working out for the city’s needs. It doesn’t have enough finesse for the trench applications and other things we do. The Rowand service reps and even a rep from John Deere have been to Palouse looking at the backhoe a number of times and have confirmed that the backhoe is behaving as it’s designed. Rowand Machinery has offered a proposal for trading up to a 2012 410K backhoe that is bigger, has more horsepower, and features a completely different hydraulic system than the current machine. We can trade our backhoe in for this unit for a total cost, with tax, of $5,390. It’s out of factory warranty but Rowand is offering a 90 day warranty. Supt. Griffin and CT Bagott went to Rowand’s facility in Spokane to inspect and operate it. Supt. Griffin was satisfied that it would be substantial improvement over the current unit and will fulfill the City’s needs. This is a critical piece of equipment; it gets used continuously. CT Bagott explained that Rowand has been great to deal with and that there is no fault in the original purchase. The distribution of funds for this purchase will be 10% from general, 30% from street, water, and sewer each. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept Rowand Machinery’s offer of trading in our 2014 310 SK backhoe for their 2012 410K backhoe plus $5,390. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Handley reported the radar trailer has been moved to west Main Street near the pool. Hopefully it will remind drivers to watch for kids.
The PD acquired two pedal bicycles for use by the PD.
The PD is working on fliers to distribute to seniors explaining the fraud scams out there, particularly ones targeting senior citizens.

JFB REPORT (2nd council meeting of month only):
Councilmember Langsett reported that he and Councilmember Ossinger attended the JFB meeting June 15.
Financially, the JFB is way under budget.
0 fire calls in May, 11 YTD. 6 EMS calls in May, 28 YTD.
FD and EMS had an extrication training with a donated car. This was the first opportunity the group had to use the hydraulic cutter/spreader that was donated by Fire District 12. The spreader worked great but the cutter needs work. The department has sawzalls to use if needed. They will look into repairing the cutter portion.
Water tender truck is back in service; it has new plumbing and valves.
Parking barrier blocks for the parking lot at the Public Safety Building will be purchased through Atlas because Premix can’t work within the time frame. It may be slightly more expensive. Marty from Palouse Welding will help move the blocks with their forklift if needed.
Frontier is in the process of moving the manual siren activation button from the old fire station to the Public Safety Building.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
CT Bagott will have 2nd Q treasurer’s report at the next meeting.
We will have the public hearing for revenue sources at the first meeting in July.

OLD BUSINESS:
Shoreline Master Program update:
Amy Summe from The Watershed Company, and Izzy Cannell from Berk Consulting gave an update/presentation on the Shoreline Master Program (SMP). Whitman County developed the SMP in 1974. It was adopted by Palouse (and six other communities) in 1974. The Shoreline Management Act requires all local governments to update their SMP because it’s over 30 years old and ecology passed new rules in 2003. In a nutshell, the purpose of the Shoreline Management Act is to protect our river and prevent harm caused by uncoordinated and piecemeal development of the state’s major shorelines. The SMP carries out provisions of the SMA. There is no change to Palouse’s obligation, just updating. There are 117 acres in Palouse subject to SMP. The SMP addresses shoreline vegetation, setbacks, development, use, etc., along the Palouse River.

SMP regulations are not retroactive. SMP regulations apply to new development and activities, including proposals for expansion or alteration of existing uses. The SMA especially recognizes existing residences. Residential structures that were legally established and are used for a conforming use, but that do not meet SMP standards (height, buffers, setbacks, etc.), are considered a conforming structure. The SMP can allow redevelopment, expansion, or replacement of the residential structure if it is otherwise consistent with the SMP.

Once this draft is approved by Palouse City Council, it goes to Ecology for approval. The SMP will be adopted by ordinance and be a part of Palouse’s municipal code, just as the Critical Areas is. Just as it has always been, when someone wants to build/repair/alter their property, they first need to contact City Hall to determine the requirements, if any, of the SMP, Critical Areas, FEMA, SEPA, and Palouse building codes. Deputy Clerk Thompson expressed her concerns with having to enforce all this.

It’s important to note that critical areas within the jurisdiction of the SMP shall be governed only by the SMP as of the time DOE approves our SMP update.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The City received from the WA State Liquor Control Board a special liquor license approval for the beer garden at the Palouse Music Festival. There were no objections.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 5/31/15 Ck. #6600-6620 & EFT $40,719.31
Claims Paid 6/24/15 Ck. #6640-6657 $ 7,331.11

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing to discuss 2016-2021 Six Year Street Plan
Followed by Regular Council Meeting
June 9, 2015

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; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

PUBLIC HEARING 2016-2021 Six Year Street Plan: Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:02.
Supt. Griffin reviewed aloud the plan: 1. West Whitman Reconstruction from Bridge Street to Mill Street; 2. Spokane Avenue from West Main Street to Almota Rd (SR 27) drainage issues and chip seal; 3. West Whitman & Fir St. Reconstruction from Mill St. to Illinois St.; 4. Culton St. Reconstruction from Park St. then 150’ south to county line; 5. Park Street chip Seal from Culton St. to Wall St.; Cannon St. Reconstruction from Division St. to Mary St.

Supt. Griffin might add Ellis Street to the six year street plan next year. It’s getting in bad shape, particularly now that the care center has moved there and traffic has increased. It’s a narrow road and needs some ditching so the phone line would have to first be moved. We’d have to use all of the city’s right of way which would probably narrow people’s yards. Chip sealing it may be the best way to go.

No public comment. Mayor closed the public hearing at 7:18 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 26, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
The new development off Cove Road will probably be ready to chlorinate and pressure test the water line this week. If the water samples pass they’ll be ready to hook up to the water main. The developers should be ready to start putting in roads in a week or so. Supt. Griffin said they’ve been great to work with.

POLICE REPORT:
No problems with the car show.
Had a 9-1-1 call last week in Palouse for an assault by a juvenile on an elderly relative. The juvenile was arrested and will probably be gone from Palouse for over a year.
Chief is gathering information about the purchase of a surveillance system for various locations throughout town. The pros and cons need to be weighed.
The Palouse Duathlon is this Saturday.

CLERK-TREASURER/DEPUTY CLERK REPORT:
Our first half property taxes came in and our revenues are tracking where CT Bagott expected. Building permit revenues are up as are RV Park revenues. The only loss in revenues is telephone B&O due to the loss of land lines. CT Bagott feels good about the budget at this point.

CT Bagott continues to work with Apollo Systems on evaluating the City’s energy use efficiency.

The Lions Club lease agreement automatically renews every July 1 unless council wants to terminate. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to extend the agreement. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Supt. Griffin and CT Bagott attended a TIB workshop June 3 in Oakesdale. The City currently has a grant from TIB that is paying for chip sealing Fairview from the state highway to the city limit. Dwayne Spoke to Gloria Bennett from TIB to see if it would be possible to use funds from the grant to chip seal the City-owned portion of Fairview that is outside of the City limits as well. Dwayne and Mike will work with Gloria on this.

OLD BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 934 – amending omission in 6.12.020 (B): Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This amends PMC 6.12.020 (B) to include goats being allowed in the school pasture. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, and Councilmember Langsett seconded, to adopt Ordinance No. 934 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-06 – adopting 2015 six year street plan: Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Pearce to adopt Resolution No. 2015-06. Motion carried unanimously.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg representing the Palouse Skate Park: there are five miniature plum trees located in the right of way that will need to be removed prior to construction. They came in on the Whitman Street Project. What would the city like done with them? He would like to find a way to save those trees. Supt. Griffin will check with Marc Arrasmith to see if he can use any elsewhere in town. City staff will double-check with our attorney to see if it’s okay to have Aaron move them to another site for replanting. If Atty. Bishop approves, everyone on council agreed of Aaron finding a home for them either elsewhere on site or somewhere else all together.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Received from the WA St. Liquor Control Board a liquor license renewal for beer and wine sales at McLeod’s Market. No objections.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:58 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 6/10/15 Ck. #6598, 6599, 6621-6639 & EFT $11,142.42

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 26, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s and Langsett’s absences. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Handley; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 12, 2015. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

Motley & Motley Construction needs council permission to work in right-of-way for sewer line install at 220 South River Road. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hicks, to grant Motley & Motley permission to work in city right-of-way for sewer line installation. City staff will make the connection to the city main. Motley & Motley will provide traffic control, etc. Motion carried unanimously.

Road Oiling Bids: The city put out a call for bids for approximately 160,000 square feet of road oiling using an emulsified asphalt. The city received three bids: 1. BST Surfacing $8,451.52; 2. Mort’s Dust Control $10,240.00; 3. Lyman Dust Control $13,798.40. Low bidder is BST/Tak Petroleum. They’re who has done the oiling in the past. The duration of the product depends on the traffic and the weather. CT Bagott said the low bid is within what we budgeted for street oiling. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to accept the bid from BST for $8,451.52. Price includes tax. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Handley has completed his first phase of training. Chief Neumann is very pleased with Officer Handley.

There’s a phone scam going around again targeting the elderly. Officer Handley stopped in to the senior meal at the Palouse Community Center and spoke with them about protecting themselves against phone scams.

All three officers are working Friday and Saturday for the Rat Rod show.

Chief would like to update the security camera system at the compost site and expand to Heritage Park, the RV Park, the sewer plant, the PD, etc. The technology has really improved. Chief will look at pricing different systems.

JFB REPORT (2nd council meeting of month only):
Chief Bagott reported that the water tender truck has a plumbing leak and the rough estimate to repair it is $3,500. There is money in the current budget. We do have a pumper/tender truck as back up until the tender truck is repaired.

4 fire calls in April, 10 YTD. They had a retirement party for Marty Lentz. Marty was with Palouse FD/EMS for 21 years.

Marc Arrasmith is moving forward with parking block project. The city’s backhoe may not be able to move them because of the faulty hydraulics so we will need to find an alternative.

6 EMS calls in April, 22 YTD. There is an upcoming EMS/Fire joint training on using the Jaws of Life.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
Mike met with representatives from Apollo Solutions. These guys are a contractor and consultant all wrapped up in one. They work on energy projects in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services’ Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) program. Their main focus is finding potential projects from an energy savings perspective: street lights, pumps, HVAC, well pumps, lift stations, etc. Their initial consultation and system-wide review is done at no cost. They’ll do an evaluation and put together a potential project list and quantify costs, anticipated savings, etc. At that time the city can decide whether or not to move forward with them or with someone else, or don’t move at all. They showed some work they did for the City of Prosser: by upgrading one well pump they saved 251,035 KWH annually. Mike thinks this is very worth looking into because the City’s revenues are not likely to increase substantially going forward so controlling costs is very important. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to authorize Apollo Solutions to come in and do an assessment on Palouse’s energy resources, at no cost to the city. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

The City of Palouse operates under the Washington State Building Code (WSBC) for building permits. As a result, fences less than 7’ tall don’t need a building permit (changed from 6’). There are exceptions however so it’s imperative to check with City Hall prior to construction. There is still a 3’ height maximum on corner lots.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 932 amending PMC 13.16.050:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This ordinance puts into Palouse Municipal Code the water meter size standards which were adopted by resolution in March 2015. All newly installed water meters connected to the city’s water system shall be 5/8” x 3/4”. For good cause shown, the public works supervisor may authorize the installation of a larger water meter for particular water service connection depending on the needs of the water customer. Any additional cost for a water meter shall be paid by the water service customer to the city before the meter is installed. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hicks, to adopt Ordinance No. 932 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 933 amending PMC 15.34.010:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This code is correcting a typo in our codebook. The code said PMC 17.64 and should have said 17.16. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to adopt Ordinance No. 933 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

School pasture agreement:
Mayor read aloud the agreement in its entirety. The agreement permits the school to maintain sheep and/or goats on the school property in conjunction with school sanctioned activities such as FFA. In keeping sheep and/or goats on school property, the district agrees to comply with all local laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations to include all applicable nuisance, health, odor, public safety, and animal welfare provisions of the Palouse Municipal Code. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to allow the mayor to sign the agreement as written. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Public Works equipment needs are replacing the 1-ton and replacing the locator. The cost for a locator ranges from $1,200-$5,000, depending on what they can do.

Councilmember Hicks will begin working on the Six year street plan.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
We have hired three new lifeguards, in addition to the four returning guards. We’re very pleased so far with our pool manager Annie Leendertsen. Budget-wise we are in line with payroll expenses.

OPEN FORUM:
Judy Stone: She is concerned about the bridge corner by the car wash. It’s so narrow and tight. Cars are always crossing over the center line. Council agreed with Judy. This has been an ongoing problem over the years. Judy wondered if adding pop-up orange stickers or a rumble strip on the center line would help or be worth trying. Unfortunately it is a state highway and bridge, not a city street so the city has no jurisdiction or ability to alter it. Chief Neumann explained that there’s no city data of accidents at that site to take to the state to earmark it as a dangerous road/bridge. The bridge is outdated in its design, construction, and the approach. It’s one of those traffic problems in a small town that we have to live with until the state replaces the bridge. Council recommended to Judy to contact the DOT in Colfax about the problem; the more people who contact the DOT about the problem the better.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Appointment to Planning Commission: Nicole Flansburg – Nicole Flansburg submitted a letter of interest to be on the Palouse Planning Commission. Mayor appointed her. Council voted unanimously to ratify Nicole Flansburg’s appointment to the Planning Commission.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:42 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6584-6597 $3,326.69

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 12, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Under old business, add “… representatives from Berk Consulting and the Watershed Company”. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 28, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
WSDOT accidentally drilled a hole through the city’s water line today near Tidwell Road. Public Works spent the day repairing it.
WSDOT approved S & M Mini Storage plans but they can’t touch/alter the handicap ramp.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Joe Handley was present to meet council. Chief Neumann has been taking him to morning coffee, senior meal, etc., to meet some locals. They also toured Whit-com and will go through booking procedures at the jail later this week. Officer Handley has completed duty weapon qualification.
Chief would like to periodically go to senior meal and educate seniors on protecting them from phony scams, etc.
Chief put the radar trailer on 272 coming into town from Potlatch.
The Whitman Co. Humane Society interlocal agreement is up for renewal at the end of this month.
Officer Handley was sworn in by Mayor Echanove.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
First half property tax payments will be coming soon from the county so we’ll have a good idea of where we’re at revenue-wise.

CT Bagott presented the Council with a letter that was received from Nicole Wood and Jim Farr’s attorney, Howard Neill, containing four questions regarding development issues on their properties. Each of the questions was discussed with CT Bagott and Superintendent Griffin providing input. CT Bagott asked if Council would entertain a motion to allow their contractor to work in the public right-of-way. No motion was put forth as Council feels that clarification of their plans is needed before providing such authorization. CT Bagott will draft a response to their attorney with answers to each of their questions and seeking clarification of construction plans.

Over the years the city has been the recipient of many memorial benches which can be seen throughout town and we’re very appreciative. However, the city doesn’t need any more. Deputy Clerk Thompson encouraged council to brainstorm new items or needs that could be suggested for memorials. Some ideas tossed out were: new tree plantings, or perhaps having the PCC, the museum, the skate park, etc., come up with memorial ideas.

OLD BUSINESS:
Skate Park agreement: Mayor read aloud the agreement in its entirety. Attorney Bishop wrote the agreement. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to authorize the Mayor to sign the agreement as written. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 931 – PMC 13.20.110 lien for delinquent accounts: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 931 as written. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce – City hired Annie Leendertsen as manager and Erin Witthuhn as asst. manager. We still need two full-time lifeguards which city staff is working on. There is a cost of $250 for kids to get certified and take these classes so Councilmember Pearce wants to discuss with her committee different options to help kids afford it.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The last date to file for elected offices in Whitman County is May 15th.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:39 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 4/30/15, 14 employees Ck. #6532-6549 & EFT $37,892.69
Void Ck. #6550
Claims Paid 5/13/15 Ck. #6551-6583 & EFT $25,825.60

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 28, 2015

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; City Attorney Stephen Bishop; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 14, 2015. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Regarding fixing the telemetry at the wells, it’s still a work in progress. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The telemetry is radios between the well and the reservoir and they “talk” to each other and tell each other when to turn off and on.

POLICE REPORT:
Newly hired police officer Joe Handley’s first day on the job is May 4, 2015, with on-the-job training. Officer Snead’s last working day is April 29, 2015.
All the cars and equipment are working great.
The collegiate bike race went smoothly with no major incidents; approximately 140 participants.

BUILDING INSPECTOR 1st QUARTER REPORT:
Quiet first couple months but just got four new house building permits in the new subdivision.
The bar just has finishing touches left. Mechanical has passed inspection. BI Gladwill will do final inspection as soon as he gets the call.
Regarding the straw house; the owner has an August 1 deadline to be off city water and sewer to his temp house. BI Gladwill will continue to monitor.
BI Gladwill inquired about possibly changing the BI contract from quarterly BI reports to as-needed or as-requested. Council prefers sticking with the current contract of scheduled appearances.

JFB REPORT (2nd council meeting of month only):
Councilmember Langsett reported that the JFB is on target financially. The FD had four fire calls for March; 8 calls YTD. They had two meetings in April. At the meeting, a motion was approved to obtain parking lot barriers to place at steep bank edge at the Public Safety Building; project should be able to be completed well under $1,000.
There were 8 EMS calls for March; 16 YTD. EMS may have an extraction training with Potlatch.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
Conference in Chelan was time well spent.
The new houses have already paid big dividends; the four new house building permits brought in over $5,300 and we had budgeted only $2,500 for building permit revenue. All of that revenue goes into our current expense fund.

OLD BUSINESS:
Shoreline Management Plan update by Councilmember Wekenman: Met last week with Mayor Echanove, four members of the planning commission, and representatives from Berk Consulting and the Watershed Company. It was an introductory meeting for two new PC members. We discussed where we are going forward on this from here on out. The reps from Berk would like a meeting with the PC to review plan. If the plan is satisfactory, then the PC will recommend to council to approve. Mayor would like Atty. Bishop’s input on the plan as well. The map determines use areas and buffer zones along our shoreline. The buffer setback for downtown is 20’ for existing structures from the back of the buildings to the high water mark. The buffer zone in the residential area is currently set at 80’. We have a substantial residential district impacted by this plan/map. Public input, in particular from those mostly affected (businesses and residences along Main Street), will also be sought, to be determined when and where, but prior to any final decisions. All kinds of state and federal agencies are involved in this. The deadline is a year from now but Councilmember Wekenman would like to see it done before harvest.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-05 – vendor & small works roster update:
Councilmember Pearce MOVED to suspend the reading of the resolution in its entirety, and just read the two paragraphs that have been changed. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor read aloud parts of the resolution. This resolution is just housekeeping to update our small works and vendor roster procedures from Resolution 2000-18 to reflect new RCW dollar amount thresholds. Attorney Bishop wrote the resolution and helped explain the two changes. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-05, with the addition of the three inadvertently omitted words on page 5, section F (“shall be considered”). Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman-
The committee interviewed the second candidate for the police officer job. It was a tough decision. The minimum qualifications were not quite met by the second candidate. In keeping with the rules of selection and fairness, we had to eliminate him on the basis that he was one month short on experience. Councilmember Wekenman has since met the new officer, Joe Handley, and was impressed.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce-
Interviewing two applicants for pool manager tomorrow.

OPEN FORUM:
Palouse Librarian Bev Pearce thanked Mayor Echanove and Chief Neumann for being guest readers at the Palouse Library for Turkey Leg Story Time. The Turkey Leg is a fundraiser walk-a-thon begun by Tiana Gregg ten years ago as a way to raise money for children’s books for our library. Thousands of dollars have been raised.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city received from the WA State Liquor Control Board a liquor license application approval for spirits, wine, and beer at the Palouse Caboose. No objections.

Regarding the pea hammering dust emissions from Palouse Trading processing plant that have been clouding the air, Supt. Griffin spoke with the managers about it. The managers were on-site immediately and have taken steps to alleviate the problem. The emissions have been dramatically reduced, but will never be totally gone. It will be an ongoing maintenance issue for them to prevent that from happening again.

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

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

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6513-6531 $3,059.22

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 14, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 24, 2015. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

S&M Mini-Storage asked for permission to take out part of sidewalk to build ramp up to site, very similar to the Post Office’s mail carrier access. No objections from council. Mayor Echanove asked if S&M would have to abide by WSDOT standards for crosswalk access. Supt. Griffin will contact WSDOT to find out.

POLICE REPORT:
The city received two applications for the lateral police officer position. Chief Neumann, Officer Merry, C-T Bagott, Councilmember Langsett, and 2/3 of the civil service members interviewed one so far and are interviewing the other one April 16. Both applicants are Washington State Academy certified and both are willing to relocate. Chief Neumann would like to get a commitment on a candidate by next week because there are state-mandated requirements that take time: background checks, physical, etc. Hopefully someone will be hired by May 1.

PD issued a citation in Palouse for a nuisance garbage violation on Friday and it was cleaned up by Sunday.

Junk vehicle cleanup going on in Garfield right now and will soon be in Palouse.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
1st Q Treasurer’s report – No tax collections in yet so there’s not a lot of information to be gleaned from the 1st Q treasurer’s report. No revenue or expenditure concerns yet. The next quarter will have more valuable information because we’ll have received our first half property taxes and 2nd Q state assistance. Sales tax for the 1st Q is a couple hundred over last year. The City Assistance money that we received from the state was $4,000 last year and just shy of $6,000 this year but that trend might not continue.

C-T Bagott leaves tomorrow for a WA Public Treasurers Assn conference in Chelan. The conference should cover more in-depth things like investments, cost allocations, etc.

Our lease is up on our current copier. We’ve been in discussion about replacing it with a very similar unit except the new one will be able to scan in color (not print). The current copier whose lease is up is going to the Fire Department for no charge.

Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the Clerk-Treasurer’s report as presented. Councilmember Langsett seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-04 pool key agreement: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Due to the serious potential risk of death, drowning, injury, or damage if unauthorized persons have access to the city pool and pool areas, and in order to ensure the ongoing safety of the public, all pool employees, upon hiring, will be required to sign out a numbered key and prior to receiving final paycheck, will sign the same key back in. Lost, stolen, or otherwise unreturned keys shall be subject to a $250 fee to replace all keys and locks. Safety is of upmost concern and the city needs to start tracking keys. Councilmember Pearce pointed out that pool employees are responsible for the lives of patrons so should have no problem being responsible for a key. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes to adopt Resolution no. 2015-04 as written. Motion carried unanimously. Supt. Griffin said this might be a step towards a policy for all city buildings and keys. Chief Neumann suggested perhaps electronic keypads may be a good idea; no keys required and the code can be changed at any time. Chief’s idea would work for some city buildings but not for the pool house which consists of two padlocked gates to the pool, locked filter room, locked chlorine room, front door, etc.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson – Doreen would like to consider Supt. Griffin’s idea of having a key policy for all the city buildings. She will have a meeting.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Mike is in the process of buying the car wash. There is an agreement between the city and the current owners about the city cleaning out the car wash pit and in return the city is provided with car wash tokens to wash service vehicles. But Mike is going to draft a new agreement in which he will instead pay for the city to clean the pit.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Langsett- Met with C-T Bagott to go over the basic budget.

OPEN FORUM:
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse presentation: Jennifer Murray coordinator at ATVP spoke about what services they offer. They provide free, confidential, 24 hour service to victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and child abuse, etc. They are a non-profit, local provider and have been around since 1980. April is sexual assault awareness month. They also do educational presentations. Their 24 hour phone number is 1-877-334-2887.

Aaron Flansburg regarding the skate park location. A portion of their design plan falls within city right-of-way. He would like the city to have Attorney Bishop write up a license agreement for Palouse Skate Park, Inc. to utilize city right of way in the vacant areas adjacent to the north side of Whitman Street between Beach Street and J Street, including the 30’ K Street right of way for skate park and garden development. The agreement would require that Palouse Skate Park, Inc. maintain insurance coverage on these right-of-ways and hold the City of Palouse harmless in the event of injury. City would retain rights for all easements; no permanent structure can be built on city right-of-ways (minus flat work), etc. Public Works has to be on board as well. Nuisance laws must be strictly followed for them to keep this license. Discussion ensued. There is water and sewer on the west end of the property; if Aaron wants that moved, the cost all falls on Palouse Skate Park, Inc. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to authorize Atty. Bishop to draft a license agreement for Palouse Skate Park, Inc.’s use of city right-of-ways. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Supt. Griffin doesn’t want to vacate K Street; we keep control but let them use it as part of this agreement. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT: WSU/UI collegiate bike race is April 25th. They’re looking for volunteers. Chief Neumann and Mayor will meet with them to ensure safety and that all traffic laws are upheld.

WA State Liquor Control Board submitted a beer/wine license renewal for the Palouse Lions private club license. No objections.

The testing at the Brownfield site is 100% paid for by an EPA grant. MFA is planning on one more test in 2015.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:42 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 3/31/15, 15 employees Ck. #6447-6474 & EFT $42,975.98
Claims Paid 4/15/15 Ck. #6475-6512 & EFT $22,492.46

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 24, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; & Rick Wekenman. Councilmembers Bev Pearce and Christopher Langsett are absent. Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to excuse their absences. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 10, 2015. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Public Works will begin repairing the water line to the pool as soon as the parts arrive.

Public works supt. Dwayne Griffin went out on Sunday to repair a sewer line plug.

PW is gathering numbers to measure the influent for the new DOE testing requirements. It is hoped that the information gathered from this testing will satisfy DOE and allow us to avoid the installation of costly inflow meters.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Snead has resigned his ¾ time paid officer position effective April 30, 2015. Chief Neumann would like council approval to open that position and make it full-time. Chief Neumann thinks we could hire an officer from Idaho because Idaho officers are frequently looking for employment in Washington due to better wages than Idaho. He would like to advertise the position as opening at $3,000/month plus benefits for a total of $49,023/year. Then raise the pay in January 2016. Chief would like to hire a lateral officer, someone who has already gone through academy. The policing contract with Garfield is what pays for this third officer. Officer Merry is looking at retiring within the next few years too so we need to act on this. Current contract with Garfield is through Dec. 2017. Chief Neumann and Officer Merry both believe Garfield council is positive about continuing the police contract, however, if down the road Garfield doesn’t want the contract anymore, Palouse would have to lay off the third officer and go back to two officers for just Palouse. Councilmember Hicks is concerned with allotting an additional minimum of $6,200+ out of the general fund to go from a ¾ time officer to full time; he’d like to see it remain a ¾ position. What if public works needs something? They’re working with outdated equipment. CT Bagott explained that while there is a surplus this year in the general fund, the overall long-term health of the general fund is more concerning than the immediate future. Revenues are going to be flat. The housing situation could be a sizable net in a few years. Mayor said the surplus in current expense is due to the fact that we guard it. CT Bagott said it’s very unlikely we’ll get someone for the amount currently budgeted for Officer Snead and we will most likely exceed the amount currently budgeted for law enforcement in the general fund. Keeping an officer at ¾ will stay in budget. Plus we’d purchase new officer’s uniforms, supplies, etc. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow Chief Neumann to advertise this 1.0 FTE position beginning at $3,000/month + benefits. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

CLERK-TREASURER REPORT:
While preparing payroll in February, CT Bagott noticed an error in the L & I rates for employees in the administrative category. L & I was actually paid the proper amounts, but they were paid by the administrative employees whose rates were input wrong in our software. For all of 2014, administrative employees were overpaying their L&I by a factor of 10. CT Bagott did a very detailed analysis. The total overpayment for all employees in the administrative category was $2,355.66. BIAS recommended correcting it out of this year’s budget so we don’t have to go back into the now closed and balanced 2014 budget. Those employees who overpaid will be getting reimbursed. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED that CT Bagott make the appropriate corrections to the L&I contribution discrepancy for 2014. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT: Financial end we’re on target thus far. 0 fire calls in February, 4 YTD. 2 fire meetings held in March. They interviewed four candidates for FD and all four were hired. Brush truck 413 had some electrical problems; Bagott Motors is looking into it. They signed the retainer agreement with Atty. Bishop; costs are the same but court representation fees went up. They’re looking into parking barriers for the parking lot at the PSB. A motion-activated light for the parking area has been installed. 8 EMS calls Jan./Feb.

NEW BUSINESS:
Jeff Guyett, Executive Director of Community Action Center to discuss community needs assessment: Mission is working with low- and moderate-income families throughout Whitman County. Every three years they’re required to do a community needs assessment survey. In order to get a clear picture, all income levels are encouraged to take the survey. The CAC provides numerous programs to help local residents. CAC’s perception of Palouse is a “community that cares”. The CAC will be working with City Hall soon to get the word out about the survey.

RV Park credit card processing: Deputy Clerk Thompson has researched fees being charged by the credit card company for every RV Park transaction. First Data’s rates are better than what we currently pay through Merchant Services. For example, on a $50 transaction, our fee would drop from $1.83 to $1.29. There is no charge to switch and there is no contract. DC Thompson thinks it’s a simple way to save a little money. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to authorize the city to switch from Merchant Services to First Data. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- The committee is considering getting new and updated cameras for certain areas of town. One of the things that brought it to light was last month’s attempted child abduction in Sprague, WA. Surveillance cameras helped bring that to a rapid close. Chief Neumann would like cameras on the PD, park, sewer plant, and a few places on Main Street. Councilmember Wekenman thinks it’s time for a little extra security around town; we’ve had consistent problems over the years with vandalism at the bathrooms and at the bridge at the park. Chief Neumann will research the cameras and pricing and he’ll also look at grant opportunities for purchasing the cameras.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Committee met. School gets out June 15 and pool will open June 20. City will be advertising soon for hiring of new pool manager and lifeguards; anyone interested, including returning lifeguards, will need to apply. All returning lifeguards will be given a $.40 increase in pay ($.15 minimum wage increase + $.25 raise). New lifeguards will receive $9.50/hr. and the new pool manager will receive $11.50/hr. For safety reasons, the pool and all access areas to it will be getting new locks. Do-not-duplicate keys will be checked out to pool staff every summer and must be checked back in with city prior to receiving final paycheck.

OPEN FORUM:
Nancy Whitesell, in regard to the skatepark committee’s plans for an amphitheater, stated her case about noise violations. By the skatepark’s own flier they intend on having powered, amplified music in a residential zone. She also presented statistics regarding the potential for devaluation of properties within close proximity of the park.

Ed McLachlan, asked why they need to have music at the skatepark; there can be music at the park.

Aaron Flansburg reported their fundraising event was very successful. They made over $10,000 in gross receipts. Aaron showed council their proposed skatepark plans. A large part of the proposed skatepark is actually in city right-of-ways on the east end. Aaron said he just learned last week that the property wasn’t entirely theirs. Mayor backed Aaron stating he believes this was an innocent oversight on the skatepark committee’s end. The easements all have to be explored. A survey and/or pins will be required. If the city decides to let them use city right-of-ways, there will have to be many legal things written up, i.e., hold harmless clause; etc. And the moving of an Avista power pole will be between the skatepark committee and Avista; the city will have no responsibility/liability/costs for that. Aaron said the amphitheater would only be used during daylight hours. Aaron countered Nancy Whitesell’s claims with various statistics, comparing noise levels with lawnmowers, grain trucks, etc.

Connie Newman. We are an incorporated, non-profit. We have a board. We should’ve picked a different word than amphitheater; there’s no shell behind it; we’re not amplifying it. We are trying to honor what this community has shown us they stand for: art, music, beautification, etc. We foresee library events there, Boy Scout events, drama programs. Loud concerts weren’t on the list of what we envisioned. Nancy Whitesell has been invited to attend the meetings. Connie Newman is eager to follow all the steps to get the property lines figured out and taken care of in the right way.

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 Hanson MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:08 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 3/24/15 Ck. #6426-#6446 $12,944.09

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 10, 2015

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:04 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann (7:45 pm), Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Correct the attendance from last meeting and under mayor’s report change “…any estimates” to “…anymore estimates”. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 24, 2015. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Public Works is going to replace the broken water line at the pool instead of repair it. They’re going to move it out about 10’ and go around. They’ll also raise it to the normal depth of pipes because they’re currently at about 7’ deep.

Public works and city staff met with a sales rep from Ferguson to discuss the benefits and costs of switching to electronic meter reading. Some benefits include: would allow public works to get meter reads every month which allows staff, public works, and residents to stay on top of any leaks or other problems; would allow for the reading of all of the city’s meters in 30 minutes vs. the current 2.5 to 3 days; would prevent injuries (dog bites, and knee/back problems etc.). Supt. Griffin said it’s getting more and more cumbersome to manually read meters; there’s always one more fence, one more dog, etc. 250 times a day (x2) adds up. Additionally, the electronic meters would allow for Jan. – Dec. numbers for the Water Use Efficiency report that the state requires yearly. Also, in 10 years we’ll be required to have a public works employee at the sewer plant all day, every day, which these electronic meters would hopefully allow for without hiring another employee. The electronic meters are costly and there will be a lot of labor for public works to install the meters. The city can install in small stages if so desired or as budget allows.

POLICE REPORT:
Bid for surplussed 2007 Dodge charger: The city received only one qualifying bid (one bid did not meet the minimum bid requirement). The bid was for $2,127.50 from a man in Princeton, Idaho. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the only qualifying bid on the vehicle. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously. CT Bagott will notify bidder.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-03 establishing a standard size for water meters: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This resolution sets the standard size for newly installed water meters connected to the municipal water supply system at ¾”. For good cause shown the public works superintendent may authorize the installation of a larger water meter for a particular water service connection. Examples of situations calling for bigger meters include things like the RV Park and swimming pool. If public works supt. deems a larger meter necessary, any additional costs for a larger water meter shall be paid by the water service customer to the city before the meter is installed. In summary, ¾” is the standard unless otherwise determined as necessary by the Public Works Supt. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-03. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- Pool committee is meeting March 12 to discuss pending season.

Diane Cooper requested that one of the Palouse planters be moved back to the corner of Main and Beach. Supt. Griffin will place one there.

Councilmember Pearce would like to see all email communication (from staff and council) have a disclaimer footer stating something like “….all emails to and or from the city are subject to public disclosure..”. Deputy Clerk Thompson will get the exact language from attorney Bishop and inform council and staff of it so that there’s uniformity.

OPEN FORUM:
Nick and Nancy Whitesell. Nancy read aloud a statement (attached) she wrote regarding her displeasure of the skatepark committee’s plans to install an amphitheater. Nancy has spoken with the EPA about her concerns who advised her to speak to city council. Among her concerns are: a decrease in property values, noise pollution, permanent hearing damage, harm to the environment, and a lesser quality of life for area residents. Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to continue discussion beyond the three minutes. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion ensued. Nancy has reached out to skatepark committee members and has yet to receive a response. Council suggested Nancy go talk to Aaron Flansburg about her concerns. The location for the skatepark is zoned R2. Zoning and allowable uses were determined by the Palouse Planning Commission and any changes would first have to go through them.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 2/27/15 Ck. #6384-6401 & EFT $37,728.24
Claims Paid 3/10/15 Ck. #6382-6383, 6402-6425 & EFT $ 7,494.55

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 24, 2015

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 10, 2015. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. A rep from Rowand Machinery came and checked out our backhoe’s hydraulic pump on the arm which isn’t acting right unless the engine is revved up. The rep is going to see if there’s anything they can do about it. John Deere knows it’s an issue.

Public Works ground off some welded guard rails on the West Main bridge as required per inspection and then Palouse Welding repaired the welds.

POLICE REPORT:
The 2nd new police vehicle was purchased Thursday. It is a 2013 Dodge Journey with 34,900 miles. Most of the equipment off the old Dodge Charger is being switched over. The call for sealed bids on the Dodge Charger closes this Friday.

Regarding the PD’s computer crash, VGH removed the virus and the threat from the computer and recovered the files, but Xpediter isn’t recognizing them anymore. Xpediter is the PD report writing software company the PD has a working contract with. Xpediter will continue to work on it. Anyone can contact the PD and try and rebuild a case if needed around those two or three months of missing database.

The nuisance yard is making progress. Mayor Echanove read aloud two received letters, one from Teresa Baker and one from Sharon Tharp, thanking the city council and police for working to take care of the situation to the best of their ability.

OLD BUSINESS:
Sand Road Land development: plans, promissory note, and deed:
At the Jan. 13, 2015, council meeting, council approved the plans pending review from city attorney. They added the necessary wording regarding lift station review after 50% of the lots have been sold and built on. At which point the city will review the adequacy of the existing sewer station capacity to accept more houses to be connected to it. Any needed measures and/or improvements to the lift station will be paid for by the developers/owners of any additional lots from this subdivision, to be connected to this lift station.

There is some question over who is to enforce the development’s covenants. (At 7:30 pm Stephen Bishop joined by speaker phone). Mayor read aloud the “enforcement” section of the covenants section. The covenants are discretionary. The covenants are between the lot owners only not between the lot owners and the city; the city has no property interest in the covenants. Atty. Bishop will review and rewrite the enforcement section. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, pending Attorney Bishop’s amended enforcement section, to adopt the plans and authorize the appropriate parties to sign the mylar copy of the plans. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Vintage Velocity Rods requested to use the grassy area next to City Hall during the hot rod show for a vendor. As long as the sidewalk access is kept clear from front to back and in front.

The city has received more building permit applications on the Jim Farr/Nicole Wood property. Atty. Bishop has those for review. Much discussion ensued on how to the city should proceed. In speaking with city staff and our attorney and based on the history with these property owners, the mayor is directing Public Works to not provide anymore estimates for water/sewer installation nor are they to install infrastructure on their property from this point forward. The property owners can select any bonded and licensed Washington contractor and their contractor must contact Supt. Griffin for required specs. A private contractor is fully capable of taking care of their needs. The mayor hopes for good progress up there. Even though they hire a contractor, they still have to follow city policy, water system plan, specs (meter size, pipe size, etc), council approval, staff review, building inspector approval, etc. And final inspections must be done by Palouse Public Works. Public Works over the years has provided numerous estimates; that will no longer be an issue. Clerk-Treasurer Bagott spoke with city building inspector and attorney, and he has the information now to respond to Jim Farr soon. CT Bagott informed Jim today that from here on out, all his questions regarding their property issues will go through our attorney prior to our response. The city is working hard to provide them with an opportunity to move forward.

Mayor attended the AWC conference last week in Olympia. There was a lot of discussion on liquor revenue and marijuana proceeds.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:16 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Void: Ck. #6358 $ (33.00)
Claims Paid Ck. #6364-#6381 $36,450.53

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 10, 2015

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Hanson is absent. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Attorney Bishop; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 27, 2015. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
PW located the school’s water leak for them so their plumbers could make the repair. The school complimented our public works for going above and beyond for their assistance.

POLICE REPORT:
Nuisance yard update: PD will continue to monitor their home and progress.

Chief is almost done dismantling the Dodge Charger (radar, emblems, light bar, etc.). It has to be ready for surplus by Feb. 28. Sealed bids are due by Feb. 27. The 2013 Dodge Journey is in service as Officer Merry’s police vehicle. Special thanks to Chuck Goetz for donating his services and tools for helping with installation of after-market parts which was probably a $700+ savings.

No issues with the Brew Fest.

OLD BUSINESS:
Sand Road Land Company update – Last time this was on the agenda it was approved pending legal review, corrections, and approval. Atty. Bishop prepared, at Sand Road’s expense, a promissory note and deed of trust. The promissory note protects the city from being stuck with an incomplete development (infrastructure wise: street lights, sidewalks, fire hydrants, paved streets, etc). Sand Road is expecting to be done with infrastructure for lots 1-12 by June of this year, and street paving of lots 1-12 by August. But this promissory note allows Sand Road up to Sept. 30, 2017 to complete. The note provides if the improvements aren’t done by that date, the city can request payment at a minimum amount of $20,000, up to $755,000. Sand Road is going to be investing that much money into the project. Atty. Bishop spoke with Kevin Gardis at Pullman Public Works for advice on the terms of the note and the deed. The city needs to have the ability and resources to complete the job should Sand Road Development not. Council will review both documents and make a decision at next council meeting. The Mylar will be at next meeting and will include the lift station review after the 11th house is constructed.

NEW BUSINESS:
4th Quarter Treasurer’s Report:
Fund 122 JFB ended 2014 with negative $-359 which isn’t much but it raises red flags. C-T Bagott spoke with the auditor. It’s not over budget, it’s just a cash flow issue; we didn’t receive the county’s cash payment until January. The audit manager is aware of it and is fine with it. Cash basis governmental accounting is very different than private accounting. Everything is very well accounted for which is to retired C-T Beeson’s credit.

We’ll want to keep an eye on sales tax revenue which was down 21% last year from 2013. $61,954 in 2013, and $48,965 last year. But sales tax revenue fluctuates from year to year and 2013 was a high water mark. The RV Park had a real growth last year: the overall revenue is up 90% from 2013 and the net revenue was up 1000%. The RV Park went from having a net revenue of $530 in 2013 to $5,300 in 2014. Councilmember Langsett MOVED, to accept the 2014 4th Q Treasurer’s report. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 930 amending certain funds in the 2015 annual budget: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This ordinance increases Police Car & Equipment fund from $2,000 to $9,500; this is so we could add that $7,500 to the police car reserve fund. This allows the funding in place to make the purchase of the second new police vehicle. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 930. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2015-02 – authorizing purchase of police vehicle under special market conditions: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. It authorizes Chief Neumann to negotiate and purchase a used vehicle according to these specs: a maximum of $21,000 and no more than 35,000 miles. Councilmember Wekenman inquired about Garfield’s attitude is with continuing the Garfield contract. Chief Neumann thinks Garfield is on board. The current contract is good through 2017. Councilmember Wekenman expressed his hope that this purchase of a second new police vehicle takes care of the department’s vehicle needs for five more years. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2015-02. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger- Mayor Echanove reported that he, Bo Ossinger, Dwayne Griffin, Don Myott, and Mike Bagott met today with Les McDonald the PW Supt. for the City of Moscow to discuss ways the City of Moscow is going to lower the effluent temperatures and reduce phosphates (Palouse has nitrates). Moscow is experimenting with different process to drop the temperature of the effluent that goes into Paradise Creek. They’ve examined 17 different processes thus far including: bringing in a cooling tower; monitoring wetlands where they pulled water from Paradise Creek and re-grow some vegetation; buying chillers for their facility, etc. They’re going to send us the results of their work. Moscow has spent about $6 million on this thus far. Some of their ideas might work but the nitrates issue is going to be tough and we’re not allowed any discharge. Tarping and shading of our cell might work for the temperature but in Don Myott’s eyes, it’s the nitrates that are the issue, not the cooling. If we can’t discharge into the river because of the nitrates, cooling doesn’t matter, because we’re not putting the effluent there in the summer when the river temperature needs cooling.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Met with Dwayne to see about Public Works’ purchasing needs in 2015. One item that will be needed in the next year or two is a new locator. The one we have now is 25 to 30 years old. A brand new one is close to $7,000. Maybe we can get a used one.

Bud Bagott is still looking for a one-ton for the city; we have $25,000 set aside for that. Specs need to include a gas engine and under 75,000 miles.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Pearce- City received a letter of interest for the pool manager position. Committee will start looking into that and the hiring of 2015 lifeguards.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg gave an update on the skatepark committee’s plans/progress. They’re having a fundraising event Wed. March 11, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the community center. There will be a silent auction and an unveiling of the skatepark plans. Construction may get going next month. The site is not in the 100-year flood plain, nor is it in Palouse’s critical areas. Mayor recommended for the long term, Aaron submit the plans to insurance carrier.

Palouse resident Teresa Baker, referring to a letter sent by the PD to the nuisance yard house, asked about the status of the $100 fine they were supposed to be issued if they were not in compliance by Jan 25, 2015. The gate is not contiguous and it’s not closed. The final issued deadline of Feb. 15 is only five days away and the letter clearly says if the pond isn’t emptied, the garage siding or plywood replaced to hide debris, and the rusted snow blower removed, they will be issued a citation. According to Teresa Baker, none of the things in the PD letter have been done. What’s the point of sending a letter if no follow-up by the PD is done? Are they going to be fined? Chief Neumann said no, that in his opinion they’re making progress. Sharon Tharp read aloud PMC 8.12.020 (B)4 which specifies the nuisance which they’re violating.

Sharon Tharp brought in a variety of pictures of junk along the river and in various yards. She was a code enforcer for the City of Pullman for seven years and she wrote tickets for ordinance violations for garbage, junk vehicles, etc. She said Palouse has same kind of junk and garbage around town and in our river. She stressed the need and importance of enforcing the city’s nuisance ordinance. Councilmember Pearce wants to work with residents about how to deal with the nuisance yard issues. We need to do something about it and work with citizens on it.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Liquor Control Board event license for the Palouse Arts Council St. Paddy’s day event. No objections.

The city has received three letters of interest for the Planning Commission: Judy Finch, Jeff Baldwin, and Bo Ossinger (currently a city councilmember). In order to keep a separation between the city council and the planning commission we aren’t proceeding with Councilmember Ossinger’s. Our insurance carrier questioned having the Mayor or any councilmembers being at the PC meetings and influencing the Planning Commission’s discussions or decisions. Mayor proposed to accept Judy Finch and Jeff Baldwin as members of the Planning Commission. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, affirming the Mayor’s appointment of Judy Finch and Jeff Baldwin. Motion carried unanimously.

Mayor read aloud Mary Estes’ letter of resignation from the Palouse Planning Commission. This now makes the Planning Commission down two positions.

In a phone call to City Hall, Palouse resident Jerry Moss commended the city on its hiring of Dwayne Griffin and said “he (Dwayne) was the very best person you could have hired for this town. I so appreciate him.”

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:23 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid: Jan. 30, 2015 Ck. #6316-6333 & EFT $46,947.36
Claims Paid: Feb. 11, 2015 Ck. #6334-6363 & EFT $12,541.82

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 27, 2015

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; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett; Teresa Baker; Chris Ricketts; Dick Styer.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 13, 2015. Councilmember Hanson seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
The last few days Public Works has been working on re-roofing the second picnic shelter at the park.
In regards to the issue with the new backhoe, the company said it’s how the new pumps and emissions run and we have to live with it; we’re not the only ones who have complained. It has a one year full warranty. We got it in March of 2014. A representative is supposed to stop by and look at it.
The front of the library needs to have the siding replaced or painted. The Xenodicans have offered to contribute funds towards the project. The existing siding was put up in the mid 90’s. Re-siding is more costly and labor-intensive so Supt. Griffin spoke with Moscow Bldg Supply and they carry a special primer and paint for siding. Public Works is going to move forward on that. Painting it is a low-cost solution to the problem and if it doesn’t last or work, something else could be done in the future.

POLICE REPORT:
Nuisance yard update: The tenants were sent letters in January and have made progress in cleaning up the yard. There is still a lot of work to do. They have until February 15th to complete a few more things. The property owners will be sent a letter on January 30th. It is ongoing.

The new police vehicle has been in service for a few days. We purchased a 2013 Dodge Journey with 28,000 miles on it. Chief is working on bracketing the sirens/light bar/& security screen. Awaiting the city decals on outside. This vehicle replaced the totaled ’04 Durango. Purchase cost of this vehicle was $20,400. Plus money for after-market add-ons including decal package, cargo box, brush bar, etc. is $2,000. So total we’re in about $22,500.

Regarding the ongoing issue with the ’07 Charger police vehicle. It’s unreliable. PD has roughly $18,000 left in vehicle reserve fund. That includes the $8,500 payout from the insurance for totaled ’04 Durango. Chief would like an additional $9,000 from the general fund for purchasing a new vehicle to replace the ’07 Charger. That should leave him, after vehicle purchase of approx. $24,500 with a reserve cushion of about $2,500. If that’s approved, he’d like to surplus the totaled ’07 Charger with a minimum bid of $1,500. If no bid received, then we’ll use that as a speed deterrent vehicle. And we’ll have to move forward with another special market condition vehicle purchase. The fund should re-charge by next year. The Chief’s 2007 Durango is still in good condition and he realistically expects it to run another 4 years. It’s only at about 65,000 miles. C-T Bagott said he doesn’t believe this will put the city in any kind of jeopardy or cash flow problems. This may however require a budget amendment later in the year. Mayor would like to hold off on the $9,000. Councilmember Pearce thinks it’s important to have dependable emergency service vehicles. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to accept Chief Neumann’s recommendations for purchasing a replacement vehicle for the ’07 Charger under special market conditions and allocating another $9,000 from the general fund. Councilmember Langsett. Councilmember Hicks would like to table it to see if it’s going to affect anything else. C-T Bagott said this is not an expense out of nowhere; if it’s not done today it will be done a year or two from now. Discussion ensued. Councilmember Pearce amended her motion to allocating $7,500 from the general fund to the police equipment reserve fund. Councilmember Langsett seconded the amended motion. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to surplus the ’07 Charger with a minimum bid of $1,500 and a closing date of Feb. 27. Deputy Clerk Thompson will get that moving forward. This will be sealed bid process. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Pearce, authorizing C-T Bagott to put together a resolution to purchase another vehicle under special market conditions. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT:
38 fire calls ytd. Rural calls to city calls were 3 to 1. But the one tavern fire was as costly as the rural calls combined. We need a parking upgrade at the Public Safety Building. They would like to place parking barriers between the parking lot and the embankment. They will research options and costs for parking barriers and also some better illumination. The expense should be minimal and fall within the current emergency services budget.

EMS had 83 calls YTD. The trend is higher call volume over the past few years but subject to fluctuation year after year. EMS is interviewing prospective EMT’s. But trainings aren’t available until this summer.

Our relationship with Pullman needs to remain strong. They don’t just transport; they help train us; they review our procedures, etc.

NEW BUSINESS:
Updated attorney agreement: The prior contract is from 2002. The monthly contract is still for $500 a month: $400 from city and $100 from JFB. There is an hourly rate increase for services rendered outside the scope of normal work such as court services. The rate increase is just a reflection of modern economics. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to authorize the Mayor to sign the updated retainer agreement with Atty. Stephen Bishop and to send it to JFB for their adoption. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson- Doreen might compare our junk car ordinance with Garfield’s and perhaps make them more similar.

OPEN FORUM:
Teresa Baker thanked the council and Chief Neumann for their efforts in getting that property more in line. She has noticed a big change. She really appreciates it.

Dick Styer would like council approval to keep 60 chickens which he has had for about 50 years. Mayor read aloud PMC 6.16.020 in its entirety. As per PMC 6.16.020, council may grant him permission. Chief Neumann has never smelled, heard, or received any complaints about Mr. Styer’s chickens. Mr. Styer has acreage and no abutting neighbors. Councilmember Estes MOVED to grant Mr. Styer permission to keep his 60 chickens. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Rick, Bev, Mayor Echanove, and Attorney Bishop met with the shoreline management consulting firm. Whitman County was mandated at the state level to do this. This firm represents 6 or 7 communities in Whitman County; Atty. Bishop represents half of them. He was a good voice at the meeting. He asked very good questions of the consultants. Mayor Echanove and Rick are going to take some measurements to compare to the map calculated measurements in the draft report presented at the meeting. The consulting firm will come back with another draft.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 12/31/2014 13th Month Ck. #6298 $915.37
Claims Paid 1/27/2015 Ck. #6299-#6315 $25,074.78

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 13, 2015

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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jerry Moss; Teresa Baker; Roy & Debbie Druffel; Donna Langsett; Munir Daud.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of December 9, 2014. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Councilmember Wekenman thinks the street lights on Main Street stay on too long in the morning but apparently that’s how the light detecting mechanism in the new system works. They’re not adjustable.

POLICE REPORT:
Between Garfield and Palouse, we’ve had some domestic issues, suicide concerns, two burglaries in Garfield (one individual placed in custody).
Chief Neumann has been working diligently on the animal complaint PRR; it will be completed this week.
The PD had a computer crash due to a virus; VGH was able to repair and recover the police database.
Regarding the junk yard complaint received in December; the residents did remove the mattress. The PD has tagged one junk vehicle. Jerry Moss and Teresa Baker live nearby and want something done; they are very concerned about their abutting property values. Code says their debris needs to be screened from the road. The PD is going to work on getting the residents of said property into compliance, including fixing fence in the back, removing junk vehicles, etc. Officer Merry said that this Friday (1/15/15) will be the deadline for the tent trailer to be moved off the right-of-way. The junk vehicles in the back are being identified. Officer Merry will send the residents a certified letter in which they’ll have 10 days to respond. The PD just initiated this process this week. The owner knows the tent trailer has to be resolved. The nuisance violation has been ongoing for 10 or so years. Teresa Baker also thinks the garage/carport looks unfinished and unstable. She is going to call the Building Inspector. Teresa Baker wants a deadline put in play by the PD. Officer Merry wants 60 days; and “we’ll have that thing cleaned up and/or tickets issued”. By February 1 we should see a visible change. When the certified letters go out, the clock starts. Officer Merry will be doing some enforcement up there this weekend (separate from the junk vehicles). Councilmember Wekenman wants this issue on the police report agenda for the next few months.

As a result of the accident, the PD is down a patrol car. They’re using the old Garfield dummy car. Additionally, the 2007 Charger has developed an engine noise. Bagott Motors has examined the car and believes that the noise may be indicative of a major engine problem. The car is now at Wysup Dodge for a second opinion. It could be a $6,000 fix on a vehicle worth $5,000. So the Durango is totaled and the Charger may need extensive repairs. Chief Neumann doesn’t want to spend money on repairs that may or may not work or could exceed the value of the car. With insurance money and budgeting, if Chief was to deplete his funds, he’d have $40,400 to buy two police vehicles. He’d like perhaps to do an interfund loan to make sure his budget doesn’t go over. We’ll need about $5,000 or $6,000 cushion to have the ability to keep the vehicles running. We’re downsizing from a Dodge Durango to perhaps a Dodge Journey which is a midsize SUV. Whatever vehicle we get, there will be an extra $2,000 in extras needed (shields, light bars, etc). A budget amendment is one option over an interfund loan.

OLD BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 929 amending PMC 6.20 regarding pigs: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. This ordinance repeals the allowance and licensing of commercial pig sties within the city limits. It also amends the code to specify that no one in the city limits can keep for any purpose, swine kept for marketing, private consumption, FFA, 4H, breeding, or propagation of litters. Each household may keep as a pet one miniature pig weighing not more than 125 pounds and continuously registered with a nationally recognized miniature pig association. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 929. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Brantner easement: Craig and Kelly Brantner have an ownership interest in property that is adjacent to the road going to the old city dump. It’s in the county but the city has property down there. It’s not maintained. The Brantners want to have an easement from the city to use that road; they will take all the responsibility for it and to maintain it. They asked permission from council in 2014 for access to use the road. Council saw no objection at that time. We’ve received the legal easement from Attorney Bishop. The easement frees the city of any and all obligations, held-harmless for perpetuity, and the city has perpetual use of that road to get to the city property. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to adopt the easement as presented. PW Supt. Griffin is fine with it. Motion carried unanimously.

Sand Road Development project – final subdivision plat: Whitcom finalized the addressing. Community Action Center has already requested the first four lots. The plans are awaiting Avista and Frontier construction plans. The sewer and water plans were already approved and look good. The water usage was sent to Taylor Engineering and they approved the water plan and we have that in writing. Ellie Key from DOE has stated that the sewer system has capacity for the 21 additional connections. Streets will be paved with rolled curbs and sidewalks on one side using WSDOT specs, as soon as the weather permits. Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to approve the final plat for Sand Road Development project pending review, approval, and any corrections by the city attorney. After 10 homes are built, there will be a review of the lift station as outlined by engineer Munir Daud. The wording will be in the dedication on the plans. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2015-01 purchase police vehicle under special market conditions: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. When a used piece of equipment is available which meets specifications and is at a favorable price it would likely be sold before the usual bidding process could be completed. The City has appropriated a maximum of $21,000 to cover the purchase price for this vehicle. It shall have no more than 35,000 miles. This resolution authorizes Chief Neumann to negotiate and purchase a used police vehicle according to these specs. The 35,000 mile thing is important here to remember. We’ve had pretty good luck with these types of purchases in the past using these methods. The Police Fire and Safety committee is behind this resolution. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2015-01 allowing Chief Neumann to enter into the purchase of a vehicle under these conditions. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB MEETING: Insurance last year was 25% higher than anticipated. 5 fire calls in December, 35 YTD. EMS had 83 calls YTD. They need to develop a recruitment strategy because their personnel are aging and they don’t have enough for daytime coverage. It’s difficult finding available people during the day because jobs take them outside of Palouse.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Bo Ossinger- A letter was sent to Palouse residents informing them of the $1 sewer increase.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Rick Wekenman- Committee met last night to discuss the police car concerns and Resolution No. 2015-01.

Personnel & Pool, Chair Bev Pearce- Bev wants council to consider a mass mailing to the residents notifying them of the new Title 6 code (animals). She will draft something for council approval or not. There was discussion on whether the expense of mass mailings outweighs the effectiveness.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Liquor event license for the Palouse Community Center’s third annual Brew Fest Feb. 7, 2015. No objections.
Liquor event license for the Viola Community Center fundraiser at the Palouse Grange Jan. 24, 2015. No objections.
Liquor license renewal for the Green Frog Café was read by Mayor Pro Tem Wekenman. No objections.

RTPO Regional Transportation Planning Organization. Council passed Res. 2014-03 authorizing our membership therein. City signed the interlocal agreement in October 2014. On January 5, 2015 (last week) the city received a letter from RTPO regarding a revision to the agreement which has a hard deadline of January 29, 2015. Councilmember Hicks MOVED authorizing the mayor to sign the interlocal agreement. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

AWC meeting Feb. 18 & 19, 2015.

In first 10 days of 2015, the RV Park has already sold 27 nights for $675.00.

Planning Commission Chair Corey Laughary submitted his resignation. Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to accept his resignation. Motion carried unanimously. Three members now need to be replaced on the Planning Commission. Interested parties should submit a letter of interest to City Hall. It is a three-year term.

In a follow-up to the Aug. 12, 2014 council meeting in which Scott Storch was granted temporary permission to hook his motor home up to city services on-site during construction of his home, he has submitted his application for a conditional use permit to continue doing so as his house isn’t complete yet. This will be handled by the Board of Adjustment.

Varela submitted their comments on the WWTP permit review. DOE submitted their responses and findings of fact. They backed off the screws on some of their requirements for nitrates but they didn’t on the temperature. Public Works staff were very disappointed in DOE’s responses. 10 years ago DOE awarded the city with a plaque for our award winning sewer plant. The sewer plant hasn’t changed; DOE has. Every time we hit the bar, DOE raises the bar. It’s back up for public review again because they changed it. Thus far we’ve spent about $11,500 with Varela. Initially council authorized up to $13,000 for them to work on the permit and get our applications ready to go for funding in 2015.

The city needs to decide if they want the staff to surplus the most of the replaced street lights. Public Works Supt. Griffin and Deputy Clerk Thompson will research.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:40 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid – 12/31/14 Ck. #6241 – 6260 & EFT $41,995.02
Claims Paid – 12/31/14 13th Month Ck. #6262 – 6282 & EFT $15,033.24
Claims Paid – 1/13/15 Ck. #6261, & 6283 – 6297 $21,687.91

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
December 9, 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. Councilmember Langsett is dealing with family illness. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to excuse his absence. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; C-T in training Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Teresa Baker, Will Hume, Heidi Fluegel.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Under mayor’s report replace the word “However” with “Previously” regarding the DOT funding of the railroad project on Whitman Street. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting of November 25, 2014. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
There was a water leak on Saturday. The low pressure to residents on Harrison Street was caused by a neighbor’s water leak (a frozen pipe thawed). The problem is that the line serving these properties starts at city water main and extends across private property, across another city street, to more private property. This is a perfect example of why the city needs to ensure developers comply with the city’s water extension policy and the advice of the public works department to avoid these problems to others in the future.

POLICE REPORT:
Since the accident involving the Durango, Chief is still using a rental car. The vehicle that hit the patrol car was uninsured so our insurance will assume all liability on our behalf. It’s just under $11,000 to fix or $6,000 to $8,000 if “totaled”. He is pricing replacement vehicles. He’s looking at a 2013 or 2014 in the $20,000-$22,000 range, with about 30,000 miles on it. They’re trying to determine whether the police radio will still work.

Regarding the nuisance yard complaint just received today. This case is not new to the police. It appears there are some more violations so Chief will begin the process again tomorrow. We should see progress within the next two to three weeks.

OLD BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 924 adopting new sewer rate: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. As discussed in prior council meetings, we are raising the sewer rate $1.00 to cover the rising costs, including more demanding testing requirements. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt ordinance No. 924. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Estes, seconded by Councilmember Pearce, MOVED to suspend the rules for the reading of the ordinances. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 925 adopting 2015 budget: Mayor read aloud portions of the ordinance. Notices were published for the following public hearings: Public hearing for revenue sources, July 8, 2014; preliminary budget hearing, November 11, 2014; final budget hearing, November 25, 2014. Estimated resources for all funds are $2,098,315. Estimated appropriations for all funds are $1,319,900. Included in the 2015 budget are the continuing Brownfields project, phase 2 for TIB Chipseal, purchase of a police vehicle, and purchase of a 1-ton for PW. This is a pump maintenance year which only happens every two or three years. C-T Beeson explained the new fund “Special Capital Projects” that receipts in the Real Estate Excise Tax. Cemetery appropriations are up to $20,000 which is good to see after years when the budget was low and fewer hours were allowed for maintenance. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 925. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 926 repealing PMC 6.04 dealing with animals at large: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. 6.04 was written in 1919 and is obsolete. Animals at large are covered elsewhere in Title 6. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt ordinance No. 926. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 927 amending PMC 6.12 regarding livestock: Primarily regulating manure management, livestock densities, standards of livestock care, and penalties for violations. It also now includes a section for the keeping of sheep at the school (for school-sanctioned activities) in densities greater than 5,000 square feet of fenced pasture per sheep. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, adopting Ordinance No. 927. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 928 amending PMC 6.16 regarding birds/poultry: The old code was written in 1919 and was outdated and vague. 6.16.010- It is unlawful to have roosters, turkeys, geese, ducks, peacocks, pigeons, birds of prey, or game birds within the city limits of Palouse. 6.16.020 sets the maximum number at 20 per household as long as there is a minimum of 10 square feet per chicken and required setbacks are followed. Any person desiring more than 20 must first get council approval which, if given, can be revoked if any requirements aren’t met or nuisances are committed. It’s imperative to know that regardless of the number of chickens, you still have to abide by the codes set forth in 6.16.020, .030, .040, and .050. Including no chickens running at large; a minimum of 10 square feet per chicken within the enclosure; the enclosure must comply with all applicable setback requirements for the particular use zone in which it is located; the enclosure must be predator-proof on all sides and top; and the enclosure must provide reasonable shelter; proper care and treatment. Any violations of this chapter are subject to penalties and fines. Nuisance codes still apply to all of Title 6. There was one typo to be amended. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt this ordinance as amended. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Councilmember Hicks thinks the committee did an excellent job of compromising. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 929 repealing PMC 6.20.035 regarding commercial pig sties. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. We found errors. It will be on next agenda.

OPEN FORUM:
Will Hume (building the new bar), would like council permission to put underground power and gas through city property adjacent to the cherry tree by the Avista Shop. Public Works has no reservations. He will pay for everything and put it back better than before. It’s a 32” wide ditch to allow power and gas to restaurant. It would negate the overhead power he asked for earlier this year. It’s on the furthest west side of the property. There’s no other infrastructure. The city already has a utility easement with Avista so Will is actually just going above and beyond what is required of him. It’s a low-impact project. There’s no sidewalk interference. Council approved, with no objections. He also has a standing offer to remove the cherry tree and fill in that area with gravel for parking for the Community Center. Supt. Griffin asked that council not remove the tree. He and Don Myott think the tree is alive and looks fairly healthy and the cherries were good; “if it’s still breathing, let’s not kill it.”

The Board of Adjustment approved the application for mini-storage. It was a lawful application for a lawful use. They can build as long as the conditions are met: setbacks, landscaping, etc. There is not a hazard to the public and the applicants were very accommodating. This stresses the importance of the zoning code. Teresa Baker suggested the zoning code be rewritten to require all future developers use only brick & mortar construction to keep with the original feel of the city. Will Hume suggested the zoning code include that all future development in our downtown has to be revenue-producing for the city (i.e., sales tax revenue). Deputy Clerk Thompson stated that building in the downtown corridor is already prohibitive and costly enough with the imposed requirements of SEPA, DOH, DOE, flood plain elevations, etc., and that these suggestions only discourage future development and growth. Councilmember Wekenman reminded that we have to be very cognizant of fairness rights.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Clerk-Treasurer Beeson requested taking 80 consecutive hours of vacation in January. Her last day will be January 29, 2014. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to approve Joyce taking 80 consecutive hours of vacation in January. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Request to close City Hall December 26th. Councilmember Estes MOVED to allow City Hall be closed December 26th. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Staff will still charge their hours out. Motion carried unanimously.

As 2014 comes to a close, Mayor thanked council, public works, fire department, police department, and staff for all they do.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Ossinger seconded, and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:37 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6198 – 6223 $12,630.84

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Final Public Hearing – proposed 2015 budget
Followed by Regular Council Meeting
November 25, 2014

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Absent: Councilmembers Hanson and Hicks called in their absences last week. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to excuse their absences. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; City Attorney Stephen Bishop; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Heidi Fluegel; Patti Green-Kent; Dana Anderson; Keiona Zachow; Eric Hansen; Donna Langsett.

FINAL PUBLIC HEARING: 2015 proposed budget: Opened public hearing at 7:03 pm. No verbal public comment. Jim Farr dropped off three questions prior to council and requested them be read aloud at public hearing: Q1. “Why did the city pay for Druffel’s water review?” A. It’s how the process works. It’s a pass-through expense. Because the review is done by an engineer of the city’s choosing, the city pays the bill which is then reimbursed by the developer. Q2. “Have any capital improvement funds been used for any water or sewer projects (installation or repair) on the South Hill since the 6-Year Capital Improvement Plan was adopted 10/9/2012? And if so, which funds and how much?” A. No the city hasn’t done any of those plans listed. Q3. “Do any employees or elected officials of the City of Palouse (including immediate family members), hold now or in the past, a financial interest in land developed by Sand Road Land Corporation, projects 1-4? If so, who?” A. The land was formerly owned by the Beeson’s but they sold it. Public hearing closed at 7:08 pm.

Councilmember Langsett MOVED to instruct Joyce to write the ordinance adopting our 2015 budget. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting of November 11, 2014. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. We’ve talked about getting repairs done to the parapet on the PD which is in desperate need of repair. CTI submitted a bid and we’re awaiting one more.

On Saturday (11/22/14), a valve broke off the 8” main on I Street. There were a lot of people without water for a while. Dwayne and Marc spent Saturday fixing it. When water lines are being worked on, sometimes the water is temporarily brown and, if so, you should run water until it clears. Councilmember Wekenman asked if all our meters in town have back-flow preventers. No, they do not.

With all the water/sewer issues being brought forth from Nicole Wood and Jim Farr, Supt. Griffin would like a w/s committee meeting with the mayor and atty. present to come up with a solution to address all these. We’ve answered their questions over and over but they won’t accept the answers.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Merry was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Sunday. The other vehicle lost control. No one was seriously injured. Officer Merry will be on light-duty for a little while until the soreness subsides. The PD’s Durango’s damage estimate was over $10,000. We are working with the insurance companies. They are providing a rental PD vehicle available to us next week until we can replace the Durango. We may need a budget amendment for purchase in 2014.

There was a complaint in Garfield last week of a dead baby moose in someone’s yard. When Fish & Game came to remove the dead baby moose the mom moose charged the officer and it had to be put down. The large moose was processed and provided meat to the Garfield Food Bank. Fish and Game is doing a necropsy on the calf.

JFB REPORT:
Councilmembers Langsett, Wekenman, and Ossinger attended the JFB meeting Nov. 17. There were 5 FD calls in Oct., 33 YTD. Fire Chief Bagott attended the County Chief’s meeting and met the new Moscow Fire Chief. Chief Bagott has not seen the tavern fire report yet to provide a copy or even comment on it.

8 EMS calls in October. Annie gave kudos to Mike Bagott for doing a superior job as both incident commander and EMS responder on a call in October when no EMS personnel were available. It was a very bad accident and he may very well have saved a life that night.

District 12 (Pullman Rural FD) donated Jaws of Life to Palouse FD.

OLD BUSINESS:
Continued discussion of PMC Title 6 Animals: Discussion continued regarding how best to write the chicken portion of Title 6. Atty. Bishop will draft the ordinance but needs a council decision first. Ideas were discussed in-depth. At last meeting, 10 was determined to be the maximum allowed, however that brings up more issues: If someone has 15 chickens, do they get to keep that many forever, or as they die, do they fall back to 10 max? Normally, non-conforming uses continue only so long as it’s not altered but once it changes it has to comply with the current code. For example, you may have a 100-year-old house on a 4,000 sf lot (which is too small by current code). However, if the house burns down, another house can’t be built there because the lot is too small. Along the same lines, if we were to allow current chicken owners to keep however many chickens they have, once they die off (or get eaten, etc.), they can’t be replaced. Should responsible chicken owners be able to maintain the current size of their brood? The discussion kept coming back to nuisance: odor, noise, environmental hazard. Regardless of the number of chickens, owners must still abide by the minimum enclosure requirements, minimum setbacks, care requirements, and not create a nuisance. Ultimately, council directed Atty. Bishop to write Title 6 allowing for up to 20 chickens, so long as all the above guidelines are met. For those wanting more than 20, they would have to first obtain permission from city council.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Ossinger-
Committee met with C-T Beeson and Mike Bagott to discuss the financing side of water and sewer. DOE has taken steps to increase the testing requirements of the plant and the river. In order to meet new testing demands, we need to raise sewer operating by $1.00 a month effective with January 2015 bill. This change is to pick up the slack from increased testing costs. We don’t like this but we have to pay the bills. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to ask Joyce to write an ordinance to put in effect the $1.00 sewer operating increase. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
TIB announced their funding recipients for 2015 and the second part of the Whitman Street project was sadly not on it. Previously the DOT approved $30,000 for design and planning of the railroad portion on West Whitman.

The city hired Varela & Associates at our Oct. 14th meeting as our consultant on the sewer plant project for 1) project planning; 2) application to DOE; & 3) negotiate permit with DOE. The basic plan is that Ecology will set the base requirements of the effluent going into the river. The city will have to develop a plan and implement it no later than sometime in 2024. This all boils down to stricter and more demands on the city from Ecology. There are currently, no grants available to the city for planning and design. Varela put together an application to Ecology for up to $200,000 in loan money. Mayor felt in good conscience he couldn’t sign the application because to pay that off, we would’ve had to raise our rates immediately by at least $8.00. Ecology hasn’t even decided what our final goals will be. He discussed it with Mayor pro tem Wekenman and Councilmember Pearce. They called Varela and let them know the decision to not send in the loan application. In 2014 council authorized up to $15,000 for planning and it’s going to be about $6,000. In 2015 we budgeted another $15,000 for 2015. We must explore other funding opportunities.

Jim Farr and Nicole Wood are sending requests in for water meters without going through the Water Extension Policy. We keep giving them answers and they say that’s not acceptable. Since August of 2014, the city has received numerous PRR’s from Nicole Wood/Jim Farr:
Approximately:
Nicole Wood – Aug. 2014 – 10 PRR’s in 1 email
Sept. 2014 – 15 PRR’s in 8 emails
Oct. 2014 – 38 PRR’s in 13 emails
Nov. 2014 – 64 PRR’s in 8 emails
Jim Farr – Aug-Nov 2014 13 PRR’s in 9 emails

If an employee wants to use more than 40 hours of vacation leave at one time, city code requires council permission. Marc Arrasmith has requested to take about 80 hours vacation in December. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to authorize Marc’s time off. Motion carried unanimously.

Every year we pay a $1,000 broker fee to Steve Witthuhn (at HUB Insurance) and the FD pays a $500 broker fee. That fee is included every year in the budget. However, Mayor Echanove wanted to read aloud the agreement and get council approval prior to signing the broker agreement. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to accept and sign the broker agreement. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:48 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6137-6174 $95,373.41
Payroll Paid 11/25/14 Ck. #6175-6197 & EFT $38,813.20

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
Palouse City Council
Public Hearing: 2015 preliminary budget
Followed by Regular Council Meeting
November 11, 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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson; Clerk-Treasurer in training Mike Bagott. Public present: Donna Langsett; Laurie Cortright; Darcie Bagott; Emily Bagott; Richard Styer; Leia Placke; Charlotte Omoto; Brad Pearce; Patti Green-Kent; Jens Hegg; Katie Cooper; Berlyn Hegg; Aaron Flansburg; Heidi Fluegel.

PUBLIC HEARING: 2015 preliminary budget & message –
No comments.
The city will know in a few weeks whether or not we’ll receive TIB funding for the west portion of Whitman Street.

Close public hearing & open regular council meeting: 7:08 pm

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 28, 2014. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
The October 2013 Avista bill for Main Street lights with only HALF the lights on was $291.15; October 2014 with ALL the lights on was $190.08. October 2013 Whitman Street lights was $95.30; October 2014 $53.53. The savings from the LED light program are paying off.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported:
Quiet in both towns; working later patrols in both towns.
Charlotte Omoto inquired about the city police department using horse or bicycle patrol vs. using patrol cars; she thinks it might be more cost-effective and horses can go places that vehicles can’t. Councilmember Pearce responded that the response time alone wouldn’t work.

OLD BUSINESS:
Continued Discussion of PMC Title 6 Animals: The policy committee met after last council meeting and took into consideration everyone’s comments and thoughts. Councilmember Hanson reviewed Title 6 aloud. Conditional use permits are no longer required for animals as long as all the parameters of Title 6 and setbacks from Title 17 are met. Roosters are prohibited outright. Minimum pasture size isn’t changing from the existing code: 10,000 square feet of pasture for each cow, mule, donkey, and horse, and 5,000 square feet for each sheep, goat, llama, and alpaca, not including young less than six months of age at their mother’s side. Patti Green-Kent urged council to go by the American Vet Assn. recommendations for pasture sizes. Councilmember Wekenman pointed out to Patti that the AVA recommendation is approximately 13,000 square feet so that’s more prohibitive than our code. The city is in the process of working on an agreement with the school for their sheep pasture. A maximum of one pot-bellied pig per household and under no circumstances are market swine, breeding pigs, or pig litters allowed. Pigs must be licensed, just as dogs are licensed. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to set the maximum number of chickens at 10 per household. Councilmember Pearce seconded. This was a compromise that the committee felt was fair. Two nay votes. Motion carried. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow current chicken owners to be grandfathered in and maintain the number they have as long as there are no nuisances. Council discussion followed and the motion was subsequently removed from the table. Deputy Clerk Thompson will take to attorney for his recommendations.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 919 budget amendment:
Mayor read the ordinance aloud in its entirety. This reflects updated cost estimates in the Street Fund and Sewer Facility Reserve Fund. The Street Fund is being increased to reflect higher payments to Avista for street lighting as the streetlight project took longer than estimated to complete. The Sewer Facility Reserve Fund is being increased to reflect pre-planning costs for upgrades to the sewer plant. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Ordinance 919 as written. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 920 adopting property tax increase for Emergency Medical Services for collection in 2015:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. The dollar amount of the increase over the actual levy amount for the previous year shall be $272 which is an increase of one percent. Mayor read it aloud a second time by title only. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 920. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 921 setting the regular and special levy amounts for 2015 budget year:
Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Special street levy (estimated $.761/$1,000); Special pool levy (estimated $.484/$1,000); voted regular EMS levy (estimated $.471/$1,000); general levy (estimated $3.10/$1,000). Total amount to be raised by taxation is approximately $280,751. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 921. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 922 adopting PMC Title 17
Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to suspend the reading of the ordinance (it’s 45 pages). Mayor read aloud Ordinance No. 922 by title only. Attorney Bishop finished approving Title 17 and wrote Ordinance No. 922 adopting Title 17. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to adopt Ordinance No. 922. Motion carried unanimously.

At the September 23, 2014 public hearing, city council approved both the zoning map and the comp plan to be adopted at the same time as Title 17 is adopted. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the zoning map, seconded by Councilmember Hansen. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Pearce MOVEDto adopt the Planning Commission’s Comprehensive Plan. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 923 amending PMC no. 676. Councilmember Wekenman read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Amends PMC 18.04.050(B) and 18.04.060(B) establishing new minimum lot sizes of 7,000 square feet to reflect the changes initiated by the adoption of Title 17. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to adopt Ordinance No. 923. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-13 amending the fee schedule: removing the fee for police reports as per the advice of CIAW. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to adopt Resolution No. 2014-13. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-14 adopting the 2015 salary schedule:
Councilmember Wekenman read aloud the resolution in its entirety. These salaries reflect a 5% increase for Don Myott, Dwayne Griffin, Jerry Neumann; 8% increase for Marc Arrasmith; 9.7% increase for Ann Thompson; and 10% increase for Officers Snead and Merry. Councilmember Langsett pointed out that in 2010 there was a 0% increase to salaries; in 2011 there was a 3% pay-cut to all salaries to help with the decreased city budget; 0% increase in 2012; 0% increase in 2013. In 2014 the 3.1% pay-cuts were restored. Council agreed that the city needs to work diligently to get our staff up to at least the starting wage for state averages. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt Resolution 2014-14. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
No committee reports.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg had a couple Haunted Palouse concerns: power usage at the apartment building on corner of Whitman & Beach; and where the liability falls when damage is done to city property. Councilmember Pearce told Aaron that these are concerns he needs to bring to the Palouse Chamber of Commerce.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Rick and the Mayor met with the Shoreline Master Plan county-wide committee in regards to the shoreline management plan update occurring throughout Whitman County. Of that plan, Palouse will have a separate annex. Each possible use of the shoreline gets marked as either: use is permitted outright; conditional use required; or prohibited. This plan is mandated by the legislature and is due by December 2015. It is an overlay map on all properties within 200’ of the high-water mark of the North Fork of the Palouse River.

Public Works got a quote from CTI of the Palouse for repairing the sidewalk elevation difference on the north side of Main Street by the library and St. Elmo’s Building. It poses a trip hazard. As per PMC, sidewalks are the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. The city will look into this further.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:36 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 10/31/14 Ck. #6091-6109 & EFT $36,651.33
Claims Paid 11/12/14 Ck. #6110-6136 & EFT $20,881.93

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
October 28, 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 council members: Chris Langsett. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse Councilmember Langsett’s absence. Councilmember Hanson seconded and motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & C-T in training Mike Bagott. Public present: Daryl Goertzen, Shelly Goertzen, Heidi Fluegel, Dick Styer, Kaye McGehee, Andra Edwards, Deanna Orr, Dana Anderson, Patti Green-Kent, Shirley Sandoval, John Harrison, Schurie Harrison, Keiona Zachow, Leia Placke, Eric Hanson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of Oct. 14, 2014. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
A bathroom stall door at Heritage Park was damaged on Saturday night during Haunted Palouse. Dwayne is preparing a repair estimate to present to the Chamber for reimbursement. No other Haunted Palouse problems were noted.

POLICE REPORT:
All went well with the first weekend of Haunted Palouse. The new portable radios purchased by Chamber worked great.
Citation forms need to be updated to current standards. Chief Neumann applied for a grant to produce citations electronically. Paper forms will be updated later this year or early next year.

JFB REPORT:
No report

NEW BUSINESS:
Discussion of PMC Title 6 Animals:
Mayor outlined the process and need of rewriting Title 6. Current code (PMC 17.12.040 A.) requires a conditional use permit for the raising of animals (rabbits, poultry, horses, cattle, sheep, goats). Planning commission has rewritten Title 17, which removed specific animal code. The council policy committee is working to revise code to bring all animal codes into one area and simplify the process for the public and staff. City has been receiving noise complaints about dogs and roosters.

Councilmember Pearce read the rough draft of Title 6 and referred to the current code it would be replacing. Councilmember Hicks asked what the number of chickens allowed under current code is. Current code does not specify. He stated that he believes that 6 in the draft is too few. Councilmember Hanson stated the other cities’ policies were reviewed in developing proposed changes and 6 was a common or average number. Councilmember Pearce stated that in 2012 the requirement for chicken owners to have a conditional use permit was explained. Councilmember Pearce asked the audience for their input and what they thought was a fair number of chickens.

Deanna Orr: Wants clarification as to what is a nuisance. Chief Neumann stated that only one complaint is needed for them to respond. Chief Neumann indicated that the Police Department tries to work with animal owners and if the problem continues, it is a nuisance. They try working with owners before citing them or removing animals. She asked about barking dogs. Chief Neumann said that it is understood that dogs will bark, but the problem arises when dogs bark continuously. She stated that she believes that 96 square feet is a huge area for a pet pig. It was clarified that in the case of mini pigs, their domain could possibly include the owner’s house.

Daryl and Shelly Goertzen: Asked why the number of chickens or other animals should be restricted if they are properly cared for and not causing a nuisance, and that other cities’ policies should not influence Palouse’s policy. He stated that he believes that the conditional use permit was too invasive and therefore he didn’t apply. Shelly Goertzen stated that they talked to the City about their concerns with the permit application. She stated that 6 chickens are not enough for having different breeds to keep it interesting, 12 would be an appropriate number. They have found a home for their rooster. She believes that complaints should be written and not verbal. Believes that the community survey indicated that respondents wanted the community to go in a rural, farming direction. Councilmember Pearce read an excerpt from the survey results that barking dogs are an issue in Palouse.

Schurie Harrison: Has a family of 3 and needs at least 8 chickens to provide eggs to eat each day. What about raising chickens for meat? Councilmember Pearce stated the proposed code deals with chickens as pets but that could be considered.

Dana Anderson: Has a rooster, chickens, and four ducks. Has consulted with neighbors and they don’t have problems. States that Chief Neumann threatened to fine and remove rooster in front of 9 year old son. Believes that son should be able to have rooster for 4H and not being allowed to do so will hurt property values and goes against how town was founded. Ianna Woltering (his neighbor) then stated that she complained because their rooster crows all throughout the day and that she should be able to enjoy her yard and have her windows open without being subjected to that. Dana requested that the Council give him an extension until tomorrow evening to remove his rooster from town. Council said they do not act for the police dept. Chief Neumann told him that was acceptable.

Andi Edwards: As a vet, hears complaints about animals in town. Pet owners are concerned that complaints from one person who is easily annoyed or overly sensitive could cost them their pet. Who decides what a nuisance is? Also would like to have a review of what is considered an exotic pet. Andi will take roosters at her house (lives in the county).

Kaye McGehee: Believes that there are places in town where you are less likely to have issues than others. Believes blanket approach is not appropriate and that the space required for certain animals is too large. She has more problems with cats than other animals.

Dick Styer: Has had chickens for 50+ years. Has five to ten roosters at times. Says that he was told that he didn’t need a conditional use permit because his chickens were grandfathered in. He also has horses. Hasn’t had complaints from neighbors.

Patti Green-Kent: Asked if the code being discussed is proposed rather than law. Would like to have an animal science student or vet consult on size of enclosure required for different animals. Believes current sizes are extravagant.

Shirley Sandoval: Thinks many people don’t know that conditional use permits are required and assume they can have animals because of what they see around town. Councilmember Pearce agreed and explained that’s one of the reasons the city is trying to address this issue and make the process simpler.

Mayor Echanove and the council policy committee thanked all who attended and offered their input. The committee will continue working on Title 6.

OLD BUSINESS:
3rd Quarter Treasurer’s Report:
Street fund may need a budget amendment before the end of the year. Second half taxes will be received soon. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to approve the third quarter treasurer’s report. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

2015 Budget Discussions:
Having gone through discussions at the last meeting for the General Fund (001) and the Street Fund (101), this meeting we will try to get through the rest of the budget since the next meeting will be the first of two public hearings. He asked C-T Beeson to begin the discussion with the remaining funds. Beeson outlined each fund, pointing out any significant changes from the 2014 budget and answering questions along the way. Generally, the changes include increases to salaries, purchase of a used PD vehicle, 1-ton PW vehicle, and the Wall Street project.

NEW BUSINESS (continued):
Ordinance No. 918 budget amendment:
Mayor Echanove read aloud the proposed ordinance which allows for the transfer of funds from the four funds that were closed by ordinance at the last meeting. Councilmember Pearce MOVED for approval of Ordinance No. 918. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson-Will need another committee meeting to consider discussion from tonight’s meeting.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Hicks- Had a quick meeting with Dwayne today about upcoming needs. Things are in pretty good shape but will begin planning to replace the dump truck.

OPEN FORUM: No comments.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Joyce would like to get Council approval of salary increases discussed previously. Resolution will be ready for next meeting for council to consider.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:23 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 10/28/14 Ck. #6076-6090 $4,415.90

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
October 14, 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: Councilmembers Langsett and Estes are out sick. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Councilmember Hicks seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Dana Cowger of Varela and Associates (left at 8:16 pm); Susan Cowger (left at 8:16 pm).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting of Sept. 23, 2014. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
The police department is gearing up for Haunted Palouse. The PD purchased communication radios for use during the event which should provide a clearer line of communication between the haunted houses and trail. The radios are in and programmed. The FD will be on the same channel as well. Chief Neumann asked HP staff to contribute funds for that purchase. All three police officers will be working.

Over the last couple weeks we’ve had numerous dog complaints (more than usual). We issued one citation and impounded two dogs just today. Along with that is the ongoing chicken issues; new complaints from new victims. If a chicken owner isn’t responsible, it makes it hard on all the neighbors and the city hears about it.

OLD BUSINESS:
WWTP Update: every five years we get our NPDES permit from DOE to operate our sewer plant. About 18 months ago DOE told us they were going to change the parameters of the discharge into the river. As a result, the city had to hire an engineering firm (Varela & Associates) to help us with planning and compliance. Two immediate things that need to be addressed: 1) the upcoming review assistance for the new NPDES permit being issued by DOE; and 2) DOE’s funding application due 11/7/14. At the IACC conference a few weeks ago, Mayor, Mike Bagott, and our engineer Dana Cowger met with DOE and other funding partners. They helped look at the big picture and how we should proceed. Dana spoke at council tonight to address the project timeline/initial task list, scope of work, compensation, schedule, and authorization to proceed. The engineering contract is with our city attorney for review. Much discussion ensued about the DOE findings, etc. There is always the chance the city doesn’t get funding from DOE, but that would just mean postponing things for a year. DOE’s funding is 100% loan. They also offer 50% principal forgiveness to communities whose median household income is below 80% of the state average household income. Palouse’s is at 80.4% (.4% over) which makes us not eligible. The city needs to consider whether or not we should do a community income survey. It would be managed by a third party such as RCAC. There are costs involved as well as a great deal of work. It would be a gamble as to the outcome. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize Joyce to draft a budget amendment adding $5,000 to the existing budget of $10,000 for 2014 expenditures for the project. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to allow the mayor, pending legal review, to sign the contract with Varela for the funding procurement, NPDES permit assistance, and project management. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) inter-local agreement:
In May we passed Resolution 2014-03 authorizing membership in the Palouse RTPO. The inter-local agreement is the formal ratification of that resolution. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the agreement. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 917 – closing funds 304, 305, 310, & 315: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. All funds held in Fund 304 Vehicle & Maintenance Reserve, Fund 305 Building Maintenance, Fund 310 Sick Leave Reserve, and Fund 315 Park Improvements will be transferred back to the contributing funds. They will be closed effective December 31, 2014. These funds are no longer fitting the definitions set by the state. Many of the bars numbers that were used in those funds are becoming obsolete. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt ordinance No. 917. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously. A budget amendment will come before the council at the next meeting which will allow the funds to be moved.

2015 Budget Discussions:
Fund 001 current expense was reviewed line by line. Discussions will continue.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson – Regarding PMC “Title 6-Animals”. The committee has met to discuss potential changes/updates/rewrites to Title 6 including swine, livestock, birds/poultry, and dogs. They will bring suggestions to the next meeting.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city has received numerous, overwhelming, public records requests (PRR’s) in the last few weeks from Steve McGehee, Jim Farr, & Nicole Wood. Councilmember Hicks spoke with Bruce Reim at Canfield & Associates regarding all the PRR’s we’ve been getting and how to handle them all. Some cities are budgeting money for extra staff to handle PRR’s. Bruce gives workshops to city councils and we will schedule one.

The city got the results back from the Washington Surveying & Rating Bureau. We were able to maintain our fire rating of Protection Class 6. Chief Bagott and the full department are commended for their efforts.

The Dept. of Commerce sent a letter stating that based on our current size and rate of growth, our critical areas update will become due June 30, 2020.

Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to set the preliminary budget public hearings on November 11 & November 25. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 9/30/14 Ck. #6022-6041 & EFT $ 40,360.63
Claims Paid 10/14/14 Ck. #6042-6075 & EFT $110,420.76

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Continued Public Hearing followed by Regular Council Meeting
September 23, 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; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Absent: Rick Wekenman is on vacation. Councilmember Estes MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence. Councilmember Pearce seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson; & C-T in training Mike Bagott. Public present: Donna Langsett; Roy Druffel; Debbie Druffel; Lynne Nelson (Planning Commission); Jay Iverson (Planning Commission); Sharon Tharp (Planning Commission); Aaron Flansburg (left at 8 pm).

Open the Public Hearing at 7:02 pm: Continuation of public hearing to review proposed changes to Palouse zoning map and the updated Palouse Comprehensive Plan. The bottom left quadrant on the zoning map is being proposed as Agriculture (AG). Deputy Clerk Thompson spoke with Dave Harlow, the owner of the land and Mr. Harlow was fine with changing the zoning from low density to AG. The skatepark area will be zoned R2. No public or council comments on the Comp Plan. City council and the planning commission approved both the map and the Comp Plan. Once we get Title 17 back from our attorney, council will adopt the zoning map, the comp plan and Title 17 at the same time. Public hearing closed at 7:12 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 9, 2014. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Ben & Judy Finch are going to request a street opening to build a new house. They are going to send a written request for council discussion. It will open about 150’ of Houghton St. They will build the road to city specs, at their own expense.

Wall Street is ready for gravel. People should be able to drive on it in a couple days. Poe Asphalt will pave as soon as they can get here.

POLICE REPORT:
No issues during Palouse Day.
Special thanks to the FFA Advanced Ag class for cleaning up the graffiti on the West Main Street bridge.
Palouse is having dog issues on the north hill with very irate dog owners vs. very irate dog neighbors. It is an ongoing barking dog complaint. Chief reminded the public to either train their dog to not bark, put it inside, use bark collars, or move it out of town. After three citations, we’re mandated by ordinance that the dog be removed.

JFB REPORT:
Bo, Rick, and Chris attended the JFB meeting Sept. 15, 2014.
9 fire calls in August, 23 YTD.
Chief Bagott is working with Whitcom to clear up some paging issues.
Survey bureau may change Palouse’s city rating. The rating affects insurance rates for everyone. Palouse has been a class 7 town for numerous years. The lower the rating the better. Last rating we went to a class 6 but that could change with the new rating. Chief Bagott will report any changes or lack thereof at next JFB meeting.
Palouse Federated Church had annual Harvest dinner and honored the Palouse FD. Any leftover money may get passed on to the PFD.
7 EMS calls in August, 56 YTD.
EMS will be present at four home GPHS football games.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 916: establishing a Special Capital Projects Fund: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. It establishes a fund to be used for those portions of capital projects funded by the tax imposed by PMC Chapter 3.10. All proceeds received from the real estate excise tax authorized by PMC 3.10 shall be deposited into this fund. Such proceeds shall then be allocated only to those portions of capital projects being funded by the REET. We’ve been collecting this tax since 1988. The state has made it clear to municipalities they’d like to see REET money isolated from other funds because it can only be spent on certain things. The money is currently in capital project funds, but by having a separate REET fund, council can create the project, write the budget for it, and close the project. It will be much easier. This year we’ve collected approximately $10,000 so far. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adopt ordinance no. 916. Councilmember Ossinger seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Planning Commission’s findings of facts for Palouse Cove Development: PC Representatives Sharon Tharp, Lynne Nelson, & Jay Iverson were present. Sharon Tharp reported the meeting was very positive. There was strong public support. All proponents, no opponents. Based on the public testimony, comments, and findings of fact, the Planning Commission voted in favor of the preliminary proposal for a planned development by Sand Road Land. The PC appreciated the openness of the discussion. Lynne Nelson said this is a very good example of what people want to see in Palouse. The developer and his engineer have been very cooperative and helpful and open to working with the city.

The city council now has three options: decide whether to 1) approve the preliminary proposal; 2) approve the proposal subject to certain conditions; or 3) reject it. Currently the water system has been submitted to an independent engineer and they‘re modeling the infrastructure, the flow, etc. Mr. Druffel is paying for that. The engineer is an unbiased third party. Based on the Planning Commission’s findings, Councilmember Hicks MOVED to accept the approved preliminary planned development, allowing it to go to final design. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Joyce reminded Roy Druffel that prior to working in the city right-of-way his contractor must be approved by council.
Roy inquired if, once the flow model comes back approved from the engineer, he can begin constructing infrastructure before the final planned development is approved because the infrastructure won’t be affected one way or the other from the final planned development. Joyce will check with our attorney.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration, Chair Hanson- Discussion on possibly removing obsolete Chapter 6.04 (Animals At Large) from PMC. PMC 6.04 was written in 1921. It talks about the city and police department selling impounded animals and putting that money in the general fund. It also says the city will sell any livestock found picketed or tethered inside the city limits. The city does none of these things. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to begin the process to remove chapter 6.04 from our PMC. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Animals running at large are addressed in the specific chapters (i.e. Dogs 6.08). Motion carried unanimously.

On her own, as a citizen, Doreen Hanson contacted two salvage companies to look at removing the non-livable, nuisance mobile home on Mohr Street. The salvage company will keep the profits. The owner has agreed as long as she has no expenses. This is not a city project.

Police, Fire, & Safety, Chair Wekenman- Councilmembers Langsett, Wekenman, & Ossinger met with Chief Neumann to review a couple complaints against the police. They found them unfounded. Both complaints stemmed from dog issues.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
City received a letter congratulating us on the completion of our street light program. TIB is closing the project and final payment will be made.

The river gauge at Potlatch for emergency preparedness gives the city about 8 hours notice on the rise of the river flow. The city’s share of next year’s contract for the river gauge is $104, down from $1,500. Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to authorize the Mayor to sign the year contract with the Dept. of Interior.

Joyce has begun writing the 2015 budget. To start the process we need to close: Sick Leave Reserve 310, Building Maintenance Reserve 305, and Vehicle & Equipment Reserve 304. They no longer work well with the State’s budgeting and accounting manual. Now that we have a dedicated fund for REET revenue and projects, she’s going to put together what we need to close the three funds and transfer the residual equity where it belongs. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to allow Joyce to close the three obsolete funds and transfer money to the REET fund. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously. She would like the finance committee or any three councilmembers to look over her method of tracking these funds.

City staff received 8 PRR’s from Nicole Wood yesterday (9/22/14). Each one is very involved. Mayor read aloud one in particular because it concerns information about Palouse residents:

“Please document all City of Palouse water bills, in their entirety, sent to customers for the month of August 2014. Include customer’s name, address, account number, and gallons used.”

Deputy Clerk Thompson spoke directly with our attorney’s office and, under the Privacy Act, we are required to provide them with that information. The only information that can be withheld is: phone number, email, & mailing address. RCW 42.56.330 subsection 2.

C-T Beeson asked council to consider going back to releasing our draft minutes. A couple years ago council voted to not disseminate minutes until they were approved two weeks later at the next council meeting. However Joyce pointed out that by the time the minutes are released, the information is old and often the business at hand is over. The public needs to know information in a timely manner. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to release the DRAFT minutes with a watermark prior to council review or approval. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Hanson MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:31 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #6000-#6021 & EFT $18,563.22

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
September 9, 2014

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson (left at 8:10 pm); Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce. Chris Langsett is out sick. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to excuse councilmember Langsett’s absence. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; C-T in training Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Tom Kammerzell, Whitman County Port Commissioner; Corey Laughary, Planning Commission Chair; Lynne Nelson, Planning Commission; Cherry Jo; Tim Jones.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 26, 2014. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Public Works still has a couple weeks of works left on Wall Street project.

Public Works had an unexpected repair project on west Whitman Street. When the fiber optic line was installed by the Port of Whitman, they cut through the sewer line because the lines were mismarked (not their fault). However, it went unnoticed because no one lived in the house at the time of damage. Public Works had to replace about 80’ of new sewer line. When harvest is done and there isn’t so much traffic on Whitman Street, public works can get back there and finish.

Avista and the city each have only three more LED street lights left to put up.

Award bid for Wall Street paving and Fairview as part of our TIB project:
The City received two bids: Poe and Motley & Motley.
Poe Asphalt: Wall St: $12,445; Fairview: $4,995; grand total of $17,440.
Motley & Motley: Wall St: $15,065; Fairview: $5,130; grand total of $20,195.
The City has had good luck with both so Supt. Griffin recommends Poe based on the lower estimate. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to accept Poe’s bid of $17,440, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman. Motion carried unanimously.
Fairview’s is pre-level work, the City will cut out soft spots and put in new material, etc.

POLICE REPORT:
Main Street needs to be cleared by 8 am Saturday for Palouse Day.
Someone has painted graffiti on the whole south end pillar on West Main Street bridge. Chief Neumann would like the city to purchase the paint and he is looking for school volunteers to clean/paint it.
Regarding the complaint received on Officer Merry, Chief Neumann has reviewed it and he is confident that the officer acted appropriately.
School is in so watch for children. The PD will be moving the radar trailer around.

NEW BUSINESS:
Bad debt from 2011: The people split town three years ago and we can’t locate. Their billing statements kept being returned to the city and they abandoned their house. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize Deputy Clerk Thompson to write off the bad utility debt of $197.93 from 2011. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:
Continue public hearing – review of proposed changes to Palouse zoning map and the comprehensive plan: Opened the public hearing at 7:19 pm. Title 17 is still at the attorney’s office for review. The comp plan is a visionary document and a picture in time of where the city has been, is, and headed (demographics, economics, population, housing, etc.). It’s based on census data, economic data, real estate data, city survey, etc. Council reviewed the comp plan page by page. There were a few changes, mostly typos and a few re-wordings. Councilmember Wekenman proposed a few changes to the commercial zone on the zoning map. Discussion ensued. Deputy Clerk Thompson will give those proposed changes to our engineer and another draft will be brought before council. The Mayor suspended public hearing at 9:03 pm to resume at next council meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
No reports

OPEN FORUM:
Port Commissioner Tom Kammerzell came by to say hi, see what’s going on in Palouse and update us on Port Commission business.
The 174 miles of fiber optic line are now installed.
The construction being done next to Highway 27 from Albion road to Pullman is water and sewer being put in for the port’s new industrial park.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Clerk-Treasurer in training Mike Bagott is attending a workshop tomorrow regarding funding for our wastewater plant.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:22 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
VOIDED Check Ck. #5954
Payroll Paid 8/31/14 Ck. #5955-5980 $42,361.08
Claims Paid Ck. #5981-5999 $ 5,988.01

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 26, 2014

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Councilmember Wekenman is working harvest and Councilmember Hanson is recovering from surgery. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to excuse their absences. Councilmember Langsett seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; City Attorney Stephen Bishop; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; C-T in training Mike Bagott; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett; Lynne Nelson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 12, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Wall Street project is going slow but making progress. The asphalt is off and are now working on the water.
The tree grate that was destroyed in the fire has arrived and is now installed.
Rowand Machinery came and videoed the malfunctioning backhoe so they can send it to John Deere to see what’s going on. They said they will fix it.

POLICE REPORT:
Several nuisance complaints in Garfield regarding dogs; we’ve been working on the owners and compliance.
School starts Sept. 8. Drive carefully and watch for kids.
Palouse Day is Sept. 13.
There was a vandalism burn at the park reported. The police are investigating. If the public sees something that doesn’t look right, don’t hesitate to report it.
Regarding the complaint against Officer Merry, Chief will review it and it will go through the chain of command.
The new computer and printer at the PD is in and running great.

OLD BUSINESS:
Continue public hearing review of proposed changes to Title 17, zoning map, and comprehensive plan:
Mayor opened the resumed public hearing at 7:12 pm. Council and city staff continued review of Title 17. Atty. Bishop offered his professional opinion on various matters. Much discussion ensued. Mayor suspended the public hearing at 8:37 pm to be resumed at next council meeting.

Resolution No. 2014-12 adopting a greenhouse gas reduction emission policy: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This policy is encouraged by various agencies when applying for grant funds; they like to see this policy in effect. A few minor amendments were made. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Pearce, to adopt Resolution No. 2014-12 as amended. Motion carried unanimously.

WWTP facility engineer selection: W/S committee, Mayor, C-T Beeson, Supt. Griffin, & C-T in training Mike Bagott met last week to interview the top four engineers who made the short list. After much discussion, Varela & Associates was selected. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to allow the mayor to offer the consulting position and to begin contract negotiations with Varela & Associates. Seconded by Councilmember Hicks. Motion carried unanimously. We made it very clear to Varela that the city has very limited resources, particularly in 2014 because we weren’t aware we had to go down this path. They will soon begin working with DOE on the permitting process. We have until December of 2017 to submit plans and until July of 2024 to implement the plans. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT:
FD had three calls in July, 21 YTD. There have been a number of fire calls in August. Burning ban is still in effect.
EMS had 11 calls in July, 49 YTD. EMS is hoping to add a couple staff. The FD is having a couple problems with their radios which they’re addressing. They’ve purchased a few secondary radios (for non-critical situations) for only $50 fully equipped and they work really well so they will probably add a few more for back-up or as an additional tool to enhance communication.

NEW BUSINESS:
Review draft ordinance 917 – proposed changes to Title 18-Land Division, caused by proposed changes to Title 17:
Mayor explained that this change would reflect the changes in Title 17. It would reduce minimum lot size from 10,000 to 7,000 sf. The ordinance at this point is for council review.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
No reports

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Through August, the RV Park is up $4,795 in reservations over same time period as last year.

Received a request from Marie Dymkoski to allow the Palouse Chamber to hold the “Barley Bar Relay” again during Palouse Day, Sept. 13, 2014 from 2:30-4:00 pm. The mayor and city staff have no issues. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to allow the use of the Brownfields site for the Heidi Keen Barley Bar Relay. Motion carried unanimously.

Received a request from Angie Griner to allow the Viking Crew to hold a 3-on-3 basketball tourney and a human foosball tourney during Palouse Day, Sept. 13, 2014, from approximately 11:00 am-4:00 pm, on the north side of Beach Street between Main and Whitman. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, authorizing their use of Beach Street for Palouse Day. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:25 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5935 – #5953 $23,951.58

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 12, 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; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Council members absent: Rick Wekenman is working harvest. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to excuse Rick’s absence, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Building Inspector Dan Gladwill; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett; Debbie Druffel; Roy Druffel; Sharon Tharp; Corey Laughary; Kevin Poole; Chris Boyd; Scott Storch; Ben Davey; Ardis Wraspir.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Special Council Meeting of July 22, 2014. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
Made three arrests in last two weeks (2 in Palouse, 1 in Garfield);
Still working on nuisance complaints for junk vehicles;
New computer and printer for the PD arrived.

BUILDING INSPECTOR REPORT: Construction is down this year, slower than past three years. However there is some new growth coming.
The tavern hole should be getting filled in now that the site’s empty.

OLD BUSINESS:
Living in RV and using city sewer: Mayor read aloud the June 10, 2014, minutes in which council voted 4-3 to grant to Scott Storch and Ardis Wraspir a 60 day exception to our city policy to allow them to continue living in their RV hooked up to city sewer while they’re constructing their home. The deadline to be out of their RV and unhooked from city sewer was August 10, 2014, with no exceptions. Ardis Wraspir read aloud a letter from her and Scott Storch in which they outlined what they’ve done so far on their house construction and made other comments. Councilmember Hicks pointed out inaccuracies and untruths in their letter; no one at the June 10 council meeting stated they believed Scott & Ardis would have their construction completed. Nor did anyone on council EVER refer to them as “trailer trash” and “squatters”. Chris Boyd wants council to rewrite their policy and Title 17 to allow property owners to live in RVs onsite during construction. Much discussion ensued. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to table the discussion until later in old business. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Scott Storch stated their house should be livable before the snow flies. Motion carried unanimously.

Continue public hearing review of proposed changes to Title 17, zoning map, and comprehensive plan: Mayor opened the continued public hearing at 7:45 pm. The following draft changes were discussed and made:

17.04.040 (D) Conditional uses permitted (R1)

Add “8. School’s barns & stable”
Add “9. Temporary, owner-occupied living space (such as an RV or use of an accessory building), on-site only during construction of new housing”

17.04.040 (F) Prohibited uses & 17.04.050

Add “2. Mini storage business is prohibited outright”

17.04.060 Commercial District

(B) Principal uses permitted outright
Add “11. Non-storefront, street-level, residential uses”
Add “12. Upstairs residential uses”
(D) Conditional uses permitted
Add “3. Storefront, street-level, residences”
(F) 2. Change “residential uses” to “single-home residences”

17.12.020 RV Parks General Requirements

(B) “Occupancy in an RV park shall be restricted to 29 days, with the possibility of extending stay by a permitting process through public works.”

At 9:02 pm Councilmember Estes MOVED to suspend the public hearing until next council meeting. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Mayor took from the table the living in an RV past 29 days and being hooked up to city sewer. Council discussion was to rewrite Title 17 to allow temporary owner occupancy of self-contained housing (see 17.04.040 (D) above). But Title 17 won’t be adopted for a while; there’s still review to do. So in the mean time, Councilmember Hicks MOVED to extend permission to Mr. Storch to keep his RV hooked up to city sewer and reside in it for another 60 days from today’s date until Title 17 is adopted, at which time he’ll have to apply for a conditional use permit. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Q2-2014 Treasurer’s Report & narrative: Joyce submitted a written report. She may do a budget amendment later in the year in the general fund since we hired Mike Bagott and we’ll have to allow for those costs. Joyce is currently working on two ordinances that will solve one problem: We have three capital funds that no longer fit the state’s definition so they will be dissolved. She’s working with the SAO and the attorney. The issue is we’re co-mingling water and sewer money with unrestricted money. Through a method that was approved by council last year, funds will be moved back to where they came from. A new fund will need to be opened to receipt the Real Estate Excise Tax. Certain projects that qualify will be able to be budgeted within this fund. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the Q2 treasurer’s report. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-11, adopting changes to CIAW bylaws and Interlocal Agreement: Joyce highlighted the changes. CIAW changed their bylaws and interlocal agreement. The changes are very minor (changing their fiscal year so it more closely aligns with the city’s fiscal year). It makes projecting insurance premiums easier logistically. Councilmember Hanson MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to adopt Resolution No. 2014-11 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

West Whitman Street reconstruction TIB application approval: Mayor would like authorization to sign the West Whitman Street reconstruction application to TIB. This is part of their Small Cities Arterial Program (SCAP). Reconstruction includes sidewalk on north side of street, repaving, fixing tracks, installing LED lights, etc. Munir Daud has estimated the street portion of the work will be $520,000. WSDOT estimates the railroad piece will be $300,000. For the public funds, the city will use arterial street levy money for a match. This is approximately a $900,000 project and is on the six year street plan. Councilmember Hicks MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to authorize the mayor to sign the TIB application for West Whitman Street. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
No reports.

OPEN FORUM:
Roy Druffel submitted the documents for the first phase of his construction. They’ve paid the $150 Water Extension app fee and the $150 planned development app fee. They’re now awaiting approval from the Planning Commission whether or not to move ahead with the final Planned Development (PD) design. The proposed plan is for 21 buildable lots and an area for open space. Community Action Center wants 4 lots and Habitat for Humanity wants 2 lots. Munir Daud (his engineer) has a contractor lined up to begin ditch work soon. Munir has a copy of the Planned Development code and is working through it. Munir also supplied a complete water plan for the water and sewer committee review to determine whether it can move ahead with the approval process through the Department of Health (DOH). Once approved by the committee, Munir will send it to the DOH for review. DOH works with our public works and the engineer to make sure everything is consistent with our water plan and for the area being served. The approval process with DOH could take up to 60 days.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Chris Langsett and Mike Bagott are attending a budget training in Leavenworth this week.
The Palouse Chamber beer garden liquor license application has arrived. No objections.
The private club liquor license status for the Lions Club was granted.
Joyce is working on the greenhouse gases policy.
City will begin interviewing next week the engineering firms for the WWTP.
Pool closes Sunday.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:32 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 7/31/14 Ck. #5878-5904 & EFT $47,856.02
Claims Paid Ck. #5905-5934 & EFT $28,680.38

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

PALOUSE CITY COUNCIL
Special Council Meeting
July 22, 2014, @ 7:00 pm
Public Hearing to consider proposed changes to: Palouse Municipal Code Title 17 (zoning), the city zoning map, and the Comprehensive Plan
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Chris Langsett. Absent: Councilmembers Estes and Hanson are both on vacation. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hicks to excuse their absences. Motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Supt. Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson; & C-T in training Mike Bagott. Public present: Sharon Tharp; Donna Langsett; Corey Laughary; Stillman Norton; Aaron Flansburg; Lynne Nelson.

PUBLIC HEARING on proposed PMC Title 17, the zoning map, and the Comprehensive Plan: Mayor opened the public hearing at 7:04 pm. Chairman Laughary of the Planning Commission summarized the work they’ve done and their process. The city’s current zoning is antiquated; approximately 20% of our city is zoned unclassified. Our map is still handwritten on tissue paper. The Comp Plan is a visionary document for the city. There was excellent discussion, many questions and answers, including written questions submitted by Greg & Bev Pearce. The PC has proposed west Main Street be zoned commercial (where there are already residences). Chairman Laughary explained that those houses are grandfathered in, however for future development, businesses can be built.

Following are a summary of the proposed changes to Title 17 & the zoning map:
1. Section 17.04.040, (D) Conditional Uses permitted – add a #8 to include the school’s barn & stables as needing a conditional use permit.
2. Section 17.04.040, (E) Density, lot size and setback, 1 – remove …”with a minimum boundary length of 50 feet on any side” to accommodate odd-shaped lots.
3. Section 17.04.040, (E), 2 – concern that there will be two different sets of setback requirements to administer.
4. Section 17.04.040, (E), 4 – change the maximum lot coverage from 40% to 48% to accommodate people’s desire for decks, sheds, garages, etc.
5. Section 17.04.0060, (F), 2 – there is concern of requiring the same setbacks for residential use in the commercial district as are required in the residential district. Since residential use in a commercial district must go through the Board of Adjustment anyway, perhaps the setbacks could be considered on a case-by-case basis through that process.
6. Section 17.08.040, Required Standards for Planned Developments (G) – Change the text to say “The City may require a set aside of up to 15% of the total land area within the planned development for permanent, usable open spaces if the City determines that the open space set aside is reasonably necessary as a direct result of the proposed planned development or reasonably necessary to mitigate a direct impact that is a consequence of the proposed planned development.”
7. Section 17.12.020 (B) – correct overlooked typo, “Occupancy in an RV park shall be restricted to 29 days” and possibly remove municipally-owned RV Park from this restriction.
8. Proposed zoning map – enlarge the Open Space of the walking trail on Almota Street and extend east the Commercial space from the car wash to include the Quality Drapery site.

Mayor Echanove asked Chairman Laughary if these discussed changes to the Title 17 and the zoning map were substantial and if the PC wanted the documents back for PC consideration. Chairman Laughary declined, stating they would prefer the process remain with the city council. Deputy Clerk Thompson is going to make the suggested changes for review at the next meeting. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to suspend the public hearing and restart it at the August 12 council meeting. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Public hearing closed at 8:55 pm.

Open Regular Council Meeting at 8:56 pm:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing and Council Meeting of July 8, 2014. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Reading meters this week. While reading water meters today, Don Myott was badly bitten on the hand by a dog. There are a lot of aggressive dogs around town. Water meters are city property and public works are to have access 24/7. They will be contacting homeowners who have fenced in their meter within the right of way.
Hoping to start the Wall Street project next week.
We’re working on getting the street lights up that were destroyed in the tavern fire.

POLICE REPORT:
The radar trailer is up around town.
PD needs a new computer system; the current system was purchased in 2006. Preliminary estimate for a computer and printer is $1,800 and there is room in the budget. Will install old computer at the Garfield PD.
Music Festival is this weekend.

JFB REPORT:
The 2015 budget will be the same as 2014 except for some line item restructuring.
One FD call in June, 14 YTD. Two meetings in July, including a wildland training.
Thanks to donated funds, they were able to acquire $2,000 in needed equipment.
Burn ban is in effect.
4 EMS calls in June, 42 YTD.
There will be some CPR trainings in August and September.

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2014-09 setting a one year excess property tax levy in the amount of $44,000 to be used for street improvements and street oiling. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. It’s an estimated $0.761 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2014 for collection in 2015. Same amount as last year. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-09 as presented. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-10 setting a one year excess property tax levy in the amount of $28,000 which will be used for operation and maintenance of the swimming pool. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. It’s an estimated $0.485 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2014 for collection in 2015. Same amount as last year. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-10. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
No committee reports.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg reported they broke ground today on the Whitman Street skatepark site.

Regarding the old tavern site, structural fill is not mandatory. At this time the BI would like to see it filled with soils and reasonably compacted.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
C-T in training Mike Bagott attended a training last week. Said it was very worthwhile.

The city received eight SOQ’s for the sewer plant. The review committee is still reviewing.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:25 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
June Payroll Paid: Ck. #5798-5825 & EFT $40,395.14
Claims Paid Ck. #5857-5877 $12,460.98

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

PALOUSE CITY COUNCIL
Special Council Meeting
July 8, 2014, @ 7:00 pm
Public Hearing: 2015 Revenue Sources
Public Hearing: Six Year Street Plan
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson (7:11); Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Christopher Langsett and Bev Pearce. Councilmembers Langsett and Pearce are on vacation. Councilmember Wekenman moved to excuse their absences. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Aaron Flansburg; Judy Stone.

PUBLIC HEARING on Six Year Street Plan: Mayor opened the public hearing at 7:06 pm.
#1 is Wall Street Reconstruction from Elmo Street to Park Street. #2 is Spokane Avenue from west Main Street to Almota Street (SR 27). #3 is West Whitman Reconstruction from Bridge Street to Mill Street. #4 is West Whitman & Fir Street Reconstruction from Mill Street to Illinois Street. #5 is Culton Street Reconstruction from Park Street to Holyoke Street. #6 is Park Street Reconstruction from Holyoke Street to Wiley Street. Because of potential for a TIB grant for #3 West Whitman Reconstruction, Mayor would like to move it to #1 on the list. The projected cost estimate is $700,000. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to move #3 to #1 spot for priority. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Supt. Griffin is fine with the move. Priority becomes important if we get federal funds for a project; otherwise, the order doesn’t matter. As long as the street is on the list, the order of work can be moved around. Motion carried unanimously. New order: #1 West Whitman from Bridge to Mill; #2 Wall Street; #3 Spokane Avenue; #4, 5, & 6 stay in same order. Mayor closed the public hearing at 7:20 pm.

PUBLIC HEARING on 2015 Revenue Sources: Opened the public hearing at 7:21. To recap: The 2014 general levy was $172,127. The 2014 General EMS special levy amount was $24,766 + new construction credit of $545 + state assessed property values of $1,937 for total of $27,248. With 1% increase as allowed by law ($1,721) and Adjustment entry by Assessor ($9,103), the 2015 General Levy is $182,951. This amount does not include new construction credit, banked capacity or changes in the state assessed property values. The General and EMS levy amounts will be set at a later date once those amounts are known. 60% of the general levy goes to Current Expense, 30% to Streets, and 10% to the Fire Equipment Reserve fund. The 2015 EMS levy would also increase by 1% ($272) and is not being set at this time. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED for Joyce to proceed with the 1% increase as allowed by law for our general and EMS levies. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. The two special levies need approval tonight to be on the November ballot. Street levy increased last year from $40k to $44k. Pool levy stayed the same last year. Special levies are in addition to the regular levies. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to maintain the current levels: $44,000 for special street levy and $28,000 for pool M & O levy. Councilmember Ossinger seconded and motion carried unanimously. Closed public hearing at 7:42 pm.

Open Regular Council Meeting at 7:42 pm:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 24, 2014. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Public Works pulled the fire-destroyed tree by the tavern and didn’t damage any electrical or water in the process. The welding shop is going to give an estimate for reconstructing the brace that goes under the decorative grate. We need to replace the decorative grate that was destroyed in the fire. We ordered three replacement light poles that were ruined as well.
We under-ordered by one our new street lights for the TIB/Avista project; we have 53 lights, not 52. A conversion kit has been ordered for the 53rd light and will be included in the TIB project.
Larry Hunt is making progress on the fire clean-up.

POLICE REPORT:
Chief did follow up after last council meeting and spoke with Larry Hunt about the cleanup. With the sidewalk opened up and sidewalk clean up we haven’t issued a citation yet.
Since last council, they had 6 Garfield call-outs, and 3 Palouse call-outs.
We had a few noise complaints regarding fireworks, otherwise the holiday weekend was fine.
PD updated its phone service, now have free Wi-Fi, and save $5/month.
Officer Snead has relocated to Palouse.
The PD is going to begin actively working on ongoing dog issues: at-large, biting, licensing issues, barking, and keeping more than 3 dogs. Enforcement will include yard checks and knocking on doors to ensure compliance. Immunizing your dog against rabies is a state law as well.

Councilmember Hicks received a citizen complaint regarding the welfare of someone who has pet geese. The complainant needs to contact police so they can check.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2014-07 adopting Six Year Street Plan:
Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt the six year street plan as amended with original #3 West Whitman reconstruction moving to #1 on the list. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-08 adopting amended 2014 salary schedule
Joyce is retiring in January. Deputy Clerk Thompson was offered the job of clerk-treasurer but she declined. So Mayor would like to hire Mike Bagott as the new city clerk-treasurer. If hired, he will begin training part-time next week so come December he can start full-time. Beginning January 1, he will start at $3,300 a month full-time, M-F 8-5. During training he will be paid $15/hour. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by councilmember Wekenman to offer this position to Mike Bagott. Motion carried unanimously. Deputy Clerk Thompson has been with the city since 2006 and has made the same amount since 2009 although her job duties have greatly increased. Mayor read aloud Resolution No. 2014-08 with the two changes: adding Clerk-Treasurer in training at $15/hour and deputy clerk Thompson pay increase from $2,160 to $2,300/month. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-08 Amended 2014 Salary Schedule as written. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks- Councilmember Hicks did a drive through town with Superintendent Griffin to evaluate the six year street plan projects and other issues.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg with the Palouse Skate Park Assn: Aaron filed a critical areas checklist application with City Hall. He heard back from City Building Inspector Dan Gladwill. The site on Whitman Street is exempt from the Critical Areas checklist; it falls outside of the area sensitive to flooding and critical areas. It has been signed off on by the City Clerk and BI. With that there is no further building inspection related requirements on that site that he is aware of.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Different state agencies are requiring adoption of a greenhouse gas emission policy before application for funding. Joyce submitted a few greenhouse gas emissions policy examples from different cities.

At next council meeting we’re having a public hearing on proposed changes to PMC Title 17, zoning map and the Comprehensive Plan. Mayor implored council to really study it beforehand. After next meeting we can reject in its entirety, accept in its entirety, amend and accept, or make comments and send back to the Planning Commission.

Our RFQ for waste treatment upgrades are due Thursday, July 10. The initial review committee of SOQ’s will consist of: Mayor Echanove, Supt. Griffin, Joyce, and the water/sewer committee. Committee will review/rank and choose up to 5 to invite for an interview and presentation.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5826-5856 $23,916.35

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
June 10, 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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett, Loren Estes, Aaron Flansburg, Scott Storch, Ardis Wraspir.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 27, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
The city gets inquiries about the availability of the compost material. The city’s stance is that the public can help themselves, however it’s use at your own risk; we have no control or knowledge of what chemicals are in the compost. There is also compost near Pauline Avenue which is behind Bofenkamp’s off Spokane Avenue. Also, in regards to helping yourselves to the chipped material, it’s the large pile right next to the compost. Please don’t mistake our purchased “good” chips for the free stuff.
WSDOT is grinding off and resurfacing Bridge Street Bridge. They’re also going to chip-seal 8 miles from Palouse towards Pullman.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported the hot rod show went great as did the GPHS all night grad party. No incidents.

OLD BUSINESS:
Lions Club Lease Agreement: Loren Estes liked the agreement, but for next year’s contract renewal, change 7.3 (c), and have the city responsible (not the Lions) for taking reasonable efforts to protect all water, sewage, heating and other pipes so they don’t freeze or become clogged. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow the Mayor to sign the Lions Club Lease Agreement for the 2nd story at 120 E. Main Street. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Echanove signed the agreement and Loren Estes will bring back after the Lions Club president signs.

City’s property/liability insurance coverage choices: Every few years we review our policy to make sure we’re getting the most for our money. Our current carrier is CIAW. The FD has the same carrier. We received a quote from the insurance pool AWC Rick Management: $53,169. CIAW’s 10/1/2013-9/30/2014 fee was $54,504. From a monetary standpoint AWC is $1,335 cheaper. However, we have a wonderful track record with CIAW for 20+ years. HUB Insurance in Palouse is the broker for our current policy for an extra cost of $1,000 a year for the city. CIAW has represented us in court a few times; provided dozens of free trainings and processes claims. If the city stays with the policy of using a broker the same broker fee would probably apply. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to retain our current insurance carrier CIAW. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Skatepark update: Aaron Flansburg had a public forum meeting May 29th in regards to the new location option for the skatepark (just to the east of the police station, on the north side of Whitman Street). Approximately 17 people attended. Good discussion. The opposition was concerned about the noise of the skatepark. Aaron maintains that skateparks aren’t inherently loud and there are ways to mitigate sound through vegetation buffers and types of construction. Regardless of the location, noise concerns are just inevitable; the downtown is full of noise as-is: trains going by, trucks, when the tavern was open music could be heard throughout neighborhoods. The support for this sight is fairly robust. The people opposed seem to be small in number compared to the opposition to the sewer plant site. Aaron hopes to meet soon with the Dillards (current owners of the proposed site) and see where they’re at with their offer to donate the land. One of the advantages to this site, it’s currently zoned for high density use which allows park and recreation facilities. That lot has been for sale for years and at one time it was pursued for development for a storefront and multi-resident dwelling, which would’ve been out of the neighbors’ control.

Mayor asked if Aaron watched the video of the presentation DOE gave to city regarding all the new required regulations for the sewer plant (WWTP). The city now has to develop a WWTP improvement plan by 2017. It would not be prudent for us to develop a skatepark at that site. Mayor thinks Aaron should do a better job of explaining to the skatepark supporters that there is this larger issue at hand; city residents have millions of dollars invested in their sewer plant. Councilmember Pearce thinks this Whitman Street site is a gift and with all the issues at the sewer plant, this is a golden opportunity. She’d like the skatepark group to work with that site. Aaron really likes the Whitman sight except the proximity to the neighbors. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to remove as an option the sewer plant location that was previously approved. Councilmember Hanson seconded. Aaron reiterated that he considers the Whitman Street location is a great option. He would appreciate council support for this new location and consider helping with the sound mitigation. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2014-05: amending the 2014 fee schedule charge for non-resident private swim lessons: This was decided at the last council meeting. All fees are the same except the private lesson rate for non-residents went from $15 to $20. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to approve the resolution. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer, Chair Bo Ossinger- Read aloud the Request For Qualification (RFQ) calling for engineers to submit their Statement of Qualification for the WWTP upgrades. Closing date will be July 10, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to authorize C-T Beeson to send out the RFQ. Motion carried unanimously.

The city has a policy that forbids hooking RV’s to city sewer unless inside a mobile home park. Scott Storch has been building a house on 8th & B since last August and using and paying for city utilities, however city hall staff just learned last week that the sewer was hooked to his RV not the new house. He has been told to disconnect the city sewer from his RV. Scott Storch requested an exception to the policy because they’re living in the RV during construction. He hopes to have the house livable in the next couple months. Bo is inclined to allow his use of sewer to his RV for two more months. Councilmembers Wekenman and Pearce explained why the policy is in place and that he needs to use his RV’s waste reservoir and haul his RV to the RV dump when necessary. Much discussion ensued. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to allow them to keep their RV hooked up to the city’s sewer until August 10, 2014, with no extensions beyond that date. Councilmember Langsett seconded. By a vote of 4 to 3 the motion carried. Committee is going to review the policy to perhaps amend it for special circumstances during construction. It was noted that Storch will continue to be billed for water and sewer.

Streets & Sidewalks, Chair Mike Hicks- Met with Supt Griffin to go over the six year street plan (STIP). Mike reviewed the plan with him to get an idea of the prioritization of the street projects. Discussed equipment needs with him as well. The 1973 5-ton dump is on its last leg, but its running. It’s not used a lot. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to set July 22, 2014, as the date for the public hearing for the six year street plan. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried.

Finance, Property, & Equipment, Chair Chris Langsett- Supt. Griffin submitted a request to Councilmember Langsett for a salary increase for public works. Chris is going to meet with his committee.

Councilmember Langsett MOVED to set July 8th, 2014, as the date for the 2015 revenue sources public hearing. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Rick and Mayor are attending the Mayor’s Roundtable this week in Pullman.

Through the State Treasurer’s Office we are required to update our authorization to invest monies into the Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP). A resolution will be presented at the next council meeting.

There’s a new law that goes into effect June 12, 2014, requiring the offering of two unpaid holidays for reasons of faith or conscience. They do not carry over from one year to the next. Joyce will have a policy to review at next council meeting.

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

Councilmember Pearce MOVED to go into executive session for less than 15 minutes for a personnel issue. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Council adjourned to executive session at 8:44 pm. Mayor called the meeting back to order at 8:56 pm with no further business.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:58 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. #5685, #5731 – #5749 & EFT $38,360.29
Claims Paid Ck. #5250 – #5277 & EFT (replacing voided 5/27/14 Ck #5712) $42,344.01
Voids Ck. #5683 & #5684 & #5712

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 27, 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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Craig, Kelly, & Calyn Brantner; Donna Langsett; Loren Estes.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 13, 2014. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. We’re reading water meters this week. Public Works will work on the trees that are digging into the circle grates on Main Street.

POLICE REPORT:
No major issues over the Memorial weekend. Garfield May Day was last weekend with one arrest. This coming weekend in Palouse is the Hot Rod BBQ.

JFB REPORT:
On finance end the pump repairs cost about $1,900 but they should be able to absorb into budget. One of the radios got damaged during the fire on Main Street last month so that will be replaced. There were 4 fire calls in April, 10 YTD. They’ve received PRR’s from Jim Farr regarding the Brick Wall Bar & Grill fire. They have three firefighter applications in hand but probably won’t hire any this year. There were 9 EMS calls in April, 26 YTD. The FD is meeting 3x a month, and EMS 2x a month.

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2014-03: update of Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) interlocal agreement –
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The RTPO were partners in our Main Street and Whitman Street projects. Its origin is federal money. They’re reorganizing and this resolution acknowledges that we want to continue to be a part of it. One of our council members will be a representative in the RTPO. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-03. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2014-04: allowance of Palouse PD to participate in the Board for Volunteer Firefighters’ and Reserve Officers’ Relief and Pension Act (BVFFO) – Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Since the city does not offer PERS and reserve officers don’t qualify for the LEOFF system, an alternative to pension and disability is the program offered by BVFF. It will save money for the P.D. because both the pension and disability are much less than what we are paying for officers through LEOFF and L&I. Fire Chief Bagott had no issues with this. Terry Snead is currently our only paid and part-time reserve officer. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-04. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Lion Club beer/wine license application – To recap, the city received from the Liquor Control Board a request for a beer/wine license for the Lion’s Club upstairs of the Palouse City Hall. There were some concerns raised including the fact it’s a city-owned building, the danger of the stairway, the need for them to get liquor liability insurance with the City named as additional insured. Loren Estes (Lions Club Treasurer) said they have lined up a liquor liability policy for $2 million. He hasn’t yet approached Lions Club International or the insurance company though about naming the city as the additional insured, which may or may not be written into the policy already. Clerk Beeson spoke with city’s insurance carrier CIAW and they said just by granting a liquor license does not make the city negligent should something bad happen. This will be designated a “private club” as per the rules and regulations put down by the Wa LCB. The Lions did have to update their business license. Essentially it’s 20 guys and their wives selling beer to themselves. They don’t fall under any L&I rules because there are no employees, only volunteers. The scope of the club will be two nights a week plus a few extra events. They can’t do this as part of the Lions and not at least break even. They will need to make enough to pay additional costs or show profit. If they lose money, it’s done. Rent for upstairs is $180/year. Council has no objections to the Palouse Lions Club applying for their private club beer/wine license. The lease agreement needs to be updated and it’s in Atty. Bishop’s hands.

NEW BUSINESS:
Clerk Beeson filed the annual report today.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration – Councilmember Hanson is going to start looking into the chicken/rooster policy. Councilmember Wekenman has requested that we be proactive and look into a drone policy as other cities are doing.
Water & Sewer- Councilmember Ossinger was present at a meeting between DOE, Mayor, and Public Works regarding results of several years of testing along the Palouse river. The purpose of the testing is to determine the effects of the sewer on the river. Discussed the temperature monitoring in the river, TMDL, algae, etc. By July 2024 we must lower the nitrate concentration and the temperature of the effluent and other goals. May – November we influence the river with our effluent. One thing to do is upgrade the plant so those things are handled. The city will have to hire a consultant by first putting out a request for qualifications (RFQ). The city has to have an approved plan by 2017. The river is actually cleaner now than it was and based on their data, DOE attributes it to our Breeding’s Addition Sewer line. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hanson, to instruct Joyce to go out for RFQ’s for a plan to meet goals set down by DOE. Motion carried unanimously.

Streets & Sidewalks- Craig Brantner and family would like to put a house on their property, accessible via the city’s old dump road. Atty. Bishop advised that the city should retain the ownership of the road but grant a perpetual easement to the Brantner family. In return, Craig would maintain the road. They’d like a sign posted stating “private drive” or something just so people don’t think it’s a road. It would remain a city-owned road, but in the county. Public Works uses that road approximately 45 times a year, but not in the winter. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to authorize Joyce to work with Atty. Bishop to develop a perpetual easement to Craig Brantner for use of the city-owned old dump road. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings- In the first five months of 2012 (Jan. – May) the RV Park brought in $1,625; during same time frame of 2014, the RV Park brought in $3,875. PW Supt. Griffin contacted WSDOT to see about getting them to install signs for the RV Park (since Main Street & Bridge are state highways) but we don’t meet the criteria. WSDOT will allow us to purchase our own signs to install on their highway but they won’t maintain them. Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to have Supt. Griffin purchase RV Park direction signs and work with WSDOT on locations for installing them. Motion carried unanimously.

Police, Fire, & Safety-
Will Hume/Palouse Caboose liquor license application for outdoor beer/wine/restaurant in empty lot next to community center. No objections.

McLeod’s Palouse Market license to continue selling beer/wine out of grocery store. No objections.

Personnel & Pool- Pool committee supports increasing by $5 the amount charged to non-residents for private lessons bringing that cost from $15 to $20. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to amend the 2014 fee schedule to reflect this rate increase for private lessons for non-residents. Councilmember Hicks seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Finance, Property, & Equipment- Councilmember Langsett hopes to meet with Clerk Beeson next week.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
We made the last payment for the sludge press; it’s now officially paid off. It was a local loan through the state of Washington. The city now makes two loan payments: one for the WWTP, and one for the well.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:28 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5715-#5730 $5,041.78

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 13, 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; Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jim Farr; Steve McGehee; Will Hume; Donna Langsett; Aaron Flansburg.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 22, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
Chief Neumann spoke with the high school driver’s ed class last week about the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Officer Snead is settling in with training and paperwork. Next week should be his first full-time week.
We want to purchase a solar-powered battery for our radar trailer.

OLD BUSINESS:
Skatepark update – The proposed sewer plant site for the skatepark is exempt from the SEPA process because the
flexible thresholds for the city of Palouse state that any park development 12,000 or under square feet is exempt. An alternative site has been proposed just to the east of the PD, on Whitman Street, across from the PCC, on property owned by the Dillard family. The Dillard family has generously offered to donate that space for the purpose of building a skatepark. That space could accommodate a skate site approximately 10,000 square feet. Aaron pulled a dig ticket and all underground lines look great; water and sewer are stubbed to that sight. On May 29, at 7 pm, the skatepark committee is having a public forum at the police station to discuss this new site. The core skatepark group thinks it’s a good site to consider. Ed McLachlan submitted a letter opposing the site which Aaron read aloud.

NEW BUSINESS:
Draft Resolution allowing Palouse Reserve Officer’s participation in the Volunteer Firefighters’ Relief and Pension Act.
Reserve officers don’t qualify for the LEOFF program (police pension). Board for Volunteer Firefighters automatically covers our firefighter and EMS personnel. For reserve officers to participate the city must pass legislation allowing it and that is what this resolution does. Fee would be $185/yr for disability and $120/year for retirement. When enrolled in the disability program, L&I costs are not paid, thus reducing the cost to the city. If passed, it would be in place for any future reserve officers who do not qualify for LEOFF. Police, Fire, & Safety committee will meet to discuss and also the Joint Board Fire & EMS may assist writing the resolution.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer – The committee met last week with Supt. Griffin and Clerk Beeson. Nothing to report from the meeting. Councilmember Ossinger said he learned a lot.

Streets & Sidewalks – Councilmember Hicks met with Will Hume who is planning on putting together an outdoor seasonal restaurant licensed for beer and wine called the Palouse Caboose. He will be working from a large, modern food truck on the lot next to the PCC. He is planning on putting power in, and running sewer and fresh water to the truck itself. There will be a 42” barrier around the beer/restaurant area as per WA State Liquor regulations. He asked for permission from the city to have Avista put a 15’ power pole on the NE corner of the property and run overhead lines across a portion of city land to an existing pole. The truck will be hard-wired in and have water and sewer from an existing service. He is absorbing all the costs. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to allow for a temporary power pole to the “Palouse Caboose” on the basis that Will Hume is absorbing all the costs. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried. Councilmember Pearce abstained because she is one of the property co-owners.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings – follow-up on the offer of a 6’ angel statue donation. Councilmember Estes and her committee would like to respectfully decline the offer. There isn’t money in the cemetery fund to support building a foundation for it or maintaining it in the future. Clerk Beeson will forward this response to Will Murray.

Police, Fire, & Safety – Councilmember Wekenman attended the Whitman County Master Shoreline Program Steering Committee meeting. Wa. State Shoreline Mgmt Act was created in the 1970’s and no updates have been made to the act or its guidelines since then so the state is updating. In a nutshell, this committee is attempting to accommodate reasonable uses of the shoreline. Palouse qualifies because of the Palouse River going through town. It’s designed to protect our shoreline resources such as our city park, residential areas near the river. And there are ways to promote public access and provide recreational access and activities. At the meeting, Rick highlighted areas in Palouse that need more attention, etc. We could potentially qualify for money for riverbank restoration, etc.

Personnel & Pool – Committee, along with pool manager Rachel Witthuhn, interviewed three enthusiastic prospective lifeguards. All three are young high school students so will be good for when our college-aged lifeguards leave.

OPEN FORUM:
Jim Farr: wants a 2” meter with a 2” line at 435 C Street. Mayor told him we don’t install 2” meters/lines to residences. Jim also submitted a complaint against Supt. Griffin and wants him fired.

Steve McGehee: Wanted to know what the city is doing regarding the potential of asbestos in the mortar between the old bricks from the tavern debris. Joyce explained that the Dept. of Ecology considers it inert debris at this point and it can be taken to one of three licensed sites which handle this type and volume of debris. Councilmember Wekenman spoke with Larry Hunt, the contractor doing the removal/demo/clean-up, and he’s prepared to keep the site watered down, use covered trailers, etc.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Deputy Clerk Thompson explained that a large amount of the city’s archival documents have now been transferred to the Washington State Archives, through the Secretary of State’s office, who are now the legal custodians of those documents. As such, people wanting to view those documents will now have to contact Washington State Archives. Eventually they will all be available online through their website, but that will take a year of so. We will continue to transfer documents as time allows. This protects the city’s history from fire, flood, theft, etc.

Deputy Clerk Thompson clarified that the Palouse Arms Apartment are a privately owned building and the city did not condemn them, nor did our building inspector. Whatever that owner did, was on his or her own accord. The city had/has nothing to do with that.

Mayor reported that Jim Farr and Steve McGehee have submitted to City Hall 10 PRR’s (public record requests) in the last 7 days. Jim Farr then said they have 100’s more, and will continue until their questions are answered.

Palouse Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) is reforming itself and sent us a draft resolution that would update the current interlocal agreement. It will be in next week’s packets for your review.

We received from the WA State Liquor Control Board a license request for a private club beer/wine license at the Palouse Lions Club upstairs at 120 E. Main Street. There are some concerns raised since this is a city-owned building. This potentially puts the burden on the city. Our insurance broker, insurance provider CIAW, and our attorney said the Lions Club needs to provide a commercial liability policy for $1 million minimum, and a liquor liability policy for $1 million minimum, and both policies must name the City of Palouse as additional insured. We also need to update their lease to include stronger/specific language concerning liability. Council discussion included concerns about the stairs and location in a building owned by the city. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to request a 20 day extension from the liquor control board for further discussion, and to have Lions Club representative(s) come to city council to discuss our concerns and their ideas. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

May 19th is the AWC meeting in Rosalia.

Councilmember Wekenman talked with our building inspector and Larry Hunt regarding the fire clean-up. The major holdup on the clean-up is some disagreement between what building is attached to what. The adjacent property owner is concerned that clean-up will damage her building. Larry Hunt is ready to roll as soon as permission is given. He is taking salvage to one site, recyclable material to one site, and debris to yet another location.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:33 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. #5666-5682 & EFT $35,415.20
Claims Paid Ck. #5665 & 5686-5714 & EFT $26,302.55

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 22, 2014

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Absent: Doreen Hanson. Staff Present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett; Janet Barstow; Aaron Flansburg (7:21). Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman to excuse Councilmember Hanson’s absence. Motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 8, 2014. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The Curtis family owns land abutting the city’s old dump property in the county. They would like to pursue building a home on their property, using the city’s dump road as their access road. One of the options is the city turning over the road to the Curtis family and them granting us lifetime easement, thus they’re responsible for maintaining the road. There aren’t any apparent reasons not to do it, but we need to get Atty. Bishop’s advice. Currently, the city doesn’t maintain that old road and only use it in good weather. Streets & Sidewalks committee will look into it further.

Strom came and re-wired the fire-damaged street lights.

POLICE REPORT:
Officer Dentler resigned effective May 4, 2014. He’ll stay on as a reserve officer. Chief Neumann would like to hire former Palouse Police Officer Terry Snead. Snead understands it’s a 30 hour per week job until six-month period is up. Within the next six months it will be determined whether or not it will go to 40 hours per week. He won’t be here long-term, perhaps two or three years, as he is reaching retirement age. Chief Neumann has met with his civil service board regarding this matter. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to hire Terry Snead under the civil service rules, at 30 hours a week during the 6 month period. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion. Terry will probably start the second week in May. Motion carried unanimously.

Chief Neumann is working with GPHS driver’s ed teacher Mr. Griner to educate the kids on the risks of driving under the influence.

WSU/UI bike race was a little different this year. The bike club brought their own volunteers. Chief has a few concerns that he’ll address with the bike club organizers. The date of the race was a conflict also.

JFB REPORT: No fire calls in March, 5 YTD. Most of the meeting was spent looking at a slideshow of the April 8 fire at the tavern. FD did very well fighting that fire. The supplemental vehicles arriving from Pullman and Colfax arrived well into the fire and made a huge difference in slowing it down, but it was apparent that our FD was instrumental in keeping the adjacent buildings safe by keeping them cool. No one was hurt, no equipment damaged. FD used approximately 500,000 gallons of water. Our modern equipment was key in controlling the fire. Chief Bagott compared the various nozzle types and what a difference the right equipment can make.

EMS had 2 calls in March, 17 YTD. EMS is instituting some additional training in conjunction with the FD so each department is more familiar with what the other is doing in an emergency.

NEW BUSINESS:
1st Quarter Treasurer’s Report & Narrative: C-T Beeson submitted a written report and asked if there were any questions. Mayor pointed out the small amount of interest received. JB is looking into the interest rates of CD’s that would be available for public money. Perhaps starting with the balance of the Cemetery Endowment fund since only the interest can be used. The interest earned would still go to Cemetery operating. Currently, the investment pool is earning about 1/3 of 1%. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept the treasurer’s report as presented. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety – Committee met to discuss the officer resignation and support hiring Officer Snead.

OPEN FORUM:
Janet Barstow: Palouse Community Center would like a beer garden on south Beach Street (next to former tavern site) during the Rat Rod Show May 31st. PCC needs a letter of non-objection from the city addressed to the Liquor Control Board in order to meet their deadlines. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to authorize Joyce to put together a letter to the Liquor Control Board that the city approves Beach Street for a beer garden on May 31st. Motion carried unanimously. Janet believes they’ll shut down the beer garden at 6 pm.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
AWC small city connector meeting is at Rosalia on May 19th at 5:45 pm. AWC annual conference is in Spokane June 17-20. Mayor encourages council to attend.

Palouse River Duathlon is June 14th. Mark Sawyer requested permission for use of city streets and city park, use of city cones and white barricades, and assistance from the PD for traffic control. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to allocate the city resources as needed for the 2014 Palouse River Duathlon. Motion carried unanimously.

Deputy Clerk Thompson worked with the Secretary of State’s office this week in transferring all of the city’s minutes, ordinances, resolutions, etc., to the state archives for safe-keeping. The agency will begin digitizing all of them so that in the future anyone can access them online. They are now gone from the office and will forever be safeguarded from damage and or loss. It will take the Washington State Archives at least a year to get them online. These documents date back from 1888 to current.

Avista is accumulating all the new poles for our TIB L.E.D. project. Starting soon!

Will Murray offered to donate a 6’ high angel statue for the Palouse Cemetery. Atty. Bishop said it was acceptable from a non-denominational municipal standpoint. Public works has some concerns. Parks & Cemetery committee will discuss with public works and get back to Mr. Murray.

Councilmember Wekenman would like a plan of action from the fire clean-up crew (dust abatement, traffic, timeline, etc.).

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:18 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5646-5664 $11,230.44

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

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: ________________________________

DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION >

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 25. 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; Bev Pearce;
Christopher Langsett. Staff present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann;
Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Absent: Councilmember Wekenman had a family
matter. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to excuse Rick’s absence. Motion
carried unanimously. Public present: Student Liaison Tyler Wilson; Donna Langsett; Katie Cooper; Berlyn Hegg; Ami Kramer; Daniel Kramer; Jens Hegg; Aaron Flansburg; Kelsie Bakeman; Michael Kammeyer; Daniel Eastman; Tim
Jones; Kristin Jones; Nicole Flansburg; Kari Watkins; Garrick Watkins; Connie Newman; Darlene Brantner.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Pearce MOVED to adopt the minutes of the RegularCouncil March 11,2014. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

Meeting of PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. New backhoe arrived and is great.
POLICE REPORT: Working on a couple nuisance complaints on the north hill. The ATV ordinance is still with Atty.
Bishop. Snow tires must be off by April 15.
‘
JFB REPORT: Councilmember Langsett attended his first JFB meeting. Had a tour of the facility with Marv Pillers.
There were 8 EMS calls in February. Annie Pillers is working with Pullman on the ambulance contract to make sure
ambulance isn’t dispatched until EMS or FD calls for one as it is unnecessarily costly. EMS is looking for volunteers. Two fire calls in February, 4 for the year. They’ve had a couple trainings and a station work night. The pump/motor is getting replaced on brush truck 413. Everything is on budget.

OLD BUSINESS:
Skatepark Update: Mayor Echanove reported on the meeting held on March 13 with DOE. Present were Don Myott,
Dwayne Griffin, Mayor Echanove, Palouse Skatepark Council rep & wls chair Bo Ossinger, Aaron Flansburg, C-T
Beeson, Deputy Clerk Thompson. In summary, there are numerous state requirements the city has to begin, including lowering the temperature of the effluent from the plant, TMDL loading, effluent testing for fecal coliform, and nutrient testing with nitrates and phosphates, all of which potentially will require sewer plant expansion. Because of these issues and others, DOE said building a skate park next to the sewer plant wouldn’t be prudent. It would be very limiting to the city. DOE has indicated that they’ll hold off on issuing our permit until all the results of various studies have come in, and then they’ll set goals that the city has to obtain within the five years. Aaron Flansburg read aloud his 4- page prepared statement (attached). In summary, Aaron and the skatepark committees would still like to s~e the park located at the site next to the sewer plant. He would like to go through the SEPA which will bring in public comment from Palouse citizens and Ecology. When Aaron initially asked to build a skatepark, it was to be anywhere from 3,800 to 5,000 sf. Mayor wants to know how Aaron went from a 5,000 sf plan to 15,000 sf. Aaron said because the sewer plant land allows for that size. C-T Beeson told Aaron the next step is the SEPA process.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer- Councilmember Ossinger reported they had a short committee meeting last week attended by Jim
Farr. There is an error in paragraph 10.1 of the WSP. Connie Newman (former WIS committee chair) explained that the WSP is not a policy, it’s a plan. The WSP doesn’t change the city’s policies, it should reflect them. So paragraph 10.1 in the WSP is not accurate and should be changed to reflect the city’s actual policies: wls committee meetings are not required monthly; and committee meetings are not open meetings but the public can ‘request to attend. Taylor Engineering is awaiting the correction and will print and bind the final copies upon notice. WIS committee will bring something back to next council meeting.

Streets & Sidewalks- Councilmember Hicks had a committee meeting. His main focus now is on the Bridge Street
bridge work. The bridge is owned by the state (not the city). Mike met with Tom Riebold from Colfax WSDOT to look at the bridge. The railings are disintegrating rapidly. He’s going to try and get that on WSDOT’s bridge maintenance schedules. The state is also looking at cutting that curb out to help with the narrowness. The state won’t resurface it. Mayor thought maybe a bus shelter at the corner of Bluff and Sumner might be a good grant project for the Safe Routes to School program.

Personnel & Pool- Councilmember Pearce had a committee meeting. They established pool season dates, returning
pool staff & manager, and pay rates. We’ll be looking to hire one or two fill-in lifeguards. Out-of-town pool guests are encouraged to donate; last year they donated $1,403. They are also required to pay more for swim lessons – over50% of our swim lesson income comes from people outside the city limits, which we need. Bev is anticipating more users this summer because Reaney Pool in Pullman will be closed this for repairs.
The city received a complaint last week from Jim Farr. Mayor will review with Personnel Chair Bev Pearce.

Finance, Property, & Eguipment-Councilmember Langsett met with Joyce to discuss the six year water system
financial plan. Chris will meet with Dwayne to discuss project priority. The IACC conference is coming up in October. Mayor would like Councilmember Langsett to perhaps attend.

OPEN FORUM:
Darlene Brantner is concerned that just because the levy passed that we don’t spend it on returning the officer to full time but rather save the money for public works needs, parks, equipment, and cemetery.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
..
Tavern agreement for use of public right of way. The Brick Wall Bar & Grill would like permission to have an outdoor beer garden area approximately April through October, as weather permits. Policy Committee will review the agreement and bring to next council meeting.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion
carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.
.
The following checks are approved for payment: .
Claims Paid
Ck. #5574 – 5595
APPROVED:
$84,925.92
_ ATTEST:
_

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 11, 2014

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Rick Wekenman; Bev Pearce; Christopher Langsett. Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Absent: Councilmember Doreen Hanson is ill. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to excuse her absence. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Public present: Donna Langsett; Heather McGehee; Sharon Tharp (open forum only).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 25, 2014. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The new lube lines on the pumps are now wired in and they seem to be working fine. This should save millions of gallons of water each year. The materials should be paid for within the year just in what it cost to pump that water.

New grader is approximately 50 days out.

POLICE REPORT: Everything is going well. Reported on ATV ordinance (below).

OLD BUSINESS:
Police Department staffing update: Possibly bringing 3rd police officer from ¾ time back to full-time – Councilmember Wekenman would like to get our third officer back on full-time. He’s a reliable officer and likes his job. It’s tough finding good police officers. Councilmember Hicks asked Chief Neumann how it hurts the city not employing the third officer those 10 extra hours each week? Chief Neumann said it’s more that we’re going to lose a good police officer to a job that can pay him full time with full benefits. With three of us, we’re spread pretty thin sometimes. It takes creative scheduling. If we put him back on full time effective Sept. 1, the salary increase for Sept. – Dec. would be $2,925, plus some money for benefits, fuel and other costs. Councilmember Hicks is concerned that the council will make a decision based on emotion instead of on good financial sense. Clerk-Treasurer Beeson explained that increases in income from the levy lid lift will start coming in April when people pay their property taxes. She is predicting the street fund will get between $5,000-$6,000 more with the levy lid lift. Plus, when the LED project is in effect, the street fund will retain that money normally spent on the lights. No action tonight; will continue looking at it.

Resoluton No. 2014-02 authorizing portion of general levy distribution to street fund and fire fund – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. 30% of the general levy will be receipted into the city Street Fund 101, and 10% will be receipted in the Fire Equipment Reserve Fund 308. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2014-02. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Update on ATV ordinance – Chief Neumann and Councilmember Hanson met last week with county commissioner Art Swannick and county public works manager Mark Storey to discuss the ORV ordinance and how opening up the county roads could increase tourism to Palouse. Until the county sees the potential, we’re going to be stuck on an island, with no way to access Palouse via ORV’s on the county roads. We asked for the potential for Palouse to be a test city. Pomeroy has done this and has put out a brochure. All gravel county roads are now potentially open. If we move forward with our ordinance we can periodically update it. Have to be 16 and a licensed driver; have headlights, taillights; turn signals. Committee is still working on the ordinance. Legislation is in place removing the restrictions of the use of 35 mph roads only. Councilmember Pearce inquired about having a public meeting for this ordinance. Councilmember Pearce MOVED to send this proposed ordinance to Atty. Bishop for his review and codification. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer- Councilmember Ossinger will be having his first w/s committee this Friday, open to the public. March 14, 6 pm, at City Hall.

Streets & Sidewalks- Councilmember Hicks watched a webinar on pedestrian bicycle program through the state and the Safe Routes to School Program. He’s having his first committee meeting this week. Applications for the Safe Routes to School Program are due by first week of May. Property owners are responsible for the condition of the sidewalk in front of their house(s), but that doesn’t prohibit the city from applying for grants.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings- Councilmember Estes had a committee meeting March 3rd. She wants to meet with PW Supt. Griffin to discuss building and cemetery needs.

Personnel & Pool- Councilmember Pearce is gathering information about the hiring practices for the pool employees. She spoke with the City of Pullman to gather more information. Bev is having a committee meeting tomorrow night. Wants to get things solidified so can get going on the hiring of 2014 staff.

Finance, Property, & Equipment- no report. Councilmember Langsett will be meeting with Joyce to learn financial end of things.

OPEN FORUM:
Sharon Tharp: She lives on NE hillside of town and can hear everything from their house. She is very concerned about ATV’s going through town and the noise they will cause, which in turn will cause barking dogs, traffic concerns, etc. They appreciate the peacefulness of Palouse and don’t want the ATV ordinance.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
DOE is meeting this week with public works and the Mayor regarding the sewer plant. Aaron Flansburg has been invited due to his skatepark plans at that location.

Mayor Echanove, Councilmembers Wekenman & Pearce, and Deputy Clerk Thompson attended the Mayor’s Roundtable March 6 in Albion. Keynote speaker was Terry Lawhead from Department of Commerce.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:58 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 2/28/14 Ck. #5534-#5550 & EFT $36,451.19
Claims Paid Ck. #5551-#5573 & EFT $12,253.80

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 25, 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; Christopher Langsett. Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson; & City Attorney Stephen Bishop (7:10). Public present: Aaron Flansburg; Heather McGehee; & GPHS student liaison Tylor Wilson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 11, 2014. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
No serious in-town collisions this winter.

JFB REPORT:
The wildland grant money has now been received. Financially things are fine. Two fire calls in January, and 7 EMS calls. That puts us on a record pace for EMS in 2014.

OLD BUSINESS:
Skatepark Update: Aaron Flansburg- Mayor first updated the new council on the history of the skatepark referencing discussions in past minutes and motions that have been passed. The Mayor then gave the floor to Aaron Flansburg. Aaron has been in contact with PCD; in 2008 the city received grant funding from DOE for plantings on the south side of the sewer plant where the skatepark is proposed to locate. The terms of the grant were that they remain in place for 10 years or the funds may have to be paid back. The dollar amount was $272. In 2006 & 2007 there were plantings down there as well. Aaron has been in contact with Chad Atkins at DOE as well and hoping to meet with him on-site to discuss the feasibility of using that site for the skatepark, the plantings, relocating the plantings, buying out the grant and any other options they might have. There was discussion about the square footage of the skatepark: it was published in the newspaper to be a 15,000 sf design yet the designs presented to council were for less than 5,000 sf. For perspective, Councilmember Wekenman pointed out that the footprint of the swim pool area, including the concrete footprint, is 10,000 sf. Aaron said that the overall size of the skatepark has not been proposed but is going to be determined by what fits, what’s appropriate, what they can afford. Other discussion included liability – all skateparks are “skate at your own risk” but are included on the city’s insurance policy. Aaron was told by the city carrier that it would be no more than $100 a year. Skatepark committee is responsible for cleaning graffiti and such. There has to be a substantial buffer zone between the sewer plant and the skatepark and around the eastern end/cistern. Aaron is thinking a minimum of 15’ buffer. After meeting with DOE, Aaron will begin the SEPA process and anything else that is required as it’s in the 100-year flood plain.

Update on ATV ordinance- Policy committee met last week to discuss the proposed ATV ordinance and a few points of concern. Our ordinance will only encompass the city of Palouse streets and city limits. The state and county have different regulations/requirements/laws. Chief would like a group of local enthusiasts to work with the county to get them on board with this. We can still move forward with our ordinance but it would be nice get the county on board. The policy committee will continue working with Chief Neumann and Attorney Bishop.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 914: Accepting the regular levy amount for Budget Year 2014-
The Mayor reported to council that the city’s levy lid lift on the ballot actually passed with 59%. We were initially told that it needed 60% to pass. To meet levy certification deadlines, the County Assessor worked with us and set the levy amount at approx. 2.94/1,000. This amount is about $.16 less than capacity. The difference will be included in the 2015 levy. Ordinance 914 accepts the 2014 general levy amount of $172,127. Mayor read aloud the entire ordinance. Councilmember Langsett MOVED to adopt Ordinance 914. Councilmember Pearce seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Honoring what was presented to the voters, the Mayor would like to see the Fire Equipment fund get 10% of the levy for future equipment needs, 30% to the Street Fund with the remainder staying in the general fund, Current Expense. Councilmember Langsett read a portion of a sample resolution that would set the percentages allowing the direct receipt of a portion of the levy to the Street Fund and the Fire Equipment Fund. After discussion, Councilmember Langsett MOVED to set the percentages at 30% to the Street Fund and 10% to the Fire Equipment Fund. Councilmember Hanson seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Policy & Administration – Doreen Hanson, Chair: Committee met about the ATV ordinance as already discussed.

Water & Sewer – Bo Ossinger, Chair: Hasn’t met yet. He made the full Water System Plan available to his committee.

Streets & Sidewalks – Mike Hicks, Chair: Had a meeting planned with Supt. Griffin but had to cancel, will reschedule.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings – Senja Estes, Chair: Committee has not met yet but will soon.

Police, Fire, & Safety – Rick Wekenman, Chair: Committee met regarding the effect of the passage of the levy lid lift to the Police Department’s officer position. The hope is to bring the position back from ¾ to full time. He would also like to see increases to all of the staff positions. The timeline considered for bringing Officer Dentler back to full time is September or October. The approximate year-end cost to bring the position back to full time is estimated at $3,750. Restoring the full time status would be great this fall for coverage through the various fall events. The committee will continue to discuss this.

Personnel & Pool – Bev Pearce, Chair: No committee meeting yet but spoke with Ann about the timeline for hiring a manager.

Finance, Property, & Equipment – Christopher Langsett, Chair: He attended the Police, Fire, & Safety committee meeting. He will work with the clerk on how restoring the officer position to full time will affect the budget.

OPEN FORUM: No topics

MAYOR’S REPORT: The city received a corrected liquor license application for the Brick Wall Bar and Grill. The address and name were corrected. No objections. Multiple public record requests were received from Jim Farr; feel free to review them at city hall. The Planning Commission has set their public hearing for the proposed Comprehensive Plan and Title 17, Zoning for Tuesday, March 4th. Garfield Mayor McGowan will be attending a council meeting to introduce himself.

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

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

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5519-5533 $2,380.77

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 11, 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; Christopher Langsett. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Donna Langsett; Heather McGehee; Tylor Wilson (GP student liaison).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 28, 2014. Councilmember Hicks seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT:
No issues at Brewfest.
Had a couple semis attempt going up Bridge Street and get stuck. Public Works helped free one.
Regarding the ATV ordinance, helmets have to be worn. Golf carts will be included as long as they have break lights. Some of the roads we’ve identified as access ways into and out of Palouse are North River and South River Roads, county roads, etc. State highways are not allowed. State regulates decibels of noise. If operated at night, the orv’s must have working headlights, brake lights, & signal lights. There are licensing requirements, vehicle requirements, etc. that all need to be in place. Chief would like to meet with committee to go over it and then maybe have a public hearing about it.

River is predicted to reach 10’ and our action stage is 14’ so we’re okay. The river flow is available on www.visitpalouse.com

NEW BUSINESS:
Award bid for backhoe – City received only one bid. Rowand Machinery bid, with our trade-in, $71,684.73. Councilmember Pearce MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to accept the Rowand Machinery bid of $71,684.73, for the purchase of a new backhoe. The last backhoe was purchased from Rowand. And the county purchases from Rowand. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution 2014-01: Interfund Loan – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. It’s a short-term, interfund loan of $10,000, from water fund to the street fund to pay its share of this purchase. This sum, together with interest of 5% per annum, shall be repaid within three years from the date of disbursement. Interest shall accrue on the unpaid principal balance. Water Operating is saving for the new well and the projects outlined in the WSP so we know it will need money in the future but for the next two or three years it will be fine; we’re not spending money we’ll need tomorrow. And we might as well pay the interest to ourselves vs. a bank. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2014-01. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 913: Budget amendment – Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. In summary, of the $1,971,308 estimated revenues, $1,377,170 are appropriated. This budget amendment is what we have to do to be able to purchase the backhoe. Councilmember Hicks MOVED to accept ordinance no. 913, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger. Motion carried unanimously.

Award bid for Palouse TIB LED Implementation Project- The city received two bids for this project. Hemphill Heating & Electric bid $96,725.62; Colvico bid $102,236. TIB recommends Hemphill be awarded the project. This is 100% paid through the TIB grant but the city is going to be expending money on this project before the grant money comes in. It’s our hope that when we submit a request for reimbursement that we get in before the month end. So there may be some months when the street fund ends in the negative until the grant money comes in. Joyce is going to check with the auditors on how tht would be viewed by them. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Hicks to accept the recommendation to award the bid to Hemphill Heating & Electric. Motion carried unanimously. Because this is a total swap-out, we’re going to need a storage area for the units coming down. They will be of value and we’ll need to figure out the future of them.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment – Chris Langsett, Chair:
Water & Sewer – Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Policy & Administration – Doreen Hanson, Chair: Will have a meeting for the ATV ordinance.
Personnel & Pool – Bev Pearce, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings – Senja Estes, Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety – Rick Wekenman, Chair:

Streets & Sidewalks- Mike Hicks, Chair: The city just received word about “Safe routes to school” grant opportunity. Perhaps they could be used for sidewalks in disrepair.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Next Mayor’s Roundtable is in Albion.

AWC conference is June 17-20 in Spokane this year.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Langsett MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Estes 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 8:05 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 1/31/14 Ck. #5478-5494 & EFT $35,483.91
Claims Paid 2/12/14 Ck. #5495-5518 & EFT $18,743.26

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 28, 2014

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:10 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Doreen Hanson; Bo Ossinger; Mike Hicks; Senja Estes; Christopher Langsett. Absent: Rick Wekenman. Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Bev Pearce; Mark Wilcomb; Bruce Reim (Canfield & Assoc); Heather McGehee. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence due to illness. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

SWEARING IN OF CHRISTOPHER LANGSETT FOR POSITION #7: Mayor Echanove read Christopher Langsett his Oath of Office and he was officially sworn in.

COUNCIL CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS for vacated council position #6: The city received two applicants: Bev Pearce & Mark Wilcomb. Both applicants were separately asked an identical set of questions. At 7:31 pm Councilmember Estes MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Langsett, to go into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss the two applicants. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor called them back into order at 7:41 pm. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to appoint Mark Wilcomb to council position #6. Councilmember Estes seconded. Discussion ensued. Motion failed 3-2. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to appoint Bev Pearce to council position #6. Councilmember Langsett seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

SWEARING IN OF BEV PEARCE FOR COUNCIL POSITION #6: Mayor Echanove read Bev Pearce her Oath of Office and she was officially sworn in.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 14, 2014. Councilmember Langsett seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Following up on ATV ordinance….legislation in the state of Washington has relaxed on the use of off-road vehicles on public roads. Chief Neumann would like to have an ordinance allowing the use of ATVs/ORVs on Palouse’s city streets because he thinks there could be an economic boost. He passed out an example ordinance and requested council to read it and bring back questions and concerns.

Following up on the gas thefts, all the gas thefts were/are in a 2 block radius. They have leads and are working on it.

JFB REPORT: Fire and EMS look good financially. FD had one call in December, 24 total in 2013: 7 city calls, 12 rural, and 5 mutual aid calls. The estimates on replacing the pump on the brush truck came back better than anticipated so it looks like it will be worth going through with. One tire on the tanker truck needs replacing.

EMS is upgrading their training software and supplies. Getting together with Pullman ambulance on AED training. Marv Pillers was appointed to the county 9-1-1 as the Palouse rep. EMS had 72 calls last year: 50 city, 12 rural, and 10 non-residential. 3 Med-Star calls.

NEW BUSINESS:
2013 4th Q Treasurer Report: Joyce discovered last week that the general fund went over budget for 2013. We went over by $4,930 (0.6%). We’re still going to end the year higher than the 2013 beginning balance, increasing current expense reserve balance by $29,282. Joyce clarified some of the report. Everything looks good. Cemetery and street funds lost some of their reserve. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to approve the 4th Q treasurer’s report as presented. Councilmember Pearce seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Student Liaison Tylor Wilson- is going to talk to the junior class to see if any of them has interest in being the student liaison next year for their senior project.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Committee Assignments: Mayor handed out his preliminary assignments and requested council to review.

Liquor License (beer & wine) application for “The Brick Wall Bar & Grill” (former home of Palouse Tavern). No objections.

Special Occasion beer/wine license for Palouse Arts Council’s annual St. Patrick’s Day event at the Palouse Community Center March 17th. No objections.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Estes MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Hicks 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 8:34 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, 13th month EFT $ 962.29
Claims Paid 1-28-14 Ck. # 5459-#5477 $5,373.07

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 14, 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. Absent: Norm Schorzman (resigned, see below) & Chris Langsett. Councilmember Langsett is sick. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to excuse Councilmember Langsett’s absence. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Schorzman submitted by mail his resignation. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: student liaison Tylor Wilson.

2014 NEW COUNCIL OATHS OF OFFICE: Mayor read aloud the oaths of office for new Councilmembers Doreen Hanson & Mike Hicks, and incumbent Councilmember Senja Estes. They are now sworn in. Mayor will swear in Councilmember Langsett in the near future.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of December 10, 2013. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to approve the Special Council Meeting of December 16, 2013. Motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Supt. Griffin would like council blessing to start advertising for bids for new basic backhoe with a thumb. Our backhoe is 15 years old right now with 6100 hours on it. The city has had no major repairs on it so it would be a good time to trade it in while there’s still good value in it. The used backhoe is estimated to be worth approximate $20,000 for trade-in. The only thing we’ve had to do to this one is a new starter, new battery, and new tires. The City uses the backhoe constantly. Supt. Griffin can get a new backhoe for $30,000 less than a used one if we piggyback on another government bid which is what we’re hoping to do. With a new one we also get a warranty. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize Supt. Griffin to develop specs and go out for backhoe bids and/or use GSA (Govt. Services Administration). Senja seconded. Is there any advantage to leasing one? If we’re able to do this via piggyback with GSA, new is the way to go. If that doesn’t work out for some reason we may need to look at used and or leasing prices. Motion carried unanimously.

There is $63,000 allocated for this purchase in the 2014 budget so that probably won’t be quite enough. With the available funds for 2014, the street fund will not be able to pay its share. If we move forward with the backhoe purchase, C-T Beeson would like council to consider an interfund loan which will amortize over three years, and include an interest rate comparable to current rates. Water has reserves available as we are saving for future projects. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize C-T Beeson to put together the details of an interfund loan from the water fund to the street fund to help fund the potential new backhoe. Senja seconded. Discussion: It’s a win-win when you have the cash available since we are paying the interest to ourselves. We will try to work first through GSA piggy backing on a state contract. If that doesn’t work out, it will go out to bid. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT: Extra patrol in both towns. Found a little more foot traffic between 11pm and 2 am. We’ve got a couple criminal investigations going on in both cities. We’re reviewing grants available in 2014. In the last month or so there have been some reports of gas being stolen from vehicles in Palouse. Please report thefts of any amount to the police, even a few gallons.

NEW BUSINESS:
MFA 2014 & 2014 Groundwater Monitoring Contract: The consent decree requires that the city continue to monitor groundwater until cleanup levels are met for four consecutive sampling events. Ecology has approved that the frequency of groundwater samples can be reduced to semi-annually in 2014 & 2015. The estimated cost to perform the proposed work is $32,000 and is within the remaining grant funds. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to authorize the Mayor to sign the Groundwater Monitoring Contract with MFA for 2014 & 2015. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

In regards to Resolution 2013-12, which established a student advisor position, Councilmember Hanson volunteered to be the councilmember mentor. Student liaison Tylor Wilson thinks it is a good idea to be mentored by an active council member. Councilmember Hanson MOVED that she be appointed as Tylor’s council mentor until his position ends May 2014. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT: meeting was held on Dec. 16th. We finished the year financially okay, no red flags. Two fire calls in November, 24 YTD. We’re still awaiting grant money. One of the trucks has a serious problem in the water pump and they are still looking into options. It will be very expensive to fix and may not be replaced depending on the costs.

On the EMS end, 11 calls in November, mid 70’s YTD. Obtained new stretcher for one of the EMS vehicles, and a new to us, used defibrillator. Typically a used one is over $20,000, but they got one for $5,200. They are now compatible with Pullman. These are all volunteers with 1000’s of hours of training and experience among them. They also have one of the best reputations among the county.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
No committee reports yet in the new year.

GPHS student liaison Tylor Wilson – looking at ways to interest GPHS students in what’s going on in the city.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Committee Report assignments. Mayor asked council to look over the committees. It is the Mayor’s discretion as to who is on which committee but he’s looking for input from council.

Mayor is looking for another councilperson to serve on the Joint Fire Board.

When there is a councilmember resignation, the remaining council has 90 days to appoint someone. After 90 days, Mayor can appoint someone to fill it. If he can’t, the county commissioner does, and so on. Historically, we begin an advertising process to fill the position. Council advised staff to post announcements and send an email. Posting will say “open until filled”.

Street lighting project update: The city-owned street lights downtown will go from approximately $4/month per light to $.85/month per light. This is a TIB pilot project and there will be no cost to the city. The ad for bids goes out this week. It is scheduled for council award on February 11, 2014.

We’re having a council training from our insurance carrier on January 28th.

We’ve had an issue arise just today with the location of the skatepark. The city has an agreement with the Palouse Conservation District regarding the land surrounding the sewer plant. Information will be disseminated to council and will be discussed

Levy Lid Lift failed by one vote in November which would have raised the current levy amount to the maximum amount allowable of $3.10 per thousand. Currently we tax at about $2.49. The money was going to generate approximately $40,000 more for the city. Currently 65% goes into general fund, 35% goes into street. Had the levy passed, we were going to use 60% in the general fund, 30% to the street fund and 10% to the fire equipment fund. Chief Bagott has asked that over the next ten years, the city set aside $300,000 for its share of costs to keep the fleet of vehicles and equipment current. The levy lid lift was the method chosen to make this happen as well as to maintain basic city services. Pullman ran one and it passed. The county is going to run one. The library district is going to run one this spring. The initiative limiting 1% isn’t keeping up with inflation. Should the city attempt to run one again? They cost a lot of money when they’re not part of a standard election date. Councilmember Ossinger questioned whether a special levy just for the FD would be better. He also thinks it’s too soon to run one.

By law, whenever there is a significant change on council, the council has to select a Mayor Pro-tem. Mayor pro-tem takes over when the Mayor isn’t available. Mayor pro-tem also has signing authority. Councilmember Wekenman is our current mayor pro-tem. Councilmember Hanson MOVED to keep Councilmember Wekenman as mayor pro-tem. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Brew-Fest special event liquor permit. It was already approved by the council in November. No objections.

Mayor Echanove passed the discussion to Councilmember Wekenman for the renewal of the Green Frog Café’s beer and wine license. No objections.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Ossinger 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 Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:51 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 12/31/13 Ck. #5388-5393 & 5414-5442 $16,070.39
Voided: Ck. #5413
Payroll Paid 12/31/13 Ck. #5394-5412 & EFT $40,081.86
Claims Paid 1/15/14 Ck. #5443-5458 $20,197.41

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Special Council Meeting
December 16, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman; Connie Newman (7:06). Absent: Tim Jones. Also present: Joyce Beeson, Clerk-Treasurer. Public present: Mary Estes.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 912 adopting property tax increase for 2014 for the Ems levy: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety and again by title only. This ordinance allows a 1% increase in the property tax levy, and increases allowed for new construction and state-assessed property values. Councilmember Wekenman asked if this ordinance is something we consider every year. C-T Beeson explained that we haven’t had an ordinance for allowable increases to EMS for 2 years since it was on the ballot and stayed at the limit of .50/$1,000. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt ordinance No. 912. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried with one nay vote from Councilmember Schorzman.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:10 PM.

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
December 10, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Tim Jones. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse Tim’s absence. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Supt. Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Special Council Meeting of November 26, 2013. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Public Works has had a few frozen water meters in town. Supt. Griffin has been attending CEU water certification classes in Airway Heights.

POLICE REPORT: Public service reminders: It is a law that your front and side windows be defrosted prior to driving. Also, the roads are slick, slow down.
The number of sold concealed pistol licenses is up 30% from last year.
We’re looking at replacing the downstairs door at the PD with one that is insulated.

OLD BUSINESS:
TIB Agreement for city-owned street lights: Mayor read aloud the letter from TIB. TIB is allocating $91,000 for this project with no match from the city. The lights aren’t spec’d out yet; the city will be part of that process. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the TIB Solid State Street Light Agreement, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman. Motion carried unanimously.

TIB Agreement for seal-coat project: Mayor read aloud the letter from TIB. Palouse was selected for the FY 2015 seal coat project with TIB allocating funds of $31,176 with no match from the city. This will be a two-year project: we’ll patch and crack seal one year, then chip seal the next year. This is earmarked for Fairview Avenue from the highway to the city limits. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the fuel tax grant distribution agreement. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 909 adopting property tax increase for 2014: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. With the failure of our levy lid lift, we were prepared to take our 1% as allowed by law. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt ordinance No. 909. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 910 setting the regular and special levy amounts for 2014: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. In summary estimate: special street levy $44,000 ($.761 per $1,000); special pool levy $28,000 ($.484 per $1,000); Voted regular EMS levy $27,248 ($.466 per $1,000); general levy $134,000 ($2.300 per $1,000). Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 910. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 911 adopting 2014 budget: Councilmember Estes MOVED to suspend the reading of Ordinance No. 911. Councilmember Newman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Joyce factored in the TIB street light grant. Joyce is still awaiting a 2014 Brownfields payment and the firefighter equipment grant payment. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by councilmember Wekenman, to adopt Ordinance No. 911. Motion carried unanimously.

2014-2015 Pullman Ambulance Contract Renewal: This is for 24-hour response from Pullman for emergency medical services. There are no cost increases for 2014 or 2015. It’s a good deal. The cost is $17,210 each year. They had approximately 75 responses to Palouse in 2013. Councilmember Newman MOVED to approve the contract. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-: no report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: no report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: No policy & admin report. He did attend a skatepark design committee meeting. Aaron is leaning toward a Portland-based company for the design. He’s hoping to do the majority of labor with volunteers. He has several things to do first like talk with the insurance underwriter, talk with DOE, and SEPA process.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: No water & sewer report. She reminded council that she will be continuing as the appointed student advisor through May. She has requested to receive the council packets once she’s off council so she can continue to advise Tylor Wilson. She has also requested that the student advisor be on every agenda (perhaps under committee report).

Student Advisor, Tylor Wilson: He gave his report to council on what he learned when he attended the GP school board meeting regarding the Oakesdale request to form a cooperative with GP. The school board is looking for public input. They’re making their final decision January 2, 2014.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Planning Commission reappointment of Jay Iverson, Corey Laughary, & Lynne Nelson. Their terms are up December 31, 2013. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, reaffirming the mayor’s reappointments of the above to the Planning Commission. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Ossinger and Mayor Echanove attended the Shorelines Management meeting to update the plan. The Shorelines Management Plan (SMP) hasn’t been updated since 1974. It allows preparation of locally tailored programs to meet the needs of our rural and city communities. They’re hoping to finish this up by 2015. Mayor appointed Councilmembers Wekenman and Ossinger to represent Palouse on the SMP. The SMP includes all the cities and towns in Whitman County.

Mayor thanked Councilmember Newman for her work on council.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:56 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5352-5387 & EFT $16,743.07

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Special Meeting
Final Public Hearing for 2014 Preliminary Budget
Followed by Regular Council Meeting
November 26, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes (7:08); Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Christopher Langsett; Donna Langsett; Scott Beeson; Tylor Wilson.

Mayor took a moment of silence to recognize our friend and fellow councilmember Alison Webb who died last Thursday evening. Mayor read aloud some letters from various agencies offering their condolences to the community, city staff, and her family.

FINAL PUBLIC HEARING for 2014 Preliminary Budget: Mayor opened the public hearing at 7:08 pm. Hearing no comments, Mayor closed the public hearing at 7:08 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Public Hearing & Regular Council Meeting of November 12, 2013. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

OPEN FORUM:
Scott Beeson, representing the 2nd Annual Palouse Cabin Fever Brewfest, Feb. 8, 2014. They will be applying for a special occasion liquor license. It’s an indoor-outdoor event at Palouse Community Center, which extends into the PCC parking lot which is city property. Councilmember Newman MOVED to approve the use of the city-owned parking lot at the PCC, February 8th, 2014, for the brewfest. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Proceeds benefit the PCC. Last year they were able to donate almost $3,000. Motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Additionally, we had a pump failure at the sewer plant this week. It’s been replaced already and will have the damaged one repaired and kept as back-up for these types of emergencies.

POLICE REPORT:
~Things are going well with both Palouse and Garfield.
~Chicken issue came up again last week in Palouse; wants council to keep moving on that.
~Haunted Palouse paid to have the carpets cleaned at the P.D., library, and City Hall.
~The Palouse Food Bank, which stores their food in the basement of the PD, purchased a new pass-through door for the PD.
~We had to put new snow tires on two of the patrol cars.
~We’re working with involved agencies on the missing kayaker to improve communication between all the agencies.
~A GPHS student, for his senior project, would like to bring the old bell on top of the current PD (old FD) off the roof and have it displayed outside the PD with a plaque, etc. describing the bell’s history. The bell was used in signaling fires & emergencies, and rung nightly to signal curfew time. Council said that would be fine.
~Regarding the crumbling cap on the PD, it’s going to need the work of a mason.

JFB REPORT:
EMS is at 86% of their budget right now with December left to go. It’s pretty tight with only 14% left but they’re reasonably sure there won’t be any overages. FD budget will be well under budget; no concerns.
There was 1 fire call in October, 23 YTD. They’ve been training with their SCBA and keeping fire trucks tuned up. This time of year the firefighters get reimbursed for their calls throughout the year; this year it came to $2,869.25.
EMS had 10 calls in Oct., 60 YTD. There was some discussion on renaming Cove Road. JFB came to the conclusion that they have no addressing concerns as far as emergency services. Their recommendation was non-action.

OLD BUSINESS:
2014 Budget Discussions: Mayor read aloud the 2014 budget message. Councilmember Newman asked to go on record as saying that she hopes in 2014 it will be a council priority to give COLA raises to city staff.

Resolution No. 2013-11, 2014 Salary Schedule: The only changes are an increase to return staff to 2010 salary before the 3% cut. Also, the range for lifeguard pay was increased to reflect increase to minimum wage and to allow for raises for returning guards. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2013-11. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 907- 2014 sewer rate: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety and again by title only. It is necessary to increase the monthly rates charged for city sewer service, to take effect Jan. 1, 2014. Each service is raised $1. The current rate is meeting our sewer expenses but not allocating enough to reserves to meet the expenses of future infrastructure and higher maintenance costs since the plant is now 18 years old. Also, Dept. of Ecology will be taking more action in the next few years in terms of the temperatures of the river and having the city make all necessary required changes to the effluent to the river. When we did our rate study 2.5 years ago, it was recommended we do annual rate increases, which we haven’t implemented yet but Connie recommends the city re-look into that. That will avoid what we had to do a few years ago when we did a large increase at once. Councilmember Newman MOVED to approve Ordinance No. 907. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 908- Budget Amendment to sewer fund: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. We are increasing sewer plant supplies & materials from $2,000 to $7,000, thus decreasing sewer ending balance from $16,940 to $11,940. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 908. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-13 closing travel expense account at AWB: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The travel expense account established in 1995 hasn’t been used since 2004 because it doesn’t fit into the city’s travel policy. This resolution closes that travel expense account. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2013-13, seconded by Councilmember Jones. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Discussed sewer rate above.
Connie has met with student advisor Tylor Wilson. He’s going to ride along with Chief Neumann and also try to spend some time with the PW. Tylor is working on using part of the school bulletin board to share city news with the students.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb, Chair: no report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: no report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: no report

MAYOR’S REPORT:
~Councilmember Jones MOVED to cancel the second council meeting in December. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously.
~Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman, to authorize the closure of City Hall Dec. 26th. Motion carried unanimously.
~A short-plat is going through the Planning Commission and the Building Inspector for Beeson property on Cove Road. It is first engineered by owners, then the preliminary plat goes to the Planning Commission and the Building Inspector for approval or denial before it becomes a final plat.
~City had its audit exit interview today with the state auditor. City passed with flying colors. No findings, no management letters. Our audit was for 2010, ‘11, & ’12. The city is audited once every three years and has been free from findings for seven consecutive audits
~Since our levy lid lift didn’t pass, the levy amounts will be set by ordinance at the next council meeting.
~Alison’s memorial service is this Saturday, Nov. 30th, at 1 pm at Palouse Federated Church.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. #5291-5313 & EFT $37,359.20
Claims Paid Ck. #5290 & 5314-5351 $18,937.69

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

PUBLIC HEARING on 2014 Preliminary Budget
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting
November 12, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson (left at 7:10); & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Darcie Bagott; Tylor Wilson; Aaron Flansburg; Don Snekvik; Charlotte Snekvik; Debbie Goetz; Adam Barron; Ami Kramer; Kelsi Bakeman (left at 7:25); Kari Watkins; Nicole Flansburg. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse Councilmember Webb’s absence. Councilmember Schorzman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC HEARING: 2014 preliminary budget. Opened public Hearing at 7:04. No comments. Closed at 7:06.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman amended the minutes to say under her water/sewer committee report “raise it [sewer rate] $1.00 before the end of the year”. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 22, 2013. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

OPEN FORUM: Debbie Goetz, representing Palouse Chamber of Commerce, requested permission to use Heritage Park Nov. 30-Jan 4 for a lighted holiday display. They won’t use any religious decorations. The Chamber will pay some money toward the city’s electricity used at Heritage Park during that time frame. Councilmember Jones MOVED to authorize the chamber to use the area at Heritage Park as described. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported all is well in both Garfield and Palouse.

OLD BUSINESS:
2014 Budget Discussions: No new information because we still don’t know the results of our levy lid lift. Results will be official November 26. Whether it passes or not, none of our expenditures change unless council chooses; the only difference will be on the revenue side.

Aaron Flansburg: Skate park update/location discussion – Aaron gave a slideshow presentation, outlining the results of a survey he took where signers could rank location preferences for a skate park. Location options he gave were: on private property; Whitman Street; Hayton Greene (city) Park; former trailer park; sewer plant area. Aaron reviewed the pros and cons of all the sights. The sewer plant option was by far everyone’s first choice and the park was the least favorite choice. Skatepark Committee raised $14,297 from Haunted Palouse bringing their account total to $20,500.

Councilmember Newman MOVED to approve the sewer plant site for the skatepark development. The skate park will be for use by skateboards, non-motorized scooters and skates only. Skate park to be incorporated into the city’s park system. Must abide by the following contingencies: 1) Design shall meet criteria for safety as approved by the city’s insurance carrier; 2) design shall maintain reasonable access to underground utilities by typical excavation machinery; 3) A council representative shall be on the Palouse Skate Park Association design committee and the design will be presented to council for approval before construction; 4) Palouse Skate Park Association shall maintain a reserve fund of $1,000 toward potential repairs; 5) Performance bond shall be in place before construction begins; 6) Contractor shall be bonded and licensed and carry appropriate liability insurance; 7) Palouse Skate Park Association will provide quarterly updates on the skate park development. Councilmember Jones seconded. Discussion continued. Councilmember Wekenman asked if Palouse Conservation District was contacted about this location since they were the ones who did all the native plantings. Aaron said he had not contacted PCD but in the location where he’s proposing the skatepark there are only native grasses growing. Councilmember Newman said there are no legal reasons it can’t be reused for other purposes. Councilmember Wekenman pointed out that the sewer plant area falls into our critical areas and Aaron needs to be sure Ecology will allow the build in the first place. Councilmember Newman said that if in this process Ecology tells Aaron no, council will revisit other locations.

Councilmember Newman reminded everyone that Aaron spoke with the city’s insurance carrier and they estimate a maximum increase of $100 a year to our insurance, provided it meets the criteria for safety as approved by our insurance carrier.

Councilmember Jones MOVED to call to question the prior motion. Councilmember Newman seconded. And the motion carried unanimously. Regarding Councilmember Newman’s earlier motion to approve the sewer plant site for the skate park and Councilmember Jones’ second, motion carried with one nay vote from Councilmember Wekenman. Councilmembers Estes and Ossinger will both be council representatives on the Palouse Skate Park Association design committee.

Resolution No. 2013-10: 2014 Fee Schedule – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Fee changes included raises in the following: cost of gravel; cost of dig & cover (dirt & gravel); & cost of dig & cover (asphalt). Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2013-10. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-11: 2014 Salary Schedule – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Joyce put back into the salaries the 3% cut that staff took in January 2011. Councilmember Newman wants to table this resolution until the results of the levy lid lift are in. She would like to consider COLA raises and make the staff whole if the lid lift passes. Councilmember Jones MOVED to table this resolution until next meeting. Councilmember Newman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2013-12: establishing a volunteer student advisor position to council for GPHS senior project – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Councilmember Newman explained that AWC encourages cities to offer this type of opportunity to students. There are only five or six cities in Washington who have a student advisor position. Councilmember Newman had Atty. Bishop write this resolution. A councilmember has to be willing to make the commitment if a student applies. Other than Connie, whose term expires in December, there were no other interested mentors. Council had Deputy Clerk revise the resolution to include that in the absence of a willing councilperson, council could select a community person to mentor the student advisor. The student will be non-voting and not allowed in executive sessions. Connie sees this as a long-term benefit to the city. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2013-12. Councilmember Jones seconded. Councilmember Wekenman questioned the title “student advisor” and the formality of this and if a resolution is really needed. Much discussion ensued. Motion carried. Councilmembers Wekenman and Ossinger voted nay.

Interview applicant for City Council student advisor position to council – Connie described the position more in-depth. She’ll work with applicants diligently. Tylor Wilson was the only applicant. He’s interested in business ethics, management, and finance. He’s looking forward to learning about Palouse city business and how council makes Palouse such a great place. Councilmember Newman interviewed him prior to tonight’s council meeting. Council had no additional questions for Tylor. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes to appoint Connie Newman as the (citizen) mentor for this position through May 2014. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, to accept Tylor Wilson as our Student Advisor. Mayor Echanove swore Tylor Wilson in as Palouse’s Student Advisor to council.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Councilmember Newman had a printout of the last 10 years of water and sewer rates. Back in 2011, it was recommended that we look into implementing annual rate increases, either percentage increase or dollar amounts. That follows what some other communities do. We have not done that because we were so focused on the Water System Plan. Our sewer rate is $26 for the base which is not setting enough aside for future needs but rather just covering day-to-day expenses. Councilmember Newman MOVED to authorize Joyce to draw up an ordinance to raise the base rate by $1.00. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously. With the current trends, we’re anticipating an additional $1.00 increase in 2014.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: no report
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: no report

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The DOE extended the expiration date from 12/31/13 to 6/30/2015 for our Remedial Action Grant for toxic cleanup of the Brownfield site. These funds will be used for future testing.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:28 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 10/31/13 Ck. #5243-5261 & EFT $34,786.00
Claims Paid 11/12/13 Ck. #5241, #5242 & #5262-5289 E EFT $40,403.90

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
October 22, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; City Attorney Stephen Bishop; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Paul Kimmel, Avista.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 8, 2013. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: All went well at first week of Haunted Palouse. No policing issues. Officer Snead helped out.
PD is working on the required radio upgrade.
The roofline above the old jail at PD had a chunk crumble off for some reason; will get up there tomorrow and make sure it’s secure prior to Haunted Palouse. It almost looks like something bumped it.

JFB UPDATE: Held a party for Eric Slocum who is retiring after 25 years as a volunteer firefighter for Palouse. Scott Beeson was selected as new captain to replace Eric. In addition to being a Palouse EMS provider, Moses Boone is now a firefighter.

Annie anticipates being well under budget. The only major cost upcoming is $2,600 reimbursed to firemen for calls. All calls through January 2014 will be paid from 2013 budget.

4 fire calls in September, 20 YTD. They’ve been practicing with their portable water tanks.
11 EMS calls in September, 50 YTD. They will be placing a new emphasis next year on CPR trainings for the community. There will be a charge but will be very comprehensive and current.
They were able to obtain a refurbished AED defibrillator with 12 leads which is the standard these days. They got it for $5,000 used, vs. $40,000 new. Paid for with donations. With this new, used piece of equipment they will be in compliance for another 6 or 7 years.

OLD BUSINESS:
Paul Kimmel, Avista: City of Palouse/Avista Utilities LED Street and Area Lighting Pilot Program: The state wants to look at the efficacy of LED technology. Palouse is one of only six Washington communities selected by TIB and funded for this project. Avista will swap out all the Avista-owned street lights, and contractors will swap out all the city-owned lights (Main & Whitman Streets). TIB will cover all those costs. Church & Bridge Street, Church & Beach Street, and Church & K Street each have a different test light up as of today. Avista is considering 6 or 7 different manufacturers, looking at quality and cost. Palouse will be one of the leaders in this test pilot; hopefully bringing operational costs down, and helping to figure out the regulatory process as well. This is an exciting project. There are no downsides to this. The technology allows us to use the existing pole, arm, and wiring, so really it’s just swapping out the head on top. Weather will not affect this project so that won’t be a challenge. City will email a notice informing the public to check out the three examples currently up. Comments can be submitted to City Hall. Ultimately the efficacy of the lights is most important, to lower operating costs for our community.

2014 Budget Update – Funds 001-315: Clerk-Treasurer Beeson submitted a draft 2014 budget. Mayor went through line-by-line to discuss various line items that have changed. Joyce budgeted an ending balance of $45,740 in 2013; but in actuality, we are set up to end 2013 with $70,000. This budget draft does not include the levy lid lift passing. If the levy lid lift passes, a percentage of it would be set by resolution to go to the Street fund, and Fire Equipment Reserve. The police dept. could be made whole again beginning in January 2015.

Joyce asked that council take a hard look at sewer. Sewer can’t support its capital improvement funds like water. She is suggesting council consider a sewer rate increase. If one isn’t done next year, we’ll probably have to raise it at least $2 the following year.

Joyce is going to talk to the state auditor about three of our 300 series funds (304-Vehicle & Equipment Reserve; 305-Building Maintenance Reserve; & 310-Sick leave Reserve); they don’t fit the definition of a capital facility any longer. We may want to close those funds and send that money back to the funds that contributed to them. When a capital project comes forward you would spend from all the funds that benefit from it. Accounting for restricted funds within these three funds is very tedious.

Our audit for the years 2010, ’11, & ’12 is underway. Auditors were at City Hall Oct.7-17. Assistant audit manager Karen Wilson from the State Auditor’s Office held an entrance conference with Mayor Echanove, C-T Beeson, Deputy Clerk Thompson and one councilmember attended, Bo Ossinger. There will be a final exit conference once the auditors are done. The audit is mandated by the state and is required at least every three years.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: no finance report. Tim attended Aaron Flansburg’s walk-through of the two new potential sites for the skatepark. The press was there. Tim reported that Aaron is intending to press council for a solid designated spot to put the skatepark.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Asked that another reminder go out to public not to flush wipes.
Connie would like to raise the sewer rate $1 before the end of the year. She will meet with Joyce, DG, and committee to move forward on that.

Did not get a student interested in the student advisory to council position. She’d like to get that resolution passed and in place soon.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: no report

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Public Hearing on preliminary budget will be Nov. 12. Nov. 26 will be our final budget hearing. On the 12th, Joyce would like our salary and fee schedule considered so it can be in the final budget. Hopefully the budget will be passed on December 10th.

Joyce is retiring in June. The auditors said we could consider having a single audit next year (vs. our normal three-year audit), that way the new person could experience an audit while Joyce is still here. Our three-year audit just completed was $10,700 + travel; the single-year audit will be $6,000 + travel. There will be a transition period. Joyce could be on retainer for a month or two. Joyce will put some numbers together.

If levy lid lift passes, a resolution will be presented to council which would authorize the direct receipt of a portion of the general property tax levy into the Street fund and Fire Equipment reserve fund. Councilmember Newman asked that the draft resolution show 60% staying in the general fund, 30% to the Street fund and 10% to Fire Equipment reserve.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:23 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5221-5240 $10,945.33

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
September 24, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Rick Wekenman. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes to excuse Rick’s absence. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Kelsie McGraw (WSU student); RJ O’Farrell (WSU student); Kelly Dow; Todd Dow; Jeff Baldwin; David Mayhan (7:36).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 10, 2013. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin reported they finished the Wall Street sewer line. Work on the street portion has begun and it will be ready to pave in a few weeks. Had a few days of prep and clean-up work for Palouse Days. No Palouse Days issues.

POLICE REPORT:
Chief Neumann is still working on an ordinance to allow off-road vehicles/all-terrain vehicles be driven in town, including minors with adult supervision.
Still going forward on the Mohr Street property clean-up. Our plan is to have that done before winter.
The Garfield police services contract is still on Atty. Bishop’s desk.

JFB REPORT:
9/16/13 was a JFB meeting. FD had 4 calls in August, 17 ytd. FD had training at the park. The wildland grant update: received new liners in their helmets which didn’t work with the goggles so sent them back for correct ones. They also received their new boots for wildland fire fighting.
EMS had 8 calls in August, 39 ytd. They’re working on a training program through 2014.

OLD BUSINESS:
Assn. Of Washington Cities Employee Benefit Trust Interlocal Agreement: The city is a member of the employees benefit trust fund for our employee’s medical/dental insurance. AWC-EBT has moved to being self insured vs. fully insured. If we’re going to stay with AWC for 2014, we have to adopt the Interlocal Agreement by resolution. AWC says there will by a 0% rate increase to the 2014 premiums. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman to adopt the Interlocal agreement with the AWC regarding the employee benefit trust. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-09: accepting terms of AWC EBT Interlocal Agreement: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Discussion ensued about other options. If we sign this Interlocal agreement, we’re avoiding some of the federal assessments that will follow with the new health mandates coming in January. Council wants more information. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to table this discussion until our Oct. 8 council meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS: NO REPORTS
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair:

OPEN FORUM:
David Mayhan: Inquiring about why police get overtime pay to patrol water and sewer facilities (which they don’t). Started talking about homeland security. Started talking about a number of things which council was unclear about.

Kelly Dow (Palouse resident): Came to last meeting because she had concerns about having a skate park built within our city park. Since a survey wasn’t feasible she drafted a petition to gauge how people felt about the location. She read the heading of the petition “Petition to Save Our Park – By signing below I acknowledge that while I may or may not support a skatepark, I oppose a skatepark be built anywhere within our beautiful Palouse City Park”. She put this together to allow the other side to have a voice. In four hours on Palouse Day she collected 93 signatures, 63 were Palouse residents, 30 non residents. She felt certain if she had given it more time she could have gotten many more signatures. She included non-residents because not just residents use our park (as evidenced by the car show, Music Festival, etc.). Kelly Dow stated that the significance this petition shows is that there is overwhelming proof that not everyone is on board with locating the skate park in the Palouse Park. She included that it was enlightening hearing ideas, concerns, questions, suggestions, etc. It was evident that not everyone is/was aware of the plans to have it built so large and at the park. Not everyone was as polite as they should have been. She was accused of being prejudiced and a non-resident. It is possible to have a civil, spirited discourse, without being rude and insulting.

David Mayhan: Thinks the skatepark should be at the tennis court. It never gets used as a tennis court; it has a security fence; lighting, etc. Can be closed and locked up if necessary. Or put it on the north side of West Whitman Street near the 300 block in that vacant lot. Mayor Echanove explained that the tennis court area was considered and ruled out doe to various concerns. They will look into the vacant lot on West Whitman.

Todd Dow: Has it been considered to use a vacant lot or an unimproved lot for the skate park? Perhaps west of the Community Center or other vacant lots? It could add life to an unused lot. Councilmember Jones explained that private lots have high commercial value, so the skate park would have to come up with much more money vs. having city land dedicated. Chief Neumann asked Mr. Dow (a Pullman police officer) how it is policing Pullman’s skate park. There are a few more incidents of theft and juvenile problems.

Councilmember Webb thanked Mrs. Dow for her work, pointing out its importance. She also reminded everyone that nothing has been decided and no site has been dedicated or guaranteed.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
TIB reclassified West Whitman Street an arterial. So the city will be eligible to apply for grants to improve West Whitman much like the improvements on East Whitman.

Our audit begins Oct. 2. This will be a three year audit.

PSC retainage was paid for Brownfields project. The 4th groundwater sampling event occurred. In summary, the four quarters of monitoring indicate hazardous material have decreased. They recommend sampling be decreased to twice a year in 2014 and potentially decrease testing to every 18 months after that.

Fund 304 Vehicle & Equipment Reserve budget discussions. We want to buy a backhoe in 2014. We have $63,000 in the draft budget but don’t know if that will be enough to buy it. If we need more we will consider an interfund loan from water. The term for that loan can be set for no longer than three years. The backhoe has 6000 hours on it and has met its useful life. The backhoe is a vital part of public works and needs to be reliable. We’ve pushed it farther than we should have trying to be frugal. The $63,000 includes a $15,000 trade in value.

Next agenda will have budget discussions.

Water Summit – Oct. 1st from 4:30-8:30 at SEL. Is hoping Don Myott can attend as part of his workday.
Oct. 8 some Avista people are coming down to meet with Mayor, Public Works, Clerk Beeson, and Councilmember Estes.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:15 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5160-5176 & EFT $31,944.65

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
September 10, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Tim Jones & Rick Wekenman. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman to excuse both absences. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Public Works Assistant Marc Arrasmith; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Scott Beeson; Kelly Dow; Heather McGehee; Mike Kammeyer; Daniel Eastner; Debbie Arrasmith; Aaron Flansburg; Ami & Daniel Kramer; Jens & Berlyn Hegg; Mary Estes; Kari & Garrick Watkins; Robin Rilette.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 27, 2013. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Award of Wall Street paving bid. We received two bids: Poe Asphalt – $23 sy = $12,052; Motley & Motley – $22.25 sy = $11,659. We’d like permission to award the bid to Motley & Motley. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to accept the Motley & Motley bid of $11,659 for the Wall Street paving project. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT: Reserve Officer Snead will be helping out for Palouse Days Friday and Saturday nights. There are active nuisance property clean-ups going on. We continue to get barking dog complaints; dog owners need to be responsible. Even if your barking dog doesn’t bother you, it bothers others. Chief has been working on an ORV ordinance to allow ATV’s to be ridden into and out of town as access points. With adult supervision, juveniles 14 and older would be able to ride ATV’s into town. There are certain types of rules, equipment, etc. required. Councilmember Webb MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes, authorizing Chief Neumann to continue to investigate and bring forth more data. Motion carried unanimously.

The Palouse-Garfield police contract is in Atty. Bishop’s hands. It is a four-year contract (2014-2017) with 2%, 4%, 2% & 0% increase over the next four years. Councilmember Newman MOVED to authorize Mayor to sign the contract once it comes back from the Attorney. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. In 2013-$70,019, 2014-$71,419, 2015-$74,276, 2016-$75,726 & 2017-$75,726. Per person, Garfield residents pay about the same as Palouse residents for police services.

OLD BUSINESS:
Skate-park – Aaron Flansburg: review drawings of proposed skate-park at Palouse’s city park. As per the July 9 council meeting Aaron was instructed to come up with a set of drawings. At the July 9 meeting the skatepark was approved for preliminary development. He would like feedback. Much discussion ensued. Following are some of the comments:
The elevations don’t align with existing sidewalks, etc. Why weren’t dimensions, elevations, etc provided? 48” elevation gain. 6” difference between the sidewalk at pool. The bank at the parking lot end is 5’ high. There could be a short fence along pedestrian area to catch loose skateboards. Skateboard traffic will mostly be in a north-south direction. There will be a visual impact to the park aesthetics. There is certain to be a monetary impact to the city even if it is built with outside funding. There have already been cuts to city services. The insurance company will need to approve the design.
PW Supt. Griffin pointed out that there are water, sewer, and gas lines directly under the park plans. The skate park won’t work as drawn.
Mary Estes: Who are you looking for to use this park? He’s hoping the youth of Palouse and Garfield will use it.
Mike Kammeyer of Potlatch, owns a skate shop in Moscow said Pullman and Moscow skateboarders are supporters because they’re feeling their cities are missing the boat. The current skate scene in Palouse is small because there’s nowhere to go.
Mary Estes: 30 years ago we went through this same process for the need of a tennis court and unfortunately it has fallen on its nose. Why are we giving up green space and a beautiful park that is very serene? I cherish it. I don’t want to have a skatepark there that languishes like the tennis court. She asked about usage and intended hours of operation. Aaron – It’s up to city to decide use and hours of the park but his intent is that it is for daylight use since it will have no direct lighting.
Jens Hegg: There are three local skaters here tonight so he thinks it shows interest.
Scott Beeson: Regarding the location, that spot is one of the most used spots of the park. And it’s right next to the swing set and pool. Is there a better location than this? Scott isn’t against a skate park, but doesn’t think it should be at the city park. On the other side of Main St. below the sewer plant comes to mind for Scott. Aaron likes the idea of it being at the park. He thinks it will augment the use of the park.
Councilmember Webb: How can we talk about adding another park when employees haven’t been reimbursed for the pay cuts they took and we’re cutting city services?
Marc Arrasmith: This is huge and it’s jammed between the pool and playground equipment. Too much concrete jammed in there. He never envisioned it looking like this.
Robin Rilette: Admires Aaron’s perseverance but dislikes the location. What about the space behind the pool, between the pool and river? PD said that didn’t work because of the low visibility and PW was concerned about access into the pool pump house.
Garret Watkins: Thinks by the school it’s a hiding place for drug dealers.
In a neighborhood it decreases property values, creates noise, etc.
Aaron will have to get a performance bond and will need engineered plans. He will also probably need a building permit. He will need to factor in all those things and the fencing into his budget. He is looking to raise $20,000 for this plan. Idaho Beverages will donate $2,000 towards his project with the understanding that it will be at the park and there be signage acknowledging the donation. Mayor informed Aaron that isn’t his decision to make.
Kelly Dow: inevitable there will be a cost to the city when this is built. The lighted signs are turned off, we reduced a police officer, and you’re trying to build a skate park? There is an eyesore of a skatepark in Spokane dealing with graffiti and litter. Right now the Palouse Park is open to everyone. She feels the skatepark is exclusive to a very small minority. The park belongs to all the city residents. Pullman and Colfax skate parks aren’t in their main parks for a reason; because they know it will attract non-family crowds. Kelly believes many truly don’t want this to happen. Also, what about EPA erosion concerns? Can this be voted on by the public, just to see what the interest is? A vote isn’t feasible. A survey was suggested but that would cost approximately $400. Councilmember Newman doesn’t support the money being spent on that. People can come to council meetings or send in their thoughts. Councilmember Webb MOVED to spend the money to send out a survey to see what the public’s opinion is on the skatepark. Motion failed for lack of second.

Aaron has debated about the cost to the city. Pullman hasn’t spent a dime outside of trash collection. The Spokane park, with the graffiti, is a unique situation since it is under the freeway. It’s a far different city than Palouse.
Debbie Arrasmith asked when the graffiti hits the skatepark, who cleans it up? Once the park gets built, the skatepark committee can do it. Yes, there will be upkeep. 20 years from now Aaron can’t say who will care for it. Mike Kammeyer said Lewiston’s skate park is graffiti free.
Kari Watkins wants a safe place for her son to skate. She is seeing more kids trying to skateboard in unsafe areas.
Councilmember Newman suggested that Aaron continue to work with PW and the Parks Committee, specifically locating utilities. She would like to see the measurements and dimensions written into the drawings. Make sure PW, PD, and Councilmember Estes’ concerns are addressed. Perhaps give a Powerpoint presentation next time so everyone can see what he’s talking about.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Regarding the city council student liaison position, Mr. Bishop is currently writing a resolution for that. The student will be allowed to sit at council table, participate in discussion, but it is a non-voting position. For this position to be available, a councilperson has to mentor the student. This will be primarily for a senior student to fulfill their senior project. If no senior student is interested, it can be open to other grades.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Had a meeting to get Councilmember Estes up to speed with the poultry issues.

Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair:

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Our health insurance carrier, AWC, is transitioning from being fully-insured to self-insured. Their data shows whatever plan the employees’ take, with the self-funded plan there is a 0% increase whereas if it’s fully funded they’re showing a cost increase. The city will send to our attorney to look over and we’ll learn more about the difference between fully-insured and self-insured.

The TIB, LED street lighting project is still moving forward. It will convert both the city and Avista-owned street lights to the LED technology. It’s 100% funded. Once underway, it will happen fairly quickly. We currently spend about $25,000 per year on street lighting. These LED lights will save us thousands.

Mayor, Clerk-Treasurer Beeson, met with Finance Committee (Councilmember Ossinger was only one in attendance) for a budget meeting. Mayor instructed Joyce to include the following in the 2014 budget: city employee 3% increase; the purchase of a backhoe; $5,000 for new, updated city maps. Joyce showed the budget with and without the levy lid lift. We will present the budget without the lid lift and will make the adjustments if it comes through. If the lid lift passes, it will be approximately $30,000 increase to the budget and we will send 60% to CE, 30% to streets, and 10% to Fire Equipment reserve.

Between the levy, donations, & lessons, the pool is within a couple hundred dollars of breaking even this year. The new pellet chlorinator uses half the chlorine so we saved about $800 on chlorine this summer. Pool payroll stayed right where we needed it to stay.

Cemetery budget has been cut too close. Joyce has bumped that up a little for 2014. We’re trying to restore that budget. We’re more than likely going to have to do a budget adjustment before the year is up.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 8/31/13 Ck. #5111-5136 & EFT $40,347.84
Claims Paid 9/11/13 Ck. #5137-5159 & EFT $91,044.82

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 27, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman. Absent: Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; City Attorney Stephen Bishop (7:14); Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to excuse their absences. Motion carried unanimously. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 13, 2013. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. They had some clean-up yesterday from the storm that went through – nothing major.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported they’re working on nuisance violations in both towns (junk vehicles/property). Chief Neumann is looking into an ATV ordinance to discuss at next meeting.

OLD BUSINESS:
Palouse Cove Road addressing issue: Mayor has spoken several times with Mark Storey, PW director for the county, who is also working with Mark Janowski of WhitCom. No solution has appeared as most obvious. Council consensus is that this seems to be a county issue, not a city issue. “Palouse Cove Road” is the name both inside city limits and outside. The addressing inside the city limits is accurate, on the city’s grid numbering system, i.e. 500 block, 600 block, etc. If the addressing is correct outside the city limits, in the county, then council believes the county should change the road name once it hits the city/county line. Additionally, fewer houses are affected by a county road name change than a city road name change. Mayor will continue talking with the county.

NEW BUSINESS: No new business.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: no report
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: no report
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: no report

OPEN FORUM: nothing

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor read aloud a letter praising the pool staff.

Mayor read aloud a letter thanking City staff for their work/cooperation for Palouse Music Festival

Mayor read aloud a letter from TIB, in response to former Councilmember Floyd’s request to get West Whitman Street and Mohr Street reclassified as TIB arterial streets. West Whitman will be reclassified but Mohr Street will not. Councilmember Newman hopes council will in the future continue working with TIB to get Mohr Street reclassified.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:26 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5092-5110 $27,071.22

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
August 13, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Tim Jones, Connie Newman, & Rick Wekenman. Tim is in Seattle, Rick is harvesting, and Connie is ill. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Estes to excuse all three absences. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Andra Edwards & Katie Cooper.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting and Public Hearing for Six Year Street Plan of July 23, 2013. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

OPEN FORUM:
Andi Edwards: With the passing of Heidi Keen, Andi is now representing the committee putting on the Barley Bar Relay on Palouse Day. For logistics and safety, they are proposing moving the event to the Brownsfield site. Chief Neumann has no concerns. Councilmember Webb MOVED to allow them to make the location change with the proper permits. Councilmember Estes seconded. Motion carried unanimously. All proceeds are now going to the Heidi Keen Memorial Fund.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
We have a new home going in on Breeding’s Addition. We’ve received all the payments and have completed the water hook-up and are continuing with the sewer hook-up.
DG explained in detail the need for new pump telemetry at the reservoir. The wells at both pumps need to communicate with the reservoir every 15 seconds. The antenna has been raised and for now the system is working but the UHF radio is more than 10 years old and now obsolete. Updating the system will cost $6,000-$7,000.

POLICE REPORT:
Crimes of opportunity – be diligent about locking up valuables in your yard and garage, particularly gas cans, tools, etc.
Chief Neumann contacted the owner of the nuisance property at 110 E. Mohr Street. On May 5 the property was tagged as a nuisance and the owner was given 45 days to clean up the property (siding, skirting, yard, etc.). We’re approaching 90 days and she has taken no action. Action needs to occur. It’s unsafe and an eyesore. The PD will send a certified letter with strong language, with citations to follow.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS: NO REPORTS

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Supt. Griffin & Clerk-Treasurer Beeson put together the TIB application for chip seal maintenance of Fairview (North River Road) next year. Estimating cost at $31,700 dollars and the grant is 100% reimbursable. The project will be in two phases: crack seal and asphalt patch first year, and chip seal the second year. Councilmember Estes MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the TIB grant application. Councilmember Webb seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Addressing scheme on Palouse Cove Road. Mayor has been talking with county Public Works director Mark Storey and Whit-com regarding the numbering scheme. There are three addressing schemes coming into Palouse: state highways (SR #’s), city (block grid 100 block, 200 block), and county (mile posts & pins). What has occurred on Palouse Cove Road is all three entities meet and none of the numbering matches. We’re trying to work in collaboration with the county and Whit-Com to come up with the best solution.

Current Expense fund is holding its own and should gain a pinch this year. No surprises so far.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:30 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 7/31/13 Ck. #5029-5054 & EFT $46,314.60
Claims Paid Ck. #5055-5094 & EFT $22,747.50

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing for 2014-2019 Transportation Improvement Plan
Followed by
Regular Council Meeting
July 23, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Public Hearing to order at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Connie Newman. Councilmember Webb MOVED to excuse Councilmember Newman’s absence. Councilmember Jones seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Liz Rousseau, Heidi Keen, Heather McGehee.

PUBLIC HEARING: 2014-2019 Six-year Transportation Improvement Plan. No comments. Public Hearing closed at 7:03 pm.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman requested the minutes be amended under Public Hearing third paragraph replace Whitman County with Rural Fire District 4 residents. Councilmember Newman submitted in an email for the minutes to reflect that Norm’s absence was not excused at last council meeting – After Allow Payment of the Bills – With no motion to excuse tonight’s absence of Councilmember Schorzman, his absence is considered unexcused. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of July 9, 2013 as amended. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT:
The county chip sealed some city roads as part of a TIB project.
Rebuilt and replaced the storm drain by the grain growers.
The new variable frequency drive is working fine and a three year warranty will be purchased
The gravel roads were oiled. There were a few places that needed touched up. It’s holding up pretty well. It’s the same material as last year.

POLICE REPORT: A local business was burglarized with a substantial amount of money taken. The suspect made his way to Spokane, was apprehended and transferred to us. He spent the weekend in jail. There’s a phone scam going around Palouse; if companies are contacting you for payment and requesting a money order, it’s a scam. Legitimate companies don’t require immediate payment with money orders. Music Festival is this Saturday. Beer garden will be fenced in as usual, in the same vicinity.

2nd Quarter Treasurer’s Report: C-T Beeson submitted a written report and asked for questions or concerns. Councilmember Jones MOVED to accept the 2nd Quarter Treasurer’s Report. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT: There’s a group called Emergency Services of Palouse which is a non-profit branch of the Palouse Fire/EMS which was formed to receive donations. Funds are used to buy necessary equipment they might not otherwise be able to afford. They’re required to meet once a year so we had that meeting with reelection of officers.

In JFB meeting, financially things are going well. The average annual EMS operating line is $17,500/yr; Fire is $23,500/year. Considering the great level of service we have here, that’s impressive. There will be some changes in the line items in the EMS budget to satisfy the state auditor requirements. There was 1 fire call in June, 11 ytd. We had some onsite rescue training at the grain grower’s facility. Had a quick rundown on the new wildland firefighting gear we’ve obtained. The 12 SCBA we have now will be outdated and required to be replaced in 2017. Chief Bagott is estimating that when they have to be replaced, it will cost about $80,000 for 10. These are the breathing packs/tanks that allow fire personnel to enter a burning building and rescue people. That’s one of the reasons we’re looking at the levy lid lift.

On the EMS end of things, 3 calls in June, 25 ytd. They had their annual practice with the lifeguard staff at the Palouse Pool. Took a tour around Kamiak Butte with the park ranger to determine some of the back roads to learn quickest driving access for emergencies.

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2013-05 – A request to the Whitman County Auditor to place on the November 5, 2013, ballot a proposition authorizing the city to increase the regular property tax levy limit established in RCW 84.55. Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The city’s regular property tax levy base shall be increased permanently by $0.61 per $1,000 of assessed value for collection in 2014. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger to adopt Resolution No. 2013-05. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-06 – A request to the Whitman County Auditor to place on the November 5, 2013, ballot a proposition setting a one year excess property tax levy which will be used for street improvements and street oiling. Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Imposes an excess property tax levy upon all taxable property within the city in the amount of $44,000, an estimated $0.911 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2013, for collection in 2014. This is a 10% increase from last year. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Webb, to adopt Resolution No. 2013-06. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-07 – A request to the Whitman County Auditor to place on the November 5, 2013, ballot a proposition setting a one year excess property tax levy which will be used for operation and maintenance of the swimming pool. Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Imposes an excess property tax levy upon all taxable property within the city in the amount of $28,000, an estimated $0.580 per $1,000 of assessed value in the year 2013, for collection in 2014. Councilmember Webb MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to adopt Resolution No. 2013-07. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2013-08 – Adopting the 2014-2019 Six-year Transportation Improvement Plan. Supt.Griffin summarized the plan: 1. Wall Street Reconstruction from Union St. to Elmo St.; 2. Chipseal Fairview Ave. from Main St. to east city limits; 3. West Whitman Reconstruction from Bridge St. to Mill St.; 4. West Whitman & Fir St. Reconstruction, from Mill St. to Illinois St.; 5. Wall St. #2 Reconstruction from Elmo St. to Park St.; 6. Culton St. Reconstruction from Park St. to Holyoke St.; 7. Park St. Reconstruction from Holyoke St. to Wiley St. Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman to adopt Resolution No. 2013-08. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:

Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: Received a call from a resident about the Main Street intersection. Drivers facing east or west cannot see the traffic coming off the bridge without having to pull forward from the stop sign. Also, when cars are parked there, kids in the crosswalk cannot be seen. This has been an ongoing concern for years. It’s a state highway so a four-way stop isn’t allowed. The state always says “provide us with some accident data” and we haven’t been able to provide them with more than one or two accidents. Until there’s hard data to support change there, the state isn’t likely to get on board. Chief Neumann thinks yellow curbing in some spots might help so that people don’t park there thus blocking the view.

OPEN FORUM:
Heidi Keen: Here for annual approval for Barley Bar Relay during Palouse Day. This year it will be on the same side of the street as tavern so there won’t be any street crossings. The proposal is to create a second section to the tavern’s beer garden just for the duration of the event and only to be used by the registered runners. Councilmember Webb MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to grant the temporary right to use part of Beach Street for the Barley Bar Relay during Palouse Day. This is a fundraiser for the PCC. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:06 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #5008 – 5028 & EFT $28,642.97

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing &
Regular Council Meeting
July 9, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger, Rick Wekenman and Alison Webb. Absent: Norm Schorzman. Also present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Public Works Dwayne Griffin and Marc Arrasmith. Public present: Aaron Flansburg, Heather McGehee, Kristin Jones, Heidi Fluegel, Garth Meyer, Katie Cooper, Jens Hegg and Bruce Beeson.

PUBLIC HEARING:
2014 Revenue sources – Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing and recapped council discussion from the last meeting concerning options for 2014 revenue sources. Palouse resident Aaron Flansburg voiced his support of a levy lid lift. With no further comment from the public, Mayor closed the public hearing and opened council discussion.

The Mayor explained how a voter approved levy lid lift works. The general levy in 2013 was approx. $2.49 per $1,000 valuation. The city has the capacity of collecting $3.10 per $1,000. By law, cities are able to increase only 1% of the total amount levied each year without going out to the voters. Over the years, as valuations change and only 1% increases are taken, the rate per thousand continues to drift down below capacity. Currently 65% of the levy stays in the General Fund and 35% is receipted to the Street Fund.

The Joint Fire Board and the Council Police Fire & Safety committee have expressed concern for their aging vehicles and being able to meet equipment safety requirements. They have set a goal of having $150,000 available to them over the next 10 years to meet the capital needs of the fire department. Councilmember Wekenman explained that with this being a joint department, Rural fire district 4 residents would also contribute $150,000 to share in the total costs. Resident Aaron Flansburg asked if this decision would include allocating a certain amount to the fire equipment needs. Mayor explained that the discussion tonight was about revenue, but yes, if a levy lid lift were to be approved by the voters, a resolution could be approved by council dedicating 10% of the general levy to the Fire Equipment Capital fund to meet the goal of the fire department. It would also help the General Fund in supporting current needs such as bringing back the police officer from 75% to 100%, restoring the employee salaries reduced two years ago, maintaining our parks and cemetery, and contributing into our vehicle and equipment needs. Several Councilmembers voiced their support for putting the levy lid lift on the November ballot. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to proceed with the necessary paperwork to put the levy lid lift on the November ballot. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. Discussion – Councilmember Wekenman pointed out that a property valued at $100,000 would be levied an additional $60 a year above the 2013 levy amount. The motion carried unanimously.

Voter approved special levies – Discussion began on the Swim pool maintenance & operation special levy for $28,000. Councilmember Jones MOVED to continue with the special pool levy at $28,000. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion. Discussion- Councilmember Newman would still like to have community input on charging a fee at the door in addition to the levy. Councilmember Jones said it has been looked into and it seems that the costs associated with collecting a fee may exceed the benefit. Motion carried unanimously.

The special levy for street improvements is currently $40,000. This amount is barely enough to oil the gravel roads, crack seal, and rebuild 1 block a year. Five or six years ago, it would have done 4 blocks. Councilmember Jones said the finance committee met and recommends that the Street levy stay at 40k this year but consider an increase next year. Councilmember Newman would like to see an incremental increase every year to keep up with costs. Mayor Echanove asked if council would consider a 10% increase, bringing it to $44,000. After further discussion, Councilmember Webb MOVED to continue with the special street improvement levy and increase the dollar amount by 10% to $44,000. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 25, 2013. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin reported that the gravel roads were oiled and the TIB pavement preservation project for overlay is underway. The variable frequency drive was installed on the booster pump. The pool is operating fairly well with the new chlorine system installed. The compost area has been busy and going well. The town of Garfield will be borrowing our grader and an hourly rate will be determined.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann reported an increase in traffic issues and domestic calls but for the most part all is fairly normal for this time of year.

OLD BUSINESS:
Discussion of proposed Skatepark and location options – Mayor updated council that since the last meeting, Aaron Flansburg staked out a site between the pool and basketball courts and held a meeting there for discussion and community input. Councilmember Newman said that the skatepark group has been working toward the goal of building a park for 10 years. Her question to council is, if a site is approved, is the city interested in including and maintaining it as a city park? With all the potential location explored throughout town, the best option is the city park. The floor was turned over to Aaron Flansburg. He handed out a site map (attached) that showed two options at the city park. Option # 1 is the site between the pool and bb court. Option # 2 is north of the parking lot and between the walkway to the pool and the play area with the large slide. Aaron has been gathering info on each site – With # 1 an access would need to be maintained to allow Public Works and emergency access to the pool area and also access for Avista Utilities. Option # 2 would be close to the parking lot and the walkway to the pool. Aaron reads several comments from interested people abut the 2 options. The majority of them leaned to site # 1. Excerpts of several letters were read with the majority in support of the skatepark. He also received a pledge from Pepsi through Idaho Beverage to donate $2,000 if it is built in the city park. Council discussion and comments from the public ensued. Outlining some of the points that were made –

Aaron-Maintenance on concrete is rare with the only routine maintenance would be emptying trash cans.

Site # 1 is most preferred because the design would include flat concrete that could be used for access to the facilities and infrastructure. So far, $5,900 has been raised plus the $2,000 pledge if located in the city park. Estimated cost to build is about $10,000 because he would partner with a company that has experience in building skateparks with salvaged and recycled material.

Councilmember Wekenman would like to see drawings of what this would look like and voiced concern of more green space taken from the park.
Councilmember Jones voiced support for the skatepark and said that maintenance costs would go down since that area would not be mowed or watered. PW pointed out that sprinkler would still have to be installed to water the grassy strips around it.
Public comment both for and against-Bruce Beeson supports keeping the park as is and listed other parks and programs that the city couldn’t support and had to reduce. Kristin Jones-skateparks had a positive impact on their children and would like to see this as another option in town of things for kids to do. Heather McGehee agreed. Jens Hegg supports the skatepark and prefers site # 1 since the basketball courts have seen only a small amount of vandalism.
PW Griffin and Arrasmith have concerns of vandalism like is evident at the City of Pullman skatepark. Allen Davis, Pullman PW recommends that it needs to be visible, not near buildings and a day park only with no lights. Site # 1 is fairly hidden, is next to the pool building and lit at night. Also concerns of future maintenance.

Mayor Echanove took the floor. Attorney Bishop has suggested to the Mayor that Aaron Flansburg take out a performance bond at some point. Councilmember Newman would like to see drawings also but would need to have a preliminary site first to plan around. Councilmember Newman MOVED that council give preliminary approval for option # 2 with the contingency that artist’s rendering are made available in the next 60 days, that the group’s funds are shown to be there for phase one, that a performance bond is in place and that the design is reviewed and approved by our insurance carrier. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion. Discussion – Councilmember Jones questioned why not options # 1. Chief Neumann pointed out that option # 1 would be harder to secure, patrol, and access. The Mayor urged council to vote this down tonight with so many unanswered questions. Councilmember Newman said there are many unknowns but they cannot be answered without a potential site. Councilmember Estes asked Aaron if drafts could be provided of both sites. Yes, they may be rough but site is the most critical issue in design. Councilmember Ossinger asked for an amendment to the motion to not include a performance bond at this time with so many undecided elements. Amended MOTION that council give preliminary approval for option # 2 with the contingency that artist’s rendering are made available in the next 60 days, that the group’s funds are shown to be there for phase one and that the design is reviewed and approved by our insurance carrier. With two no votes, Councilmember Wekenman and Councilmember Webb, motion carried.

Update of Palouse Cove Road possible name change Mayor Echanove reported that he was unable to talk with the county about this yet. The name change would affect about 16 residents in Palouse who have been through the process once already.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Councilmember Newman has set up a workshop with our audit manager Debbie Pennick. It is set for July 23rd at 5:30. This is training specific to governmental services finance and budgeting.

Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: Out next meeting will include a public hearing for the Six-year Transportation Improvement Plan.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
With no motion to excuse tonight’s absence of Councilmember Schorzman, his absence is considered unexcused.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:58 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:

Payroll Paid Ck. # 4956 – 4983 & EFT $39,972.98
Claims Paid Ck. # 4984 – 5007 & EFT $25,437.23

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
June 25, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman and Rick Wekenman. Absent: Alison Webb. Also present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson. Public present: Aaron Flansburg and Sheri Glaesman.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Amendment requested for minutes of 6/11/2013-Under Policy & Administration insert Newman after Councilmember on first line. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 11, 2013 as amended. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report.
Present and award bids for street oiling bid- Mayor Echanove read the three bids received for 2013 street oiling:
BST Surfacing, Inc $0.049 per square foot + Tax
Lyman Dust Control $0.062 per square foot + Tax
Mort’s Dust & Erosion $0.070 per square foot + Tax
Councilmember Wekenman commented that BST has changed the material they used last year for better coverage. Dwayne left a message that he was happy with their work last year and would recommend that council award the bid to BST Surfacing, Inc for 4.9 cents a square foot + tax. Councilmember Jones MOVED that the bid for 2013 street oiling be awarded to BST Surfacing, Inc. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann reported that things have been fairly quiet except for a few crimes of opportunity. He asked that the public be careful to not leave things like gas cans unattended and to lock your vehicles. Councilmember Newman commented that the all night grad party went well and thanked the PD for the entry screening. It was suggested that next year two officers be available for the entry checks.

JOINT BOARD FIRE & EMS: Councilmember Wekenman reported activity – Fire: No fire calls in May, training included a wildland fire refresher course and they are working with vendors fitting and purchasing equipment through the DNR grant. The JFB discussed how to best fill the open spots on the fire department since the cost to equip each firefighter is around $3,000. EMS: 4 calls in May bringing YTD to 12. They had valuable training at Palouse Grain Growers with realistic scenarios. Annie Pillers would like some work done at the south edge of the PSB parking lot to make parking much safer. There was discussion of funding needs for maintaining a safe and reliable fleet of vehicles and equipment.

NEW BUSINESS:
Additional funding sources for 2014. Mayor Echanove the discussed options for revenue sources in 2014. At the last JFB meeting, Chief Bagott explained that he would like to keep the fleet of vehicles up to date, as in not more than about 30 years old. He also stressed that air packs expire after 15 years. He would like to have a total of $300,000 available in the next 8 years or so to meet these needs. That would be split with Rural Fire as $150,000 for each entity. It was determined that while the rural fire district is able to run multi-year levies, the city cannot. One funding option to meet these needs for the city, would be to put a Special Levy on the ballot every year or until the needs are met. As the Mayor explained, another funding option would be to ask the voters for a Levy Lid Lift. If passed by vote, it would reset the levy amount to the city’s current capacity share of $3.10 per thousand valuation. Currently the general levy is at $2.49/thousand. Council could then approve a Resolution which would dedicate a certain percentage of the general levy to the Fire Equipment Reserve fund for future needs. For instance, 10% of the general levy would bring in about $17,650 a year. The Mayor listed other city needs that would be met such as bringing the third officer back to 100%, regular salary increases to employees, maintaining the parks and cemetery, and reserving funds for both Public Works and Police vehicle & equipment needs.

Councilmember Wekenman questioned if funds would accumulate quick enough for the fire equipment needs as opposed to a series of Special Levies. Councilmember Ossinger felt that people may support a levy specific to fire equipment in much the same way they support the pool levy. He indicated that he likes the idea of the levy lid lift while maintaining the option of running a one year special levy in the future to help meet their funding needs. Councilmember Newman agreed and added that the pool may suffer with another issue on the ballot. Councilmember Jones voiced his support for putting the Levy Lid Lift on the ballot for the November elections. A public hearing for 2014 revenue sources is scheduled for the next meeting, July 9th. This will be discussed further then.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Chief Newman was asked if there are any changes as to what is allowed as far as fireworks this year. The Chief explained that if they are labeled “Safe & Sane” they are legal, but be cautious. If there is a stick attached, it is not legal. Patrols will be out.

Parks, Cemetery and Buildings: In the absence of Councilmember Webb, Councilmember Newman asked Aaron to report on what has been accomplished on his skatepark initiative since the last meeting. Aaron reported that the committee is considering involvement in Haunted Palouse this year to raise funds for the skatepark. The next topic was again, desired location of the skatepark. The tennis court area turned out to be not a good option for various reasons – too close to residential, off the beaten path, no nearby restroom, and it would have to be a joint venture between both the school and the city. The next sites to consider are downtown and at the city park. A representative from the city’s insurance provider was contacted about issues they might have with liability and if it would increase rates for the city to own a skatepark. Aaron read the agents response which basically stated that if certain criteria
was met, the city would have minimal liability. The criteria listed were all within what Aaron expected and could be met. Between the options of downtown or the city park, Aaron said that the city park most fits their needs. He asked council for permission to place flags marking the area being considered which lies between the basketball court and the pool. By marking it off, people can visualize it better and begin discussions about how it would work there. Councilmember Estes asked about the other option of locating downtown. Some of the drawbacks there were, the cost of acquiring a lot downtown would be too great and the noise level too high for neighboring uses. Councilmember Newman suggested that in their discussions, they consider the traffic patterns at the park as it relates to the potential site. Councilmember Wekenman voiced concern in losing that space for future events such as the car show. The amount of land requested is around 5,000 sf. Councilmember Jones voiced his support for the skatepark rather than allowing more cars in the car show. Aaron would like to have a decision on the location so potential donors could be assured their funds will go toward making this happen. He will try for a meeting at the proposed site in the city park for consideration on Thursday, June 27th at 7:00 PM. Councilmember Newman stated that they are hoping for a decision about this location at the next council meeting.

OPEN FORUM: Sheri Glaesman said she came to the meeting in support of the skatepark.

MAYOR’S REPORT: The Mayor read a letter from Whitman County library reminding us of the annual closure of the library August 5 – 11 for routine maintenance. The letter also praised our librarian Bev Pearce for her great programs and a job well done.

The Mayor explained to council that he signed an amendment for the Ecology Brownfield grant in the event that the legislature does not pass a budget by July 1st.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. # 4944 – 4955 & EFT $6,313.82

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
June 11, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember
Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 28, 2013. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: The power outage and surges that occurred today did damage to the circuit board on the booster pump. This means that until it is repaired or replaced, it will have to be reset manually as water usage changes throughout the day. A few new water meters have been installed. The events over the last few weeks have gone well, with no issues from public works. Councilmember Wekenman stated that he thinks the city should consider passing on the costs for the damage to the booster pump to whoever caused the power outage.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann reported that the Police Department, as well, had no issues with the events this month. He reported a callout, a semi truck and trailer hit a signpost and Avista pole. The driver will be sent a bill for costs to repair the damage to the signpost. They are currently working on a felony theft case originating in Palouse. They have been looking at options to better mark parking spots near the Main & Bridge St. intersection to improve visibility.

OLD BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 905, sewer rate increase: Mayor Echanove read the minutes of the last meeting, outlining the need for increasing the sewer rate from $24 to $26 mo. The sewer operating fund has not been able to meet expenses without using its reserve balance, and it’s been unable to contribute as much as it should to reserves for capital needs. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Ordinance # 905. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion. Discussion: Councilmember Wekenman asked how long this increase might hold in the sewer fund. It was estimated that this increase should get the sewer fund through 2014. The motion carried unanimously

NEW BUSINESS:
Street name change, necessity to change Palouse Cove Road inside city limits to South Cove Road.
Currently, Palouse Cove Road has the same name in both the City and County. The address grid that the county used is not working well with the grid that the city uses, causing confusion for deliveries and potential problems with emergency services. After discussion, council agreed that the city portion should be changed to something completely different to avoid added confusion. They will consider this and bring options for naming this street to the next council meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: Councilmember Jones will put together a meeting very soon. Councilmember Newman recommended putting together a meeting with our audit manager, Deborah Pennik to look at different options the city might have to help with budget issues.
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Angela Taylor, Taylor Engineering was able to confirm with DOH that the O&M projects listed in the WSP are not mandatory, but rather a list for when funding can be found. Extra updated copies of the water system have been ordered.
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Councilmember Newman asked about progress on the policy for the keeping of poultry. Bo reported that he is still working on it.
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: No report. Councilmember Schorzman thanked the PD and Public Works for their work on the weekend events.
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: No report
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: With this being a new assignment, no report.

OPEN FORUM: No comments.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The Palouse Community Center has requested a liquor license for the City Park for a beer garden during the Music Festival on July 27th. This event has operated well in the past and caused no problems. There were no objections from the council.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. # 4902 – 4919 & EFT $34,672.36
Claims Paid Ck. # 4920 – 4941 & EFT $23,966.27

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 28, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes, Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Tim Jones, Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Heather McGehee; Mary Estes. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman, to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 14, 2013. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Palouse PD had a juvenile drug overdose last week which resulted in an arrest. Additionally, in an unrelated event, there were two additional juvenile drug arrests in Palouse. Garfield May Day went well. This weekend we’re gearing up for the Hot Rod Car Show as well as the GP Graduation.

JFB REPORT: Had a long-term capital funding discussion for the FD. There will be a leadership meeting sometime in June to discuss need and financing options.

OPEN FORUM: Follow-up on permission for Mary Estes to put in another memorial rose garden at Heritage Park. Mary Estes spoke with Janet Barstow from Palouse Chamber and they are fine with the addition of another rose garden there. The original motion – Councilmember Webb MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to grant her the extra space. Councilmember Newman amended the motion for Mary to first approach the Palouse Chamber of Commerce for their thoughts since they use the space from time to time. Motion was tabled to the next council meeting. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Webb, to take from the table the allowing of another memorial rose garden at Heritage Park. Motion carried unanimously. Vote was then taken on the original motion. Motion carried unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:
Water System Plan presentation: Angela Taylor of Taylor Engineering gave an overview of all ten chapters. Taylor Engineering was granted approval from DOH to present this WSP to council. We’ve been working on this for 18 months. There are three Operation & Maintenance (O&M) projects on the Capital Improvement Plan over the next six years, all contingent on external funding sources. The city will not be required to complete the O&M projects at this time, they are rather more like a wish list. The only required project is an identified “System Deficiency” on W. Church St, outside city limits, replacing 1300 ft of 4” waterline with 8” to address a fire flow deficiency.

Resolution 2013-04 to adopt final Water System Plan: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety, which adopts the City of Palouse Water System Plan 2012. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2013-04. Councilmember Webb seconded. Mayor wanted to be clear that the O&M projects identified in the WSP is a wish-list only and unrealistic. Motion carried unanimously. Connie thanked Doug Wilcox for his assistance with the WSP.

NEW BUSINESS:
Possible sewer rate increase: Last utility rate increase was February 2011. Committee and staff have been reviewing infrastructure and maintenance needs of sewer system. We are currently not meeting expenses for sewer operating. We have to be able to meet them. At this point, to meet the sewer expenses, we need to do a $2.00/month increase effective July 1. We’ve been talking about this for months. The Sewer fund has been unable to contribute as much as it should be into the reserves for its infrastructure and the Vehicle & Equipment fund. As it is, with this increase, we can move ahead in 2014 with the purchase of a backhoe. We may have to put together an interfund loan from Water to Sewer for its share of the cost. Councilmember Newman MOVED for Joyce to move ahead with an ordinance for the $2.00 increase to Sewer Fund 404 effective July 1, 2013. This ordinance will be on the agenda for the next meeting. Seconded by Councilmember Webb. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: W/S committee met last week (Supt. Griffin, Clerk Beeson, Alison Webb, & Connie Newman) and discussed a rate increase to the water. Possibly look at an annual 1% increase ($.25 cents). That water rate increase would be just for the intent of meeting increasing expenses and inflation.

Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: Hired two new lifeguards for upcoming season. Three others will help with swim lessons and be on the sub list.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Avista Corp. contacted Mayor regarding the LED project in downtown Palouse. Avista anticipates having some rate figures by the second week of June. They will be sending out workers to investigate light poles.

If the city wants to shop around for insurance, we’re required to notify our carrier one year in advance since we are in an insurance pool. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Webb to send CIAW a letter of potential withdrawal from their insurance. Motion carried unanimously. We didn’t meet the deadline to withdraw this September.

Clerk-Treasurer Beeson submitted the annual report.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Webb MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:18 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. # 4878 – 4901 $4,300.09

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
May 14, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman (left at 8:33), Bo Ossinger; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Norm Schorzman. Mayor asked for a motion to excuse Norm’s absence. No motion made; absence is unexcused. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jon Carson; Mellissa Dugger; Pam Brantner; Wade Brantner; Michael Hicks; Ami Kramer; Mary Estes; Senja Estes; Mark Sawyer (7:26);

Applicants for open City Council Position #4. Two applicants: Mike Hicks and Senja Estes. Both applicants introduced themselves and were asked a standard set of questions about serving on council. At 7:25, Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to adjourn to executive session. Returned from executive session at 7:40 pm. Councilmember Newman MOVED to appoint Senja Estes to council position #4. Councilmember Webb seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Senja Estes was sworn in as councilmember for position #4 and took her seat at the council table.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 23, 2013. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann has contacted the owner of the nuisance vacant trailer on Mohr Street. She has 45 days from May 9, 2013, to bring the house up to non-nuisance standard (maintain overgrown yard, put up skirting, siding, stairs, door, etc). Chief will send her a letter outlining the process she must follow.

The surplus Harley was sold for $10,001.

PD called out at 4:45 am on Saturday for “shots fired” on Whitman Street. WSP, Pullman Police, and WSU police responded as well. No evidence found of shots fired. Vehicle was stopped going into Pullman. Palouse PD processed the scene in Palouse. They took one person into custody on unrelated crime of stolen property in the apartment (numerous street signs from city and county, as well as lawn decor from a local yard).

Special thanks to Whitman County Sheriff Dept. Sgt. Cooper and his drug dog. They did a great demonstration at the high school on drug detection.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Committee toured the sewer plant, city shop and various city facilities with Supt. Griffin and Don Myott.
The WSP has been preliminarily approved by the DOH. It has been almost a two year process. All the questions DOH had have been answered to their satisfaction. Next it will be on the May 28th council agenda for Taylor Engineering to give an overview. Council will be asked to vote on a resolution adopting the WSP at that time.

We’ve talked for several months about a potential sewer rate increase. Our current sewer rate isn’t keeping up with expenses to infrastructure needs. Committee will meet and bring their recommendation to the next council meeting.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: Aaron Flansburg has been looking at possible city property for a skate park. City of Palouse owns the tennis courts and half of the abutting vacated street; the school owns the other half. Aaron approached the school supt. Jake Dingman and other support staff. No official response yet from the school. Supt. is concerned about liability and safety issues over the course of construction, noise, location, electrical and water right-of-ways. Supt. Dingman said he would put it on the next school board agenda to discuss. Hypothetically if there was ever to be a skate park there, one approach would be that the school could sell their half to the city for $1, which is what was done for the purchase of the tennis court property years ago. Also there would need to be an Avista easement to maintain. It is still unknown who would be responsible for maintenance and garbage pick up. The cost of liability insurance is also not known. No decisions have been made yet.

OPEN FORUM:
Wade and Pam Brantner brought their concerns regarding locating the skatepark next to the tennis courts. They live across the street from the tennis courts. Some concerns include – A skatepark is not a general function of the school & would become a burden; the tennis courts are in sad shape, so too will the skatepark become; concerns about who the skatepark would attract; who’s going to monitor it; the lot is used as parking for school functions so that will be lost; drainage issues; lack of lighting; liability; bikes in skatepark causing damage. Their number one concern is noise. They didn’t choose to live by a skatepark. It should be in a central location with drive-by surveillance such as downtown or the city park. Aaron said concrete skate parks are relatively quiet compared to other designs. He agreed with their concerns. He envisions it as a day-use facility. Debate ensued about whether or not it should be at the city park; losing too much park to other structures. Councilmember Wekenman encouraged Aaron to approach private downtown property owners about land for his skatepark. This is not a project that will be funded by the city however there are still questions of who will maintain it.

Mary Estes: Wants extra space at Heritage Park to plant some more memorial roses. No cost to city. Councilmember Webb MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to grant her the extra space. Councilmember Newman amended the motion for Mary to first approach the Palouse Chamber of Commerce for their thoughts since they use the space from time to time. Motion was tabled to the next council meeting.

Melissa Duggar. Her kids have had two close calls on Mohr Street (by the elementary school doors) of almost getting hit by speeders. She wants speed bumps. Councilmember Wekenman suggested crossing guards before and after school. The school should be able to help address this issue. Possible solutions brought up – making Mohr and Alder Streets one way and blocking off that portion of Mohr St during school hours. Supt. Griffin has issues with speed bumps being installed on city streets. Additionally, speed bumps are a concern for snow plowing.

Mark Sawyer: Third annual Palouse Duathlon is scheduled for Saturday, June 8. Two mile run, 10 mile bike, and two mile run again. He would like permission for use of the park, lower parking lots, city streets, and use of barricades. This event raises money for local kids to attend Young Life summer camps. The Palouse PD is fine with it and will help out with traffic control. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow city resources for this event. Councilmember Jones seconded. The city is covered under the Young Life insurance policy. Motion carried unanimously.

Jon Carson, Inland NW Broadcasting. Promotions director. Community partnership grant program for advertising for events. This includes public service and public interest events and issues. They also have a full service news team. He left behind literature for anyone interested in contacting them.

OLD BUSINESS:
Close-out agreement with Department of Commerce for the Brownsfield Project: Michael Stringer of MFA was on speaker-phone. This agreement extends the closing date from 2013 to December 2016 and retains $53,327 for the additional groundwater testing and monitoring beyond 2013. Originally the $53,327 was set to be de-allocated, but Clerk Beeson and MFA’s Mike Stringer were able to work with DOC program manager Bill Mandeville to get this extension. At this point, it is unknown how frequent Ecology will require the testing be done, with only the first two quarter test results in for 2013. The last samples for 2013 will be taken in September. At that point, we hope to know from Ecology what the testing requirements will be. City is contracting for that testing to be done. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to authorize the mayor to sign the Close-Out agreement with the DOC. The cost for monitoring, testing and reporting is about $7,650 per event. Motion carried unanimously.

MFA Contract: MFA is asking for a change order to existing contract for 2013 Brownfields project costs. The scope of work includes collection & analysis of groundwater samples, removal of existing barrels on the site and planning documents for riverbank restoration and enhancement through an agreement with the Palouse Conservation District (PCD). The proposed increase is $14,500 and will continue to be 100% grant eligible. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, authorizing the Mayor to extend our contract by $14,500. These remaining costs for 2013 will be paid 75% through the Ecology Remedial Action Grant and 25% BRLF 2. Motion carried unanimously.

Draft agreement between City and Palouse Conservation District: Mayor Echanove read aloud portions of the draft agreement between the city and PCD. The PCD will work with MFA on the master plan for restoration by controlling invasive weeds and installing native vegetation. MFA plan will be submitted to Ecology for approval. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with PCD. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Two beer & wine license renewals: McLeod’s Market and Palouse Tavern. No objections.

Supt. Dingman is very pleased with the Palouse PD’s activity within the school.

City Clerk Beeson asked for council review of the annual report.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Estes MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:34 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 4/30/13 Ck. #4830-4848 & EFT $34,910.27
Claims Paid 5/14/13 Ck. #4849-4877 & EFT $23,289.52

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 23, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Tim Jones & Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Attorney Bishop (7:24); Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Councilmember Newman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Public present: Brad Pearce; Alexis Maxwell; Scott Kent; Patti Green-Kent.

The City received a letter of interest from Brad Pearce for the vacated council position #4. He gave a brief introduction about himself. Council then asked him a few standard interview questions. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by councilmember Wekenman, to go into executive session at 7:15 pm. Motion carried unanimously. All of council as well as Atty. Bishop and Officer Merry went into executive session. 7:31 pm came out of executive session. Council has decided to keep the position open but reminded Brad that he can file for candidacy in this year’s election.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Under Police Report, change “WSU cycling event” to “intercollegiate cycling event”. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 9, 2013. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report.
Supt. Griffin spoke with the Playtex Company and the Kleenex Company about their “flushable” products which cause problems at the sewer plant. Don called Wilson Engineers regarding this same problem (built our sewer plant 18 years ago). They said this is a common plight they’re seeing these days. One of the solutions may be a transducer type control instead of the ball floats. Transducers hang on the line and read the pressure in the container. That’s what we use in our water reservoir.

Supt. Griffin and the Mayor met with Avista and TIB about converting the street lights to LED. Avista is looking into joining up with TIB. TIB is ready to go, while Avista still has some issues to work out. TIB and the city could move ahead with the city owned lights on Main St. and Whitman St. Mill Street in Colfax has the new LED technology and they went from paying $4.00 a month per light to $.85. This is not a grant. Palouse is one of seven cities in the state selected for this pilot project. Talk of beginning the project in 2013 or 2014.

POLICE REPORT: No bids came in on the Harley. Officer Merry asked if we should lower the opening bid to $8,000. The bike can’t be purchased on the market for less than $13,000. Council wants to just be patient and maintain the price at $10,000.

Bike race was excellent. No injuries. Everything went well.

JFB REPORT:
6 fire calls in March, 7 ytd. Chief Bagott is putting specs together for equipment through the wildland equipment grant we were awarded. We could have gear by mid-June. On the city end of things, we need to start a discussion about new fire equipment. One vehicle is approaching the 30 year old mark which is the point we need to start replacing with newer equipment. Police, Fire, & Safety Committee will put a plan together.

3 EMS calls in March, 15 ytd. They need funding to try and obtain a new heart monitor device called an AED. AEDs are in the $25,000-$30,000 range for a good used one. The one they have currently is an antique. The newer version is standard equipment in all the regular ambulances. No major financial concerns at this point. Need to meet with Pullman this spring to hash out the new ambulance contract for 2014.

The retirement party for Gloria Hodges was a big success. She voluntarily served for 28 years. Her position as EMS Coordinator is going to be filled by three of the existing long-term volunteers: Lisa Fisher, Annie Pillers, & Terrie Teare. They’re looking for more local EMS volunteers.

OLD BUSINESS:
Regarding having a high school student on council, students can’t be an official councilperson unless they’re 18 and a legal, registered voter. Councilmember Newman is proposing a volunteer, six-month, student advisory council position (non-voting), from mid-June to mid-December. She thinks they could be a valuable asset with a unique perspective. The student could do this for a senior project. Connie will work with Attorney Bishop to write a resolution to get this program started.

NEW BUSINESS:
1st Q 2013 Treasurer’s Report: No surprises at this point and no budget amendments needed. The 2013 beginning balance in Fund 401 water is $25,000 higher than 2012’s beginning balance. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman, to adopt the 1st Q 2013 Treasurer’s Report as written. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair:

Streets & Sidewalks-vacant chair:

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Will be touring the sewer plant later this month.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:

Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: 2013 season was set. Lifeguards will begin work on the June 20th for a June 21st opening. Closing August 18th. Swim lesson dates were set. The third session will be based on guard availability. May 17th is deadline for lifeguard applications. Rachel Witthuhn will be returning again as manager this year. Based on pay cuts taken by city staff, no pay increases for pool staff.

The L & I rules and regulations to switch the chlorine tanks have become so restrictive that it just isn’t worth it so we switched from gas to pellets.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb, Chair: Skatepark update: There is no record of ownership, transfer of title, or deed of the vacated street between the tennis court and the school playground. City owns from the center of the vacated street to the east and the school owns from the center of the vacated street to the west. So both the school and the city could deed that for the construction of the skatepark. Aaron Flansburg is going to talk to the adjacent homeowners to see if they have concerns. The school board needs to realize that Aaron is building this and it’s independent of the city. There are city and Avista utilities in there so both will need access.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Committee met with Chief Neumann, Mayor Echanove, and the Mayor of Garfield, to discuss the Garfield police contract. We currently receive $70,000 annually from Garfield for policing services. Contract is being considered for four more years, with an 8% gradual increase: 2%, 4%, 2%, 0%. This raise basically covers the cost of living increase. This will go to the Garfield board before coming back to the Palouse council for final approval.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Liquor Board request for a wine tasting tour June 22, 2013, at three different homes. Event is a fundraiser for the Palouse Community Center and runs from 11 am – 8 pm. By default this passes unless council objects. There were no objections.

Street closure agreement with WSDOT for annual Rat Rod show June 1, 2013. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to sign the agreement with WSDOT. Motion carried unanimously.

Mayor is meeting tomorrow with DOE, Public Works, and Water/Sewer Chair to discuss water temperatures above and below the wastewater treatment plant. Mayor read aloud the abstract of what the meeting is about.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Schorzman 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 Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #4811-4829 & EFT $10,245.69

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
April 9, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Tim Jones. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann & Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson. Public present: Elizabeth Boyd. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to excuse the absence of Councilmember Jones. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 26, 2013. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report, adding that they finished the water/sewer extension for a new build on Union Street.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann reported there have been two inquiries about the Harley, with no sealed bids in yet. They are continuing their school presence. There are some issues to work out with the intercollegiate cycling event. The organizers have requested an added event to their schedule. This will make a longer and more stressful day for PD and volunteers who are working with them. He will continue to work with the organizers.

OLD BUSINESS: Councilmember Newman offered her thoughts on filling the open council position. She would like council to consider a Resolution that would allow a High School student to serve on Council. This is being done in other communities and she believes is a good way to fill a temporary position like the one that is now open which would run through December 2013. AWC has a scholarship program available for training students. This could be a benefit for the student and for the City gaining a different perspective. Mayor Echanove reminded council that the application period ends April 19 and encouraged Councilmember Newman to continue with her research on this and what we would have to do to get it going.

NEW BUSINESS: No report

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: The committee met and discussed with Supt. Griffin the water and sewer needs for keeping up with operating, equipment and infrastructure needs now and in the future.
Sewer Pump – The highest priority currently is to purchase an extra sewer pump to have on hand in case one fails. It is thought that these pumps have been in service since the plant was new about 18 years ago. They have done their job but are definitely close to the end of their life span. The cost is not known but estimated to be $8,000 to $10,000 each. Council recommended that Supt. Griffin continue working toward the purchase of a new sewer pump.
Backhoe Replacement – The next priority is to replace the backhoe which is also running toward the end of its life span. It has been well cared for, but with 6,000 hours on it the costs to keep it running will be too great. Supt. Griffin estimates the replacement cost with trade-in to be $60k to $70k, which would be split out to various departments according to percentage of use. He would like this to be considered as part of the 2014 budget as more time is needed to gather information. Council approves continuing the effort to replace the backhoe.
Water and Sewer Budget – The last increase to water/sewer rates was in 2011. The committee is considering a 1% increase in water to keep up with current needs while reserving for future needs as above and listed in the draft Water System Plan. Sewer will need a greater increase to keep up with costs and allow an increase in reserve balances for future needs such as the backhoe and maintaining the sewer plant to name a few. The committee is considering an increase of $1. The committee will continue to meet to discuss rates.
Councilmember Ossinger asked Supt. Griffin if there are other types of pumps available that would work better than the ones currently being used. Supt. Griffin said he would research other options to keep up with technology.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor Echanove explained to Council that our Brownfields granting agencies are preparing amendments to the current grant agreements that include extending the closing dates of the grants and for the BRLF II grant, de-allocating unspent funds. Current and future requests cannot be paid until the amendments are signed. The Mayor asked council for approval to sign the amended agreements once all parties come together and our needs are met. After discussion it was decided that the amended agreements should come back to council to consider for approval.

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

Councilmember Wekenman asked if anyone knew what is happening with the Palouse Arms Apartment building. Mayor Echanove said that as he understands, once the building is vacated, the owner will consider his options but that it would likely be demolished.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:07 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. #4768-4787 & EFT $37,870.20
Claims Paid Ck. #4788-4810 $13,051.17

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 26, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Aaron Flansburg. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman, to excuse Councilmember Wekenman’s absence. Motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 12, 2013. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report. While in the process of installing a new water service on South Hill, Public Works discovered a fire hydrant line in disrepair. They are going to replace a 20’ section of the main, and 10’ off.

Public Works checked the sewer lift station again and it was filled with items that should never be flushed. Need to keep reminding public of what not to flush. When the Consumer Confidence Report goes out this spring, we will include another reminder.

POLICE REPORT:
The unfinished trim at the PD is being painted with help of a man serving his community service hours.
The Police Harley was listed for sale on the AWC website, the newspaper, posted at P.O., and emailed to city’s list serve. Sealed bids are due April 22nd.
We’re dealing with an ongoing theft on Union Street. A large concrete yard ornamental deer was stolen. If anyone has any information, please contact the PD.
Reminder to watch for pedestrians and bicyclists now that the weather has warmed up.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2013-03 adopting policy and procedures for recording and tracking capital assets. – Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The city already has a policy for tracking small and attractive inventory. This resolution tracks buildings, land, furnishings, fixtures, and furniture, equipment, machinery, vehicles, and tools valued at greater than $5,000. The city has already been doing this but now it’s a policy. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to approve and sign Resolution No. 2013-03. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: Alison met with Councilmember Newman and Aaron Flansburg regarding the skatepark. The school deeded the property the tennis court is on get a grant to build it. City will look into a possible title search to confirm who owns the vacated portion of G Street next to the tennis court. The cost of property and liability insurance is yet to be determined. Aaron will continue to gather information. His projected groundbreaking date is June 2014. When he gets more information and answers he will move forward with discussing with the school board/administration, and abutting property owners.

Streets & Sidewalks: Regarding the contract with the Palouse Tavern for their beer garden. Contract has been revised and it looks good. Councilmember Newman recommends it to be renewed annually, perhaps run from June 1 to May 31 and have it on the agenda for the first meeting in May so any questions/concerned can be addressed.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: The WSP is tentatively on the agenda for April 9th to be presented to council. If Council approves the Resolution adopting the WSP, it goes to DOH for their final stamp.

Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair:

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Request for extended vacation leave this summer for deputy clerk. Her immediate supervisor Clerk Beeson, and Mayor both approve. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones to grant the extended leave request. Motion carried unanimously.

Mayor read aloud a city proclamation honoring Gloria Hodges for volunteering as an EMS provider for 28 years. Gloria is retiring this spring.

Since no one submitted a letter of interest for the vacated council position we will open it again until April 18th, 2pm.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:52 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #4752-4767 & EFT $7,050.07

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
March 12, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Aaron Flansburg, Josh Miller, Joey Thomas.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 26, 2013. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The sludge press is working flawlessly after repairs.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann attended a cyber-bullying workshop with the GPHS sophomore class. The PD has completed their 2012 training mandate with the state. They’ve also completed all their L & I requirements. They will now have monthly safety trainings, mostly online. Joey Thomas, a GPHS senior, is job shadowing Chief Neumann for his senior project.

OLD BUSINESS:
Surplus Harley: Action – approve to sell by sealed bid: Chief Neumann would like permission to try to sell the Harley using sealed bid, and having a minimum bid of $10,000. Chief will list it online via various markets (Craig’s list, AWC, etc.), and will print in our newspaper of record as well. Proceeds from sale would go back into the PD’s vehicle and equipment fund. Councilmember Jones MOVED to allow Chief Neumann to surplus the motorcycle to the highest bidder with a minimum bid of $10,000. Councilmember Webb seconded. Motion carried unanimously. If purchased by a law enforcement entity, equipment will be included; if sold to a private party, will have to remove the lights, radio, and siren.

Streambank Habitat Enhancement Draft Proposal: Action – review. Mayor summarized the draft proposal for the riverbank by the Brownfields site. The grant project has approximately $70,000 left. This proposal would cost $4,500, to manually remove weeds and install native seeds and plants in early spring of 2014. MFA has submitted this proposal to Ecology for their approval of allowing these expenditures as part of the Brownfields current grants. When these enhancements are finished, volunteers would provide ongoing irrigation and maintenance of the planting area after the project is implemented. This isn’t something else for the public works to take on.

Environmental Covenant for Brownfield Site: Action – approve for signature: Brought to us by the DOE. Reviewed and edited by our attorney. Discussion and explanation ensued. The covenant places declarations as to limitations, restrictions, and uses to which the property may be put and specifies that such declarations shall constitute covenants to run with the land. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to allow Mayor to sign the Restrictive Environmental Covenant. Councilmember Newman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. With the weather warming up, it might be a good time to come up with a tentative plan for marketing this property. The lot is 100’ x 200’ with a 60’ easement between it and Bagott Motors.

NEW BUSINESS:
2012 Treasurers Report: Action – approve. Clerk-Treasurer Beeson prepared the 2012 Year End Treasurer’s Report and a financial summary report narrative. Our actual beginning balance for CE 2013 is $55,591. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the 2012 4th Q Treasurer’s Report. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Councilmember Newman asked that the minutes clearly reflect that the general fund expended $21,000 more than receipted. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 904: budget amendment for fire department grant. Action – approve for signature: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Amends ordinances No. 902 & 903. Sets estimated revenues and appropriations to reflect money the FD received from the USFS-Department of Natural Resources grant to purchase new wildland fire equipment. It is a 50% match, so the city’s share will be $3,329. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Ordinance No. 904. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: Have met a few times to discuss the 2012 treasurer’s report. Will meet again after 1st Q ends.

Streets & Sidewalks: Councilmember Newman would like the tavern’s contract to use the city right of way for their beer garden have to be reviewed and renewed on an annual basis. Currently there is not a renewal clause on the contract. By making it an annual renewal, it would serve as a reminder to the establishment of their obligations (garbage pickup, hours, language, barriers, right-of-way, etc.). This annual renewal would be an opportunity for law enforcement, council, to address their concerns with the owners. Joyce will revise the contract for council review.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Still waiting on DOH’s review. We’re delayed about three weeks so far. Will be having a committee meeting next week to review water and sewer rates and bring forward recommendations we might see. They will also be looking at a replacement timeline for major w/s equipment so council has a better idea of future needs. This will help in evaluate our reserves as we’re adjusting the w/s utility rates.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg & Josh Miller for Palouse Skate Park update: Josh is working with Aaron on the skate park for his GPHS senior project. They’ve been putting on fundraising events. With two events in the last few weeks, the total raised so far is $5,484.64. Upcoming goals are to establish a location for the skate park and continue fundraising. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman to extend this conversation beyond the three minute limit. Motion carried unanimously. Josh has been helping Aaron since September and has far exceeded the 20 hour minimum requirement for his senior project. They have established a partnership with Palouse Chamber of Commerce as a 501c. Aaron has been looking at potential sites: one in the park on the river side of the swimming pool; one in the gravel lot next to the tennis courts; and one is on the flat part of school’s playground by the bank across from the tee-ball field. Aaron would love to come to an agreement by this spring for a location. Two of these locations are school property so the city may have minimal involvement. The city doesn’t have the luxury of having much excess property for a project like that. Maintenance needs Aaron foresees are the need for a permanent trash can and trash disposal. He wants the skate board community to have a sense of ownership and take responsibility for keeping it clean.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid Ck. #4711-4728 & EFT $34,614.28
Claims Paid Ck. #4729-4751 & EFT $10,213.49

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 26, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Norm Schorzman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; City Attorney Stephen Bishop (7:22); Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to accept his Councilmember Schorzman’s absence. Councilmember Jones seconded and the motion carried. Councilmember Cecil Floyd submitted his resignation by email Feb. 22, 2013. Councilmember Jones MOVED to accept Councilmember Floyd’s resignation. Councilmember Ossinger seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Public present: David Nails; Judi Dunn-Gray; Richard Styer; Dana Anderson; Darrel Goertzen; Chris Sapp.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of February 12, 2013. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. In the last couple weeks, two of city’s three lift stations have been plugged because of things being flushed down toilets that shouldn’t be. And two pumps at the sewer plant had to be pulled last week for the same reason. Things found are feminine hygiene products, condoms, hair, dental floss, toys, adult and baby wipes, swiffers, cleaning wipes, and more. Public Works can’t stress enough to the public how catastrophic this could be. They’re going to cause us some serious problems if we don’t get the word out. Need to continue getting word out to the public and equating it to dollars. These pumps are thousands of dollars each.

POLICE REPORT: School resource officer program is continuing to go well. We have a person coming to do community service at the PD. In the last two weeks we’ve received two more rooster/chicken complaints on North hill last week – crowing rooster at 3 am; two Union Street nuisance yard complaints; and a couple vehicle prowls.

JFB REPORT: Had a sparsely attended meeting on Feb. 18th. The financial report was handed out, minimal activity, no concerns. Had one fire call in January. Two FD meetings were held in February; one was a school walk-through to make sure we know where gas shut offs, water hook ups, electrical shutoffs, etc are. The FD received the DNR grant for wildland gear for $13,313.30. It’s a 50/50 grant so half of that is split between the city and rural so the city’s share is approx. $3,300. We have an L&I rep helping to get the FD compliance programs up-to-date. We’ve received a couple volunteer firefighter applications. Joyce will do an ordinance for a budget amendment for the grant. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to have Clerk-Treasurer Beeson draft an ordinance to administer the DNR grant payment for the wildland firefighting equipment. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

EMS had 5 calls in January. Currently there are EMT classes being held at the FD. There is a blood drive coming up this spring.

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2013-02: Whitman County Hazardous Mitigation Plan: Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman to take from the table this resolution and discussion. Motion carried unanimously. Plan discusses the county’s and city’s plan in case of natural hazards such as floods, fires, etc. It discusses “protected facilities” such as medical facilities, PD, school, wells, etc. There are some typos/errors in the document that Rick is going to have the facilitator re-do. Councilmember Jones MOVED to authorize the adoption of the Whitman County Hazardous Mitigation Plan as written and the Palouse annex with corrections. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

DRAFT Ordinance: Adding additional language to PMC Chapter 6.16 Poultry: The city and PD have been dealing with ongoing complaints about chickens/roosters in town. PD needs a code/policy so they know how to approach these complaints. Mayor read aloud the draft code. Much discussion ensued with input from a few chicken owners in town. This draft will continue to be re-worked until council can come up with what’s best.

NEW BUSINESS:
Whitman County Recycling & Waste Reduction Update: Judi Dunn-Gray from Whitman County Recycling and Waste Reduction and David Nails, Whitman County Solid Waste Operations Manager spoke about various things going on in the county. Judi is working on stewardships with manufacturers of paint, fluorescent lighting, batteries, etc. to take back their e-waste. The county as always still has free hazardous waste disposal. The county spends about $100,000 every two years in the disposal of those products. The county still has free composting and chipping as well. Judi is still looking at getting recycling here in Palouse.

David Nails spoke of the Whitman County Spring Clean-up week in April. Additionally, they want someone from Palouse on the Whitman County Advisory Committee.

Whitman County Interlocal Shoreline Agreement: Councilmember Newman summarized the agreement. DOE requires a shoreline plan and ours is due for update. There are seven cities within Whitman County who are in this collaboration with the county (as opposed to doing it on our own). Connie is proposing that we again sign the agreement allowing the City of Palouse to join this collaborative effort. This is anticipated to be a three year project. First step is all the agreements coming in and receiving the DOE funding. Then there is the hiring of a consultant. Take a full inventory of all the shoreline in these towns. Do an analysis of shorelines, identify any problems DOE is looking for, characterizations of the shorelines, environmental designs such as Colfax’s canal. They’ll do an accumulative assessment. Identify restoration opportunities. There’s a public involvement process as well. It’s a valuable project as far as water quality. Mayor Echanove read aloud a summary of the agreement. Councilmember Newman MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the interlocal agreement between Whitman County, the cities of Pullman, Colfax, Palouse, Albion, Malden, Rosalia, and Tekoa for cooperative Shoreline Master Programs Update, and also authorizing Clerk-Treasurer Beeson as the designee. Seconded by Councilmember Ossinger. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: No report
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: No report
Streets & Sidewalks: no report
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: No report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: No report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: 2/3 of finance committee met with County Assessor Joe Reynolds to discuss setting the 2014 budget. In the process of meeting with Mr. Reynolds, he pointed out that our clerk-treasurer is imminently qualified in doing her job

OPEN FORUM:

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Bank Left Gallery beer/wine license renewal. No objections.

MFA is putting together a proposal to clean the riverbank at the Brownfields site. There is still approximately $70,000 left. Mayor asked MFA for a cost estimate for the testing equipment that DOE requires us to perform on the site.

NW Collegiate Bicycling event is coming in April to Palouse again.

Regarding the vacated council position #4, the vacancy will be posted about town with a closing date of March 21st. New councilperson will hopefully be sworn in at March 26th council.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:56 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #4692-4710 $12,604.07
VOID Ck. # 4695

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
February 12, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb, Cecil Floyd and Rick Wekenman. Also present: Officer Joe Merry; & Clerk Joyce Beeson. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 22, 2013. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Merry reported they have increased their presence at the schools and did a basic risk assessment. It is greatly appreciated. The Mayor read a portion of a letter from the school superintendent talking about the increased patrols in the hallways and about the schools and how well it is received.

They would like to proceed with the next phase of making the PD more energy efficient – build walls around the furnace and duct work in the large meeting room. They would also like to create space on top of the structure to store their archive files. They would do the work themselves with material costs estimated at around $2,500. Council asked for a closer cost estimate for the next meeting.

JFB REPORT: Councilmember Wekenman reported on the January JFB meeting. All is good on the financial end; Chief Bagott reported 36 total calls in 2012, with 9 city, 18 rural and 9 mutual aid. Since the last meeting, we were awarded the DNR grant for wildland firefighting gear which will include coveralls, helmets and hopefully boots. This equipment is lighter in weight and designed specifically for wildland fires.
The L&I visit at the PSB came out with only a few low-cost changes to be made to be in compliance. They will be writing an Accident Prevention Program. The EMS will begin negotiations with Pullman’s new chief, Mike Heston, on the contract with the City of Pullman to provide ambulance service to Palouse. The EMS had 50 calls in 2012. Annie Pillers will be teaching classes for the next few months at the PSB. Gloria Hodges will be retiring April 2nd. The EMS Coordinator duties will be split to 3 people.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution No. – 2012-01 Health/Dental insurance benefits policy revision. The Mayor read aloud the resolution and policy in its entirety. The revision to current policy is adding an additional payment option for the opt-out benefit. After discussion, Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Resolution 2013-01. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. – 2012-01 – Authorizing the adoption of the Whitman County Hazard Mitigation Plan (WCHMP). The Mayor read the resolution in its entirety. As appointed representative for Palouse, Councilmember Wekenman explained this work in progress and summarized why it is important to adopt the plan. One being it makes you eligible for FEMA grant opportunities. Once the plan is adopted, it will be reviewed every four years to keep it current. The Palouse annex to the plan will be distributed to council for review. There are some typo’s and cleaning up that need to be done. The full plan and the Palouse annex will be available at city hall for all to review. Discussion followed. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to table Resolution 2013-02 until the next meeting. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Police Fire & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: The PD has made substantial budget cuts and still working on anything they can do to save money. At this point the cuts will be minor since larger cuts have been made. Discussion on the policing contract with Garfield has begun and will be ongoing. Councilmember Wekenman said he will be attending some of the Garfield council meetings to learn more of what they are doing that might work for us. The L&I visit to the PD went well and there are a few things they will be working on: a Blood-Borne Pathogens program will be written, and training classes and some supplies will be required but at no great cost to the city.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Cecil stated that he is almost ready to present his draft ordinance regulating the keeping of poultry.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: The DOH has sent a few follow up questions and they are being looked at by Angel, Taylor Engineering. The discussion drifted into the public records law as it pertains to the members of council.

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: The budget video training presented by AWC was postponed to February 26th at 5:30, preceding the next council meeting. All of council is encouraged to attend. They will start having finance meetings within this first quarter. The 2012 fourth quarter narrative treasurer’s report went out to council by email and will be on the next agenda.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Jones MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:23 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 1/31/13: Ck. #4644-4641, & EFT $35,196.00
VOIDED: Ck. #4690
Claims Paid 2/13/13 Ck. #4643, & 4662-4691 & EFT $ 6,954.72

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
January 22, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Cecil Floyd and Rick Wekenman. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Councilmember Jones seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Connie amended the minutes as follows. Under open forum, Councilmember Newman is very unhappy “that disparaging remarks or complaints about specific staff people were included with the planning commission survey results that went out to the public.” Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of January 8, 2013. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report. The city needs to change the way we chlorinate the pool, so Dwayne is looking at alternatives.

POLICE REPORT: Last week there was a suspicious fire on the railroad tracks down by the flathouse. PD is still investigating. PD had their L&I inspection – just some minor changes to implement.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Councilmember Jones is the new chair of the Finance Committee and Councilmember Schorzman will chair the Personnel & Pool Committee.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Taylor Engineering received a letter back from the Dept. of Health regarding our WSP. They needed a few clarifications which Angela is addressing.

Received another PRR questioning the validity of the WSP, if we had a public meeting, if we followed proper protocol in notifying the public, etc. There’s a WAC requirement by the DOH to have a consumer-input process. We went above and beyond those requirements: we sent it out on list serve; printed it out on water bill; prior to Oct. 9, 2012, council meeting, had an hour long Q & A which no one attended; we allowed a community member to attend a committee meeting. Additionally, Councilmember Newman offered to meet with people and got no requests. The city has covered our bases.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: No report.
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: No report.
Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: absent
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair: No report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: absent. Chief Neumann reported that Garfield is interested in a three-year police contract. He will work with Rick and get back to council.
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: No report.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Public Works Trust Fund may change their academy location.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Newman inquired about our signature process and if the finance committee chair should sign the check register (as opposed to other council members). Staff will look into it. Motion carried unanimously.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:26 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid 12/31/12: Ck. #4614-4624, 4627, & EFT $ 35,912.00
VOIDED: Ck. # 4616 & 4620
Claims Paid 1/23/12 Ck. #4625-4626, & 4628-4642 & EFT $444,940.40

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council Agenda
Regular Council Meeting
January 8, 2013

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Tim Jones; Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Motion carried unanimously. Public present: Sharon Tharp, Mike Milano; Aaron Flansburg; Janet Barstow.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Move the paragraph from the Streets & Sidewalks committee report to under the Mayor’s Report. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of December 11, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report. Continuing to clean up snow.

POLICE REPORT: Had a call-in for a burglary in progress in Palouse. Chief and Officer Merry responded. They caught the perpetrator without incident and he was taken into custody. Homeowner didn’t want to press charges (friend of a friend).
Clean-up is progressing at the Union Street house.
Investigated a vehicle school collision. Minor to no damage to school. Driving too fast for conditions.
Jan. 1st was start of new schedule with decreased hours for Officer Dentler. Chief outlined for council the daily activity schedules of PD staff.
How does this new marijuana law play out? For a juvenile it’s still illegal; it’s never okay for a juvenile to be in possession in any way. As an adult, the Whitman County prosecutor will not entertain any misdemeanors. We still have 9 months to see what the feds will do; still illegal and a controlled substance federally. Should not be consumed in the presence of minors. Right now there’s a lot of gray area. We’re waiting to see the final ruling of the feds and how this is going to be governed.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 903 – Budget Amendment: The Brownfields grant money from the DOE and DOC simply didn’t arrive in 2012, arrived the first week of 2013. So we have to do a budget amendment. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Ord. 903 amends Ord. 902 to receipt and expend incoming grant monies that should’ve arrived in 2012. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt ordinance 903. Councilmember Newman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: absent
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: absent
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Still waiting to hear back from DOH on second review of WSP. Hope to have it by second meeting in February.

OPEN FORUM:
Janet Barstow. On February 9th, there will be a 1st Annual Cabin Fever Brew Fest as a fundraiser for the Palouse Community Center for ages 21 & over only. Admission is $15.00 and you get a souvenir pint glass and 6 tasting tickets. Canopies and propane heaters will be within a fenced-in area in the parking lot. Since they will be using the parking lot (similar to a beer garden), they are seeking approval from council. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to approve allowing them to set up in the PCC parking lot. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Received a liquor license renewal request from Washington State Liquor Control Board for the Green Frog. No objections from council.

Mike Milano, Chamber of Commerce. Regarding Heritage Park restroom winter closure. As a group they feel strongly about keeping that open; vital to our economic viability. People are working hard to raise funds to keep the restrooms open. Based on computations, he came up with the figure of $930 needed to cover electricity and supplies for the three coldest months. After community donations, the Chamber will donate whatever amount necessary to meet $930 to cover electricity and supplies in exchange for a commitment from the city to keep bathrooms open. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to keep restrooms open with the agreed $930 donation. Councilmember Floyd seconded. Councilmember Newman said the $930 still leaves us short on covering the wages of cleaning the bathrooms. Motion carried unanimously. Mike Milano presented a list of total 2012/2013 chamber earmarks and commitments thus far and it comes to $4,963 in donations.

Aaron Flansburg, on behalf of skate park effort. He and a couple local kids went on a research mission to the Lewiston Skate Park. Came back motivated and inspired. With help from community, they created and delivered 41 pizzas and raised $515. $4,200+ raised thus far. Cost is dependent on how you build, where you build, and size. With in-kind donations of materials, reclaimed material, and volunteer labor, he thinks it could be done for under $10,000. Aaron would like to move forward with establishing a site. His ideal spot is behind sewer plant, near compost facility. Wouldn’t have to run water to it or build restrooms because of the proximity to the park. Supt. Griffin is concerned that location would be a hot topic. It’s been set up as a nature area. Aaron is mindful of perceptions that this could be viewed as a frivolous expense and he doesn’t want it to be viewed that way. He doesn’t want the skate park to become another park for already-burdened public works to have to care for and empty garbage, etc.

Councilmember Floyd brought up discussing the results of the police levy question from the Planning Commission survey. Councilmember Newman is very unhappy that disparaging remarks or complaints about specific staff people were included with the planning commission survey results that went out to the public. Thinks it was unethical to print some of those comments and violated our city practices; we would never allow someone to attend a council meeting and say those things about staff. There are procedures to follow. Her comment is to the Planning Commission, that in the future, any dissemination be thought out more. The PC will be talked with about this. Sharon Tharp from the Planning Commission explained their reasoning for sending out the results. Jim Farr has submitted a PRR to the city requesting a copy of every single returned survey, so the PC decided to compile all the comments and distribute them. The city attorney was consulted and yes, the surveys are a public record and cannot be redacted. Much discussion ensued.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor is working with the Public Works Trust Fund to host an academy in Palouse this spring.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Floyd seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Dec. 26, 2012. Ck. #4560-4571 $ 2,417.42
Payroll Paid Dec. 31, 2012. Ck. #4572-4590 & EFT $41,535.23
Claims Paid Dec. 30, 2012 Ck. #4591-4604 $ 4,652.17
Claims Paid Jan. 9, 2013 Ck. #4605-4613 $17,204.88

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Regular Council Meeting
December 11, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson and Police Officer Brian Dentler. Public present: Bev Pearce and Garth Meyer.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of November 27, 2012, as written. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin reported regular fall maintenance cleaning storm drains, culverts and leaves. They also painted Heritage Park restrooms and installed a stairway to the storage loft at the shop.

POLICE REPORT: Officer Dentler reported only one accident recently. They have all been participating in training classes to keep current.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 901: Amending 2012 Budget for purchase of capital equipment for the sewer plant. Supt. Griffin explained that the automatic rake and screen assembly at the sewer plant needs to be rebuilt. The Clerk explained that since this is happening at the end of the year, it is uncertain if this will be invoiced in 2012 or 2013. Given this uncertainty, this amendment will be for 2012 and there is also a budget line in the proposed 2013 budget. The Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman, to adopt Ordinance No. 901. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 902: Adopting 2013 City of Palouse Budget and Budget Message. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman, to suspend the rule to read the ordinance in its entirety. Motion carried unanimously. The Mayor read the ordinance aloud by title and summary only. He then summarized the budget message. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Ordinance No 902 – City of Palouse 2013 Budget. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Discussion: The Clerk was asked what basic changes were made to the budget since the last meeting. She explained that some numbers were adjusted based on actual expenditures and another month of payroll since the last meeting. Was able to budget closer to where the actual numbers may come in. The 2013 estimated beginning balance in the general fund Current Expense is $50,500 and the estimated ending balance is $42,240. Councilmember Newman voted nay. Motion carried.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Councilmember Ossinger reported that he took the current draft ordinance regulating the keeping of chickens to committee. Based on negative reactions, he has chosen to withdraw this version and asked that it go back to committee under the direction of Councilmember Floyd. It will go back to committee.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Councilmember Newman reported that the Water/Sewer committee would support an amendment to the 2013 budget if Dwayne finds a backhoe that fits his needs. Councilmember Newman reported that there has been a citizen complaint that the Water System Plan was not properly presented to the public for comment. Newman assured all that the WSP has gone through the public comment period and it is in the hands of the Dept. of Health for their second review. Once approved by DOH it will be presented to council to be adopted.

OPEN FORUM: Bev Pearce addressed council, representing the Palouse Chamber of Commerce. After seeing discussion in the minutes of closing the Heritage Park (HP) restrooms for 3 or 4 of the coldest months, the Chamber became concerned. The Chamber considers HP to be a vital service for our businesses. Bev was asked by the Chamber to ask council that if they came up with $1,500 to off-set costs, would council consider keeping it open. The estimated cost per winter month is approximately $500 which includes energy, labor and paper products. Councilmember Wekenman said this should cover the cost for keeping HP open for Jan, Feb and March 2013. With a positive reaction from council, Bev said she would take this back to the Chamber for discussion.

Councilmember Floyd asked the Mayor if the community Brownfields committee is active yet. The Mayor outlined progress with the Brownfields project – the cleanup phase was just completed, not all the bills have been paid yet; the monitoring wells were installed and the site must be monitored for at least one year, with samples taken quarterly by MFA. This property will be ready for the re-use phase and integrated back into the community as an asset. After questions and discussion, it was determined that the council finance committee could work with the citizen’s group to get the word out about this property. The Port would also be a great player in the re-use phase. Supt. Griffin asked about how the testing will be done. MFA will conduct the tests for one year and they would like to show city staff how it is done in case additional testing is required. If it is required, the City may do the testing for 2014 and beyond or hire it done.

The Mayor read aloud a letter from Jim Farr asking for answers to 3 questions –
What are the current job descriptions of the treasurer and deputy clerk regarding financial duties?
Mayor – Their job descriptions are on file; in the Palouse Municipal Code (PMC) and directed by RCW.
What are the official duties of the finance committee, including over-sight?
Mayor – Written in code PMC 2.08.030 (B)
For the year 2011 and 2012, who were the members of the finance committee? When did their terms begin and end?
City staff will put together a complete listing.
Two suggestions and one opinion were offered by Mr. Farr – Restore the Treasurer’s job back to an officially elected position; and add citizen over-sight to the finance committee similar to the water and sewer committee’s Doug Wilcox (citizen at large). He believes “the size of the police department should be reduced to one officer, saving the city big money. The county could pick up the slack along with the extra funding for real law enforcement needs.” Complete answers will go out to Mr. Farr for his 3 questions.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor asked council to consider committee chair and assignments for 2013.
TIB awarded Palouse with the opportunity to be a pilot city for a grant to convert all our street lights to the LED technology. Once complete, the energy cost savings should be about 70%. Councilmember Floyd and Mayor Echanove are meeting with Avista and TIB tomorrow and will know more for next meeting. Commissioner Partch was credited for his work in helping to make this happen for Palouse. Palouse is the only city on the east side of the state that was chosen as one of seven pilot cities.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:42 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, November 30, 2012 Ck. #4499 – 4521 & EFT $40,760.60
Claims Paid, December 12, 2012 Ck. #4522 – 4559 & EFT $19,316.18

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Final Public Hearing for 2013 Budget
Followed by Regular Council Meeting
November 27, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jerry Standar; Darlene Brantner; Garth Meyer; Herb Greenwalt.

PUBLIC HEARING: Opened hearing at 7:01.
Palouse resident Darlene Brantner is still concerned about cutting the cemetery budget. To her the cemetery is about respect and she’s seen what can happen when cemeteries are neglected. The city keeps adding additional things for maintenance. She suggested maybe having the police officers help with shoveling snow, putting up flags, etc. Palouse resident Jerry Standar reinforced Mrs. Brantner’s thoughts. The cemetery is important. Councilmember Floyd agreed that thinking outside the box with how we use our personnel would be a good idea.

Councilmember Jones wondered why the city is cutting 25% off the lowest paid police officer instead of 10% off each officer, grossing more savings, and having less of a negative effect on one man.

Councilmember Newman stated we’re projecting an average annual budget deficit of $19,000 between the years 2009 through 2013. If we continue that trend, that puts us at bankruptcy in the next 2.5 years. She had a meeting with Public Works Supt. Griffin to discuss infrastructure. Even if we increase our ending balance for 2013 we won’t be putting into reserves any money from the general fund for equipment improvements. In addition, streets and sidewalks will be left with $400. We have significant infrastructure that need repair and replacement. In order to meet these requirements, not only must we operate with a balanced budget, we need to be saving money to reserves. Our large city dump truck is a 1973, needs to be replaced in 1 to 5 years; old Dodge 1990 truck for snow plowing, etc. needs to be replaced in 1 to 5 years; the backhoe needs to be rebuilt, spending several hours each month keeping it running, needs replacement in 1 to 5 years; plow attachment needs to be replaced in the next 1 to 3 years; the PW shop- storage and shop space is at a minimum and needed. It’s estimated we need $70,000 to $90,000 in reserves to do that and every year we put it off, the more it costs in the long run.

Councilmember Jones thinks the city should use the reserves instead of making drastic cuts; that’s what the reserves are for, to bail us out of tough times. There was much discussion regarding the purpose of reserves.

CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING at 7:22 pm

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman amended the minutes to include some budget numbers she presented as part of her report as follows: Total General Fund Budget Deficit for 2009-2012 is $81,785; Total Projected General Fund Budget Deficit for 2009-2013 is $97,010; Average Projected Annual Budget Deficit for 2009-2013 is $19,406. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of November 13, 2012 as amended. Councilmember Floyd seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report. The city had a compliance inspection from L & I. The biggest fix is a catwalk to be built at the shop. Nothing is expensive, just a few little things. The main focus was on updating our accident prevention program and safety manual and meeting compliance of the OSHA 300 rules for record keeping.

The city was awarded a $46,000 TIB grant to chip seal F Street, Union Street, and H Street next summer. This is 100% funded. No matching funds required from city.

POLICE REPORT: Along with routine patrols in Palouse and Garfield, last week PD had a death investigation. It was ruled an accidental death. Over Thanksgiving weekend they responded to a domestic assault. Apple Cup was Friday, creating extra traffic but all went well. Doing some Concealed Pistol Licenses.

It was pointed out that when traffic violations are written in Palouse, not a penny comes to Palouse. That revenue goes directly to the county to fund the court and judicial system because they handle our cases through an Interlocal agreement. Connie requested occasional lists of traffic tickets, routine stops and code enforcement by the Palouse PD. Chief Neumann will work on that.

JFB REPORT: Fire Chief reported 31 calls YTD, 6 in October. The FD is working on a Dept. of Natural Resources grant application in the amount of $13,313 for wildland gear. If it comes through, the match would be 50% split with rural fire. Approximately $4,300 will be expended for training and travel for fire department this year. Pat Wilkins, a retired Pullman Fire Chief recently passed away; he will be missed.

EMS had 6 calls in October, three were transport, three non-transports. EMS personnel have been involved in epi-training (allergic reaction). There are new state rules allowing them to do intra-muscle injections which will be very beneficial if responding to allergic reaction calls. Their main piece of equipment for purchase in the next few years is a 12-lead heart monitor which is becoming standard equipment for most departments. They cost in the range of $30,000 new. They will have fundraisers over the next five or so years to raise money for that. Annie Pillers is now qualified as a senior EMT instructor.

OLD BUSINESS:
2013 budget discussions: recap: We’ve made approximately $29,000 in budget cuts: cutting an officer to 75%, changing health insurance provider; two employees switched to spouses’ insurance plan; cell phone policy change; limiting PW overtime to emergencies and essential services; increased our property and liability insurance deductible to $1,000. For 2013, we’re going to reduce the energy usage at Heritage Park by closing for winter months; going to send notice to CIAW that we’re going to shop around for other insurance providers. Also, remember that the required state audits are once every three years so the $6,000 budgeted in 2013 for the state audit won’t be necessary in 2014 and 2015. On the revenue side, we will surplus the Harley and those funds will go into the PD vehicle and equipment fund. 100% of the Garfield police contract will go into the CE fund. Based on the newest numbers, we should end 2013 with approximately $7,000 more than what we start the year with.

Much discussion continued. In the last three council meetings we’ve taken a budget deficit of $37,000 in the general fund to a budget deficit of $11,000 which will likely end 2013 with $7,000 more than it started with. Some of the Councilmembers were still concerned that we are budgeting to spend $11,000 of our reserve balance and that budget reductions still need to be made. C-T Beeson pointed out examples of line items that must be budgeted the full amount even though the actual expenditure will come in lower than budget.

Councilmembers want more discussion before deciding to close the Heritage Park restrooms for the winter. There were mixed thoughts on the idea; some think the local businesses will take the brunt of it; however some believe that forcing people to go into businesses is potential revenue for those businesses. Councilmember Newman sees this cut as tangible evidence of our budget plight. Perhaps the city could rent a porta-potty service for Heritage Park, thus still providing restrooms but not expending money on heating, supplies, and man hours.

Much discussion ensued regarding the budget. Council was divided as to the budget interpretations. Mayor Echanove advised council to wait for the actual numbers, come Jan. 16th then go from there. Budget amendments can be made if necessary.

Councilmember Jones MOVED to instruct Joyce to prepare the budget as written. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Discussion continued. C-T Beeson pointed out to council that each week that passes, the 2012 numbers become more actual (as opposed to projections). You’re not voting on the exact numbers in front of you tonight, but rather instructing her to prepare the budget in the form of an ordinance that will be voted on at the next meeting. The numbers may change as information continues to come in. Councilmember Newman voted nay. Motion carried.

Revised employee cell phone policy: Mayor read aloud the policy in its entirety. Councilmember Floyd MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman, to adopt the cell phone policy as outlined. Councilmember Webb voted nay. Motion carried.

NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution 2012-09: Health/Dental Insurance Benefits Policy: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This was adopted by Resolution 2012-08 at last council meeting but had to be amended to reflect contribution of this benefit to the employees HRA VEBA account . Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Wekenman, to adopt Resolution 2012-09, which supersedes Resolution 2012-08. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution 2012-10: setting the hours of third Police Officer position at 75% Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt resolution 2012-10. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Councilmember Jones voted nay. Motion carried.

Resolution 2012-11: 2013 Salary Schedule: Mayor read aloud the amended portions of the salary schedule: minimum wage, cell phone reimbursement, and third police officer’s salary. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2012-11. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: TIB awarded Palouse with the opportunity to be a pilot city for a grant to convert all our street lights to the LED technology. Once complete, the energy cost savings should be about 70%. Councilmember Floyd and Mayor Echanove are meeting with Avista and TIB tomorrow and will know more for next meeting. Commissioner Partch was credited for his work in helping to make this happen for Palouse. Palouse is the only city on the east side of the state that was chosen as one of seven pilot cities.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair:

OPEN FORUM:

MAYOR’S REPORT: Mayor read aloud a letter from Sharon Tharp thanking the Public Works Department for their hard work.

Councilmember Floyd MOVED to put the budget process, education, and potential solutions on the February 2013 council agenda. Seconded by Councilmember Webb. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Floyd MOVED to cancel the second council meeting in December which falls on the 25th. Seconded by Councilmember Newman. Motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:35 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, November 27, 2012. Ck. #4469-4498 $5,666.82

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Public Hearing for Preliminary 2013 budget
Followed by REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
November 13, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Norm Schorzman. Norm is sick. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse Norm’s absence, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Public Works Assistant Marc Arrasmith; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officers Joe Merry and Brian Dentler; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jarrod Pfaff, Tim Southern, Cheryl Dentler, Camden Dentler, Kathy Merry, Jeff Snook, Linda Snook, Heather McGehee, Chris Ricketts, Teresa Baker, Lesa Neumann, Quentin Neumann, Gerry Eickhoff, Erik Newman, Richard Styer, Darlene Brantner, Marc VanHarn, Jon Fleischman, Garth Meyer, Jay Iverson, Lynne Nelson.

PUBLIC HEARING: Mayor Echanove opened the public hearing at 7:02 pm. No comments.
Close Public Hearing: Mayor Echanove closed the public hearing at 7:03 pm

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 23, 2012. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann reported there was an accident in town last week with no injuries but both vehicles were totaled. We’ve had several dog complaints in the last three weeks and had another chicken complaint last week. There is an ongoing investigation with some high school students.

Proposed cuts to P.D. budget and personnel: Chief Neumann discussed his history with the Palouse PD. Through the Garfield contract we were able to hire Officer Dentler. With the current budget woes, we’re being faced with possible reduction of staff. Chief Neumann presented his ideas to help with the budget cuts: Officer Dentler would go to ¾ time saving $9,000, Chief will go on his wife’s insurance, saving $3,600, the three officers will switch to personal cell phones with a stipend from city for city’s right to conduct city business on their personal phones. With these cuts, we would like to retain the Garfield contract. Since 2009, 8% of the Garfield contract is the only city contribution to the PD Vehicle & Equipment fund. The PD is taking the brunt of the budget shortfalls. Chief suggested also looking at switching the city’s property and liability insurance carrier for 2014; Garfield saved $13,000 a year switching their carrier. Another option is to surplus the Harley and we will look into the possibility of receipting the proceeds to the General Fund rather than the PD Vehicle fund. The next PD vehicle (2005 Durango) is scheduled to be replaced in two years.

OLD BUSINESS:
2013 Budget Discussions: Councilmember Floyd explained how he came to the decision to possibly cut the PD. There are no apparent cuts to make in the Public Works Department and Clerk’s office, so he looked at the PD. With the PD, Councilmember Floyd offered options: 1. Eliminate the Palouse PD and contract with the County Sheriff’s Dept. 2. Eliminate the Palouse PD and don’t contract with the County Sheriff’s Dept. 3. Retain one Police Officer for code enforcement. After researching with the Sheriff’s Dept. and the towns of Tekoa and Rosalia, Councilmember Floyd felt like the best solution for Palouse would be to retain the PD with a reduction in staff and end the policing contract with Garfield. The thought would be to return to a full staff in better economic times. The intent isn’t to have the officer work 24/7 since by law the Sheriffs dept is required to respond to felonies. If we were to reduce, we’re still looking at a $15,000 budget deficit. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to reduce the police staff to one officer, and drop the Garfield contract. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion. Much discussion continued. Mayor outlined his work with the finance committee and diagrammed police department service hours and how the Garfield contract offsets a percentage of expenses.

Councilmember Wekenman said there are other cuts to consider besides just in the PD. Such as eliminating non-essential overtime by public works staff. However overtime is so hard to determine because of catastrophic weather events, equipment breakdowns, and utility emergencies, but some can be nailed down. He recommended changing the current code of overtime based on an 8 hour day to being based on a 40 hour week. Other options are to reduce the cemetery budget from $15,000 to $10,000 a year; Heritage Park restrooms could be shut down for the three coldest months of the year. It’s a building that was not built to be energy efficient. That could save approximately $1,500; we’ve already shut off some city lights downtown; we could do more after doing a lighting inventory such as reducing the lights at the park during the winter. Between the law enforcement cuts proposed and these others, Councilmember Wekenman believes we’ll be able to get our budget in hand.

Councilmember Newman is in favor of approaching our property and liability insurance carrier; it does appear we could save upward of $14,000. But that change wouldn’t take effect until 2014. She asked what cutting $5,000 from the cemetery look like? Marc Arrasmith explained the two older sections could dry up and the three newer sections won’t look like they have for the last 60 or 70 years with this hit. Many residents appreciate our well kept cemetery.

Palouse residents Theresa Baker, Chris Ricketts, Jeff Snook, Linda Snook, and Lesa Neumann all spoke in favor of keeping the police department. They felt like there should have been more community discussion and input before a motion is made to eliminate or greatly reduce the PD. Several present stated that before council considers eliminating the PD they’d like to have the opportunity to vote on it, such as levy for law enforcement. Councilmember Wekenman explained that there have been council discussions in the past to float another levy. They’re risky. You try to find a balance. If you send voters over the edge with levies and they don’t pass, you would lose all of it. The street levy only passed by about 6 votes in 2011.

Palouse resident Darlene Brantner spoke in favor of reducing the police force to one since we are a small community and while it’s nice having the coverage of a three-man department, we can’t afford it. Potlatch has no police force and they’re fine. Erik Newman thinks Palouse needs 1.75 officers. He asked for clarification on some of the budget numbers.

Councilmember Newman said we can’t solve the problem if we don’t define it directly. The problem is we’re spending more than we’re making. The departments are doing everything they can to cut expenditures. If we continue this trend, our general fund is bankrupt in 2.5 years. The total general fund budget deficit for 2009-2013 is $81,785; the total projected general fund budget deficit for 2009-2013 is $97,030; and the average projected annual budget deficit for 2009-2013 is $19,406. Council has been diligently working to cut, but we need to find $15,000 more. The Finance Committee (Norm Schorzman, Chair) needs to start this process much earlier in the year and report back to council. Some of the other committees have been scrambling to pick up the finance committee’s slack. Councilmember Newman wants two more weeks to consider how to fill the $15,000 budget gap in 2013.

Councilmember Jones asked why we are assuming that the beginning balances, or carryovers, are going to keep cycling down? Councilmember Wekenman pointed out that the state used to contribute $80,000 to $100,000 a year to a city our size and now we get $12,000 a year from that source.

Palouse resident Marc VanHarn said that based on the Mayor’s charts, it costs about $10 a month per person to maintain the Police Dept. and that he is well aware of the cuts in state funding to the cities. We’re not wasting money here; that’s not an issue. He spoke in support of offering a levy and thinks the people would support it.

Mayor read aloud a letter from Garfield residents Greg and Sherry Partch in support of keeping the PD and Garfield contract as is.

Motion was re-read. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to reduce the police staff to one officer, and drop the Garfield contract. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion. Motion failed.

PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT:
Planning Commission member Lynne Nelson explained the PC is writing a new comprehensive plan for the city. They have put together a survey for Palouse households and would like to have input from council before mailing it. Perhaps there are questions some would like to add, edit, or remove. The last survey was done in 1995. Council will get their suggestions to Lynne Nelson in the next 2 days. The PC is hoping to send out the survey by Thanksgiving.

NEW BUSINESS:
Changes to cell phone policy. For cost savings, the PD, Public Works and building inspector will maintain a personal cell phone and be reimbursed $30 a month by the city to off-set their costs. Councilmember Wekenman MOVEDthat the city offers the reimbursement of $30/month to police officers, public works superintendent, and building inspector for the city’s right to conduct city business on personal cell phones. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Public Works Supt. Griffin stated he will not ask for reimbursement and will not be available by cell phone except in emergency. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2012-07 to adopt proposed Health/Dental insurance benefits policy
Mayor read aloud the resolution and the policy in their entirety.
Two employees will have the freedom to opt out of the health and dental/otho plan administered by the city. The city would reimburse them for 50% of the maximum premium that the city is paying at the time as a benefit. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2012-07. Councilmember Newman seconded. Discussion: Both employees who would opt-out said they support this policy and they both would like this benefit to go into their VEBA account. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Floyd to continue our council meeting past 10:00 pm. Motion carried unanimously.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Met several times in the last month. As a result, Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to put together a resolution to set the hours for the Police Officer position at 75% with full medical coverage and compensable hours at 75%. Councilmember Floyd seconded. Discussion: Chief Neumann is hopeful that in the future we are able to bring this officer’s position back to full time. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Jones MOVED that 100% of the 2013 money receipted from Garfield contract go into the general fund. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to declare the PD’s Harley Davidson as surplus and direct Chief Neumann to first offer it to other police agencies. Councilmember Newman seconded. Discussion: Councilmember Wekenman understands that monies garnered from this sale need to go back into a PD Vehicle fund. If it is determined otherwise, the proceeds could go into the general fund. C-T Beeson will research this. Motion carried unanimously.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: No report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: The committee met to discuss chickens. They’ve drafted an ordinance. Councilmember Floyd asked that it go back to committee before it’s written up in ordinance form. He also recommends council read the comprehensive plan.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: His report was under Old Business. Additionally, he spoke with Mayor of Garfield who recommended holding a council meeting with the state auditors to get their insight into where to cut and save. The town of Garfield did that and it was very helpful.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Nothing new with WSP as it is still under review by DOH. The committee is considering a 1% increase in sewer rates which is $.24 cents which would round up to $.25 per service. This will be addressed at a meeting in the future.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: It was mentioned looking at perhaps cutting somewhere in the pool budget. Councilmember Newman said the pool has already taken deep cuts. Councilmember Wekenman felt all areas of operations should be looked at again including the pool.

Councilmember Newman recommend adding one more month of closure to the Heritage Park restrooms and that they will be meeting again to look at finding more places to cut.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
C-T Beeson needs to put together the resolution adopting the 2013 salary schedule for the next council meeting. After some discussion, Councilmember Newman MOVED that the 3% salary reduction not be restored, seconded by Councilmember Floyd. Discussion: As clarification, this would not increase salaries from 2012 except for maintaining the minimum wage and reflecting the 75% reduction to the Police Officer position. Council hates to do this, but it will help balance our budget. Tie vote. Mayor Echanove had to vote to break the tie. He voted yes, no increase in 2013.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 10:30 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, October 31, 2012. Ck. #4404-4422 & EFT $37,679.91
Claims Paid, November 14, 2012 Ck. #4423-4468 & EFT $123,509.86

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
October 23, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:01 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Officer Joe Merry; Public Works Assistant Marc Arrasmith; City Attorney Stephen Bishop (7:29 pm); Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Garth Meyer; Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of October 9, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT:
DG submitted a written report. Park restrooms aren’t yet locked up. No Haunted Palouse problems. We got two bids to replace the damaged sidewalk at the Brownfields site: Woltering Construction bid was $3,773.00. Ace Elliott bid was $1,074.77. We accepted Ace Elliott’s bid. They will start next week.

There was a walk-through of the Brownsfield project last week; haven’t received the report yet but everything seems to be okay.

POLICE REPORT: We are still working with the Police, Fire, & Safety committee on the issue of poultry in city limits. First weekend of Haunted Palouse went well. The PD has had a few drug cases in Garfield lately.

NEW BUSINESS:
3rd Quarter Treasurer’s Report. Clerk-Treasurer Beeson is out sick so we will discuss at next meeting.

2013 Budget Review: Council is looking at ways to cut approximately $37,000 from the 2013 budget. Much discussion ensued…..

We’ve looked at cutting line items, reducing this and that, pay cuts instead of pay raises, and we’re still paying for our deficit out of the reserve. One of the issues we’re facing is we do not have a functioning Finance Committee. Our chair person hasn’t had a meeting.

One of the things looked at is to change insurance coverage; Joyce has estimated a savings of $12,000/year by switching to a group health plan. Two staff members (Jerry and Marc) may drop out of the city plan and go on their spouse’s plan; the trade-off would be the city would have to pay the difference that they would have to pay to join their spouse’s plan but there would still be a net savings. That savings would be in addition to the $12,000 savings.

Streets budget is way down which means not being able to provide adequate services to the city. We’ve been balancing our budget by using our reserves. Our infrastructure is important enough that we need to be putting money back into our reserve. What services can we live without? Councilmember Floyd did some research of local communities similar in size to Palouse: Tekoa contracts with the Whitman County Sheriff’s Department and gets 20 hours a week of service for $45,000 a year, plus they contract for $500/month for code enforcement. Rosalia pays one officer for 45 hours a week; any calls during officer’s off-duty hours are handled by the sheriff’s department, and code enforcement issues have to be handled during officer’s hours. Rosalia is hurting financially so they’re thinking about floating a levy and letting the taxpayers decide if they want a police department. Oakesdale ran a law enforcement levy one year – there was community outcry for law enforcement so Oakesdale council said if you want it, vote for it.

Palouse pays approx. $135,000 for Chief and two officers’ salaries ($177,000 with benefits). There are options: get rid of the department and contract with the sheriff’s office; drop one officer; drop two officers; etc. The police services for Garfield contract can be dropped at any time. Councilmember Floyd is proposing discussing some of these options as a way to balance our budget and put money back in our reserves.

At the Police, Fire, and Safety meeting Chief Neumann proposed in lieu of the PD going from three-man to two-man, instead drop deputy clerk from ¾ time to ½ time, drop Marc Arrasmith from full-time to ¾ time, and drop one officer from full-time to ¾ time.

Supt. Griffin pointed out that the city has added something every year that adds to their workload: a compost facility, RV park, nature walk, chipper pile, etc. Public Works is getting asked to do more and more with less help and less money. Marc Arrasmith was asked what can be done to save money at the cemetery. We’re budgeting $15,000 for cemetery next year, up from $10,000 last year. Marc said he’s cut everything he can except let it dry up. He has cut way back on fertilizer and on watering.

It was pointed out that if Palouse went to contracting with the Sheriff’s Office for 20 hours a week, when someone calls outside of those 20 hours (for something other than a felony), they don’t respond. The majority of our calls wouldn’t get responses (barking dogs, squealing tires in the night, chickens, etc.).

There is a lot of discussion to be had and we’re a long ways from making decisions. We need to be very careful with these broad cuts. The PD is the only department in Palouse that has the ability to earn us money (Garfield contract is a break even deal). There is an outside chance that another town within a reasonable driving distance might want to participate in the program similar to Garfield.

We only have four council meetings to discuss this. We need to meet and do research. Explore every possible option. Over the last five years, we spent more than we made. Looking at that trend and the revenue trends coming from the state, the bottom line is balancing the budget without taking more from reserves. The trend will have us starting with a deficit in three years. All these numbers are based on our levies passing; if they don’t pass, things will be much worse. Councilmember Newman feels like the Public Works dept has been as frugal as possible. She also wants to see the 3% pay-cuts returned.

Councilmember Jones inquired about the 1% property tax cap and if it can be upped. Atty. Bishop explained it can be upped by the citizens by local vote with a supermajority required.

There will be compromises; the economy isn’t what it was. Every agency across the state is cutting.

Mayor reminded council to not just look at cutting expenditures but increasing revenues, particularly in our downtown.
Our total long term debt is less than $175,000. The well will be paid off in 2017, and the sewer plant in two years. Palouse doesn’t carry a lot of debt which is great.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Committee met. Looking at the water and sewer rates. Rates were raised in Feb. 2011. Committee is considering a 1% increase to sewer rate, approximately $.24 cents additional per month. Not looking at a water rate increase at this time, partly because of some of the debt we’ll be paying off in the next couple years.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Met briefly. Primarily to discuss poultry issue. Will be handed to policy committee to finalize draft.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Policy committee will be taking over the poultry issue. Conditional use permits will still be required to own poultry within city limits. And minimum setbacks will be required as well.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Discussed above.
Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Bank Left Gallery liquor license renewal. No objections from PD or council.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:34 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #4391-4403 $2,402.30

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
October 9, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:11 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman. Absent: Tim Jones, Alison Webb, and Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; & Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson. Public present: Angela Taylor, Taylor Engineering and Garth Meyer, Gazette. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse the absence of the three not present. Councilmember Floyd seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 25, 2012. Councilmember Floyd seconded the motion. After discussion, the motion carried unanimously. Discussion on minutes continued with concerns of releasing the draft minutes to the public. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to not send draft minutes out to the public. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Angela Taylor, Taylor Engineering was introduced. Angela has been working with the city on the Water System Plan (WSP). Councilmember Newman updated council on progress made – the committee met and reviewed both the Water Extension Policy to confirm that it is consistent with the WSP. The Mayor signed off on the Local Government Consistency Review Checklist for DOH. The Planning Commission also signed the checklist that the WSP is consistent with adopted land use and zoning codes. The public meeting for community input and questions was held prior to tonight’s council meeting. November 3rd is the deadline to have the WSP back to DOH for their 2nd review. They can take up to 90 days for their review. The WSP will come back to council in February, 2013. Councilmember Floyd asked about any action items that may result from the adoption of the WSP. The capital improvement items listed in Chapter 8 of the plan will be done as needed and funding is secured. This is a true working document and will be helpful now and in the future.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. In addition, they will be doing a water main repair along Whitman Street. The city will work off the Small Works Roster to select a contractor to rebuild/repair the sidewalk sections which were damaged in front of the Brownfield site. This work will be paid through the grants.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann submitted PD activity for September. The WSU traffic at the intersection was more closely managed and patrolled to allow safer pedestrian use.

OLD BUSINESS:
2013 Budget Review: At the last meeting Current Expense and the Cemetery funds were discussed. Mayor Echanove read from a comparative spreadsheet showing 2011 actual activity, 2012 budget and the proposed draft 2013 budget. All the funds were gone through line-by-line with some discussion. The mayor explained that expenses are still outpacing revenue. The committees will meet to discuss what can be done to fill this gap. The funds most affected are Current Expense, Street Fund and the Cemetery Fund.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: The committee is still reviewing the agreement with the Palouse Tavern for use of the right-of-way.

Councilmember Floyd read the Planning Commission (PC) minutes of Sept. 14 concerning their discussion of the keeping of chickens and roosters as it pertains to Title 17 – Zoning. The PC is leaning in the direction of leaving the zoning code as written – setbacks of chicken coops are the same as any structure and a conditional use must by applied for to have poultry. Councilmember Newman pointed out that unlike other animals; there are no conditions in the code for the keeping of poultry. Discussion continued about setting conditions such as a maximum number of both chickens and roosters and adding language for violations as there is for dogs. Perhaps this language should be part of Title 6-Animals rather than Title 17-zoning. This will go to the Police, Fire & Safety and also the Policy committees for further review.

Councilmember Floyd asked for the definitions of the Ex-officio positions on the PC. Mayor Echanove said he would look into it.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:52 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, Sept. 28, 2012. Ck. #4344-4363 & EFT $43,428.22
Claims Paid, Oct. 10, 2012. Ck. #4364-4390 & EFT $23,198.78

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

Palouse City Council
Regular Council Meeting
October 8, 2013

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Senja Estes; Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Alison Webb. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Aaron Flansburg; Lindsey Hylton; Mary Estes.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Amend the minutes as follows: under open forum, clarify that it was Kelly Dow who said “the significance this petition shows is that there is overwhelming proof that not everyone is on board with locating the skatepark in the Palouse Park.” Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 10, 2013. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt Griffin submitted a written report. They finished the paving on Wall Street which included replacing 500’ feet of sewer main with all kinds of problems. At the PCC they asphalted around the catch basin where there have been problems in the parking lot.

The 2004, white, Ford 1-ton service pickup needs some major repairs. The estimate is $3,000 to fix. It’s also the truck we use for snow-plowing. A new, rebuilt engine would cost $10,000-$12,000 and it wouldn’t be worth it putting that much money into that vehicle. Councilmember Newman MOVED to authorize the repair of the pickup for $2,975 + tax from Jess Ford. Councilmember Wekenman seconded. Councilmember Wekenman inquired when we should think about replacing this vehicle since it takes such a beating. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Ongoing nuisance cleanups. Mohr Street house owners are trying to be more neighborly by securing the siding and securing the door. We’re still trying to coordinate to have it recycled.

Had several calls in regard to the train causing a traffic delay. It lasted about 35 minutes. Chief Neumann gave the RR contact numbers to the complainants. The train delay was a violation of our local code which allows a 10 minute delay, which is in line with the state. Half our community was/is cut off when this happens. City Hall will put out the contact phone numbers for the public so they can call. [Ask for Les or Stan at 509-523-4445; 208-553-6196; or 208-290-8148; 302 N. Mill, Colfax, WA 99111].

Geared up for Haunted Palouse. We’ll have help from reserve officer Snead.

Still working on the ATV/ORV ordinance.

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution No. 2013-09: accepting terms of AWC EBT Interlocal Agreement: This was read in its entirety at last council meeting and tabled for more information until tonight’s council meeting. The questions that council had were answered by AWC – A 6 month notice would have to be given to AWC in order to withdraw; they considered themselves to be fully funded based on projections even for catastrophic events. Also, we sent it to Atty. Bishop and he said it looked fine. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2013-09, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman. There are no changes to employees’ coverage with this resolution. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ordinance No. 906: Budget amendment to Cemetery and Sewer Capital Improvement: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Cemetery’s hours came in a little higher than anticipated so we are increasing the fund budget by $500. For Sewer Capital Improvement, we went over budget. PW had so many problems on the Wall Street project that the estimated hours it would take to compete was not enough. So we are increasing the fund budget by $2,500. Discussion ensued. Mayor read the ordinance aloud again by title and number only. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman, to adopt Ordinance No. 906.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Tim Jones, Chair: Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to adopt the Third Quarter 2013 Financial Report. CE is quite low because we’re awaiting grant payments and our second half property tax income. There is concern that we are budgeting the cemetery fund so close. Council reviewed and discussed the preliminary budget for the enterprise funds – Water and Sewer.

The 2014 budget projections for Water and Sewer:
Water fund is doing well and expected to have a good ending balance. Water is reserving funds for future projects identified in the Water System Plan. Water System Reserve is the fund that built our well. It makes principal and interest for the loan. The final payment will be made in 2019.

The sewer fund is still paying off some debt – 2014 is the last payment for the Breedings Addition interfund loan from the Water fund. Any Breedings connections that come in will go towards that debt, with the balance being paid by sewer operating. The sewer plant loan will be paid off in 2016 so three payments are left and those payments are made through fund 441 Sewer Facility Reserve. Fund 440 Sewer Capital Improvement buys the material and pays salaries for projects and repairs throughout town. It receipted $9,600 for a Breedings sewer connection in 2013 and in the year 2020 all homes there who haven’t hooked up would be required to. Also if any of the homes change hands or their septic system fails they would be required to hook up to the sewer system. The LOCAL loan for the sewer press has one payment left in 2014. Fund 441 makes the payment for the sludge press and also the payment to the sewer loan upgrade (about 17 years ago; the one that will be paid off in 2016). As far as the state is concerned when the annual report is sent in, we have one sewer fund and one water fund, but for our purposes, we use separate funds by function for budgeting and planning. Motion carried unanimously to accept the third quarter 2013 Treasurer’s report.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:
Personnel & Pool-Norm Schorzman, Chair:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair:
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair:
Streets & Sidewalks-Senja Estes, Chair: Senja, Mayor, and Supt. Griffin are meeting Friday with Avista to discuss the street light project.

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg for the skatepark project. Based on discussions he has heard/had, there is opposition not to the skatepark but to placing the skatepark in the Hayton Greene park (city park). This led him to investigate alternative sites. Stating that for the project to be successful, we need to come up with a location that pleases the largest number of people. There are two areas of public property he would like to look into. One area is to the north of Main Street between the sewer plant and the park. Aaron’s comment – the space is under-utilized with a walking trail through grass where the original plantings didn’t survive. The second site is on the north side of Whitman Street, below the Public Safety Building. One negative to this sight is it’s somewhat off the beaten path and there are some challenges because of trees and vegetation there. Aaron would like to pursue both of these sights and get public feedback over the next few weeks.

Mary Estes commended Aaron for his efforts and gave him a big hurrah about either of those new locations. She has been opposed to it being at the park, but not opposed to the skatepark. She is also concerned about any insurance costs to the city. Aaron spoke with the city’s insurance provider who said it would be covered under the city’s policy with a “negligible” cost, perhaps about $100.

Councilmember Jones still favors it at the park because he thinks recreational uses belong in the park. But he recognizes that Aaron would meet less opposition if he moves it. Of the two new proposals he prefers the one next to the sewer plant on Main Street. He reminded all that years ago we developed a tennis court off the beaten path and all we hear is that it was a bad location. Therefore, he thinks it would be the same with putting a skatepark on Whitman Street. Councilmember Jones asked council for preliminary approval for the location next to the sewer plant so Aaron doesn’t have to keep resubmitting plans for different sites. Councilmember Wekenman stated that all projects should be scrutinized. Discussion ensued.

Councilmember Newman thinks next to the sewer plant is a win-win for various reasons – Increased visibility for increased usage and police patrols; access to the restrooms; good entrance points and the skatepark could draw more people to the nature trail (goes from sewer plant to the river). She thinks the Whitman Street site has too many drawbacks such as being close to residences.

Chief Neumann doesn’t think Whitman Street is feasible. Regardless of what the neighbor says now, he may not say that next week. However, on Main Street, next to sewer plant, older kids could go to skate park, young kids could go to playground, and mom could watch. And from a policing perspective, it’s much better for patrolling.

Supt. Griffin warned that there are underground utilities on the Main Street site. With fiber optics, natural gas, water, sewer, etc. Councilmember Jones stated that utility location is part of the design process not part of the feasibility. Identify the sight and make the features not damaging to the present utilities. Aaron is going to start by calling for locates at both sites and do a little more groundwork to present to council.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The city received a PRR from Steve McGehee for all of the email the Mayor has sent and received since January 2013.

City Staff (Joyce and Ann) are responsible for retaining all of the Mayor and council’s emails because they are public records. Deputy Clerk Ann is attending a Washington State Archives workshop in Spokane tomorrow on electronic records management.

David Mayhan has filed a lawsuit against the City of Palouse for negligence in the investigation of his son’s death. We have turned it all over to CIAW (our insurance carrier) and we will be meeting with them next week. Everything has been well-documented.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Estes seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:47 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid 9/30/13 Ck. #5177-5196 & EFT $39,653.56
Claims Paid 10/9/13 Ck. #5197-5220 & EFT $15,344.35

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
September 25, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb (7:04 – 9:30 pm); Rick Wekenman. Absent: Cecil Floyd. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to excuse Councilmember Floyd. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Art Swannack; Pat O’Neill; Kelly Dow; Cathy Blood; Connor Lamb; Heather McGehee; Garth Meyer; Aaron Flansburg; Doug Willcox.

The Mayor stated that he would be moving the agenda items around so as to accommodate a conference call with Michael Stringer, MFA at 7:20. The order of business in the minutes may not reflect the actual order of the meeting.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The Hayton Greene City Park bathrooms are usually kept open, sometimes even through Thanksgiving, until the weather turns to freezing. Public Works clocks approximately 30 minutes a day of maintenance at the Heritage Park restrooms.

POLICE REPORT: Palouse Day was successful, no problems.
At the encouragement of the mayor, Chief Neumann has been working on finding cost-savings for the PD office phone and fax. He’s hoping to drop that bill from $145/mo to about $60/month. Chief is also looking at cell phone programs, possibly eliminating city’s involvement in officers’ & chief’s cell phones and instead giving officers a stipend towards cell phone. There is an estimated potential savings of $600 per year.

JFB REPORT: Fire Dept. had two calls in August, 24 YTD. The dept. has investigated liability insurance options; nothing has panned out. They’re going to stay with their current carrier. Chief Bagott has been working on a capital budget. Airpacks have a lifespan of 15 years and ours will be up in 2018. That will be a $40,000+ project when it’s time to replace them. By planning ahead and getting a capital plan in place, they’ll be able to address these issues when they arise.

EMS had 4 calls in August, 28 YTD. The newly purchased ambulance has not yet had work done (decals, mechanical) so it’s not yet been used.

OLD BUSINESS:
AWC regional meeting in Pullman Oct. 18th. Focusing on legislative priorities. Council is encouraged to attend.

NEW BUSINESS:
MFA final phase clean-up contract & MFA additional soil removal proposal: MFA’s Michael Stringer (via telephone) and Connor Lamb (present), updated council on the progress of soil remediation at the Brownfields site. 90% of the planned-to-remove soil has been removed so far. DOE has come out on a regular basis to provide regulatory oversight; they’re very complimentary of everything so far. As we go through the cleanup the state requires you take samples along the sidewalls and bottoms of the excavation. On the north side, levels are still above cleanup levels so the state is asking us to continue excavation further along that side. We’re limited on the south side by concrete and rip rap that was installed in the 80’s. PSC’s contract bid was on the estimated weight of the soil. We’re less than estimated because of the physical restraints so we’re under budget. Therefore, the additional 500 tons of soil that need to be excavated on the northern half of the property can be done without additional costs. DOE has agreed that the exceeded levels of lead in the soil pose no migration hazard. Discussion continued on the clean-up progress.
Action items presented were –
Change Order request: PSC encountered an underground storage tank (UST) located at the front side of the former garage building. The UST was approximately 500 gallons in size, appears to contain approximately 75 gallons of water with a small amount of residual product on top. The UST was immediately stabilized and contained. DOE staff was notified and standard tank closure procedures are being followed to clean and remove the tank. Since the tank wasn’t in the scope of work for PSC, with no line item was in the budget, PSC put forward a change order for $5,000. We still have $115,000 left in the budget including accounting for this change order. Councilmember Newman MOVED to approve Change Order #2 from PSC for $5,000. Councilmember Ossinger seconded. Motion carried unanimously. The tank discovery has not slowed down progress.

MFA Contract for Clean-up Action Budget Re-allocation: There are two reasons for the need for this additional contract with MFA –
1. Allocate budget for costs of confirmation sampling and installation of 3 groundwater monitoring wells; and
2. Additional funding for professional services – MFA was able to lower the costs of soil disposal by developing an approach to handling and treating contaminated soil which then allows disposal in a standard landfill rather than a hazardous waste facility. The project savings may exceed $100,000. MFA had to invest more resources into the design process and requires additional oversight during the actual cleanup.

The budget and scope of work for this contract with MFA are outlined as follows:
Task 1. Confirmation Sampling during clean-up; Field Screening by MFA engineer on-site using specialized equipment; Waste Profiling in which areas of high lead contamination will be managed separately from other soil during clean up. Cost: $39,100
Task 2. Groundwater Monitoring Well Installation which includes the installation of 3 monitoring wells and provides for MFA oversight to ensure they meet the Remedial Action Plan specifications. Currently they are contracted for collecting, analyzing and reporting for one year. Cost: $35,800

The budget re-allocation total is $74,900 and will be covered 100% through the grants. This does not increase the grant amounts, but rather, re-allocates the budget.

Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman, allowing Mayor to enter into an agreement with MFA for groundwater monitoring wells for total of $74,900. Motion carried. After all this, we still have $115,000 left in the grant’s budget.

2013 Budget Review:
Review of the 001 Current Expense and the 103 Cemetery Funds:
In the long run, we need to trim about $25k. For many years, just like every other city, expenses have exceeded the revenues. The 2013 budget is based on returning the 3% staff gave up last year. Mayor read through the preliminary 2013 budget estimates line-by-line. Some of the cost savings in 2013 will come from the employees changing to a different health insurance provider and increasing the amount of deductible we now have on our property and liability insurance.

Shoreline Management Plan 2013:
Washington State is developing a shoreline management plan for all shorelines. Each year the legislature allocates money to each county for this process. Washington is putting it into their 2013 Whitman County budget.

Alan Thompson, Whitman county planner, contacted Palouse about possibly pooling our resources with the other 6 communities – Colfax, Rosalia, Malden, Tekoa, Palouse, Pullman, and Whitman County. If we join them, one single contractor would be hired, and a master plan developed through the shared resources. Since each community may deal with different classifications of shoreline, the engineer will also work with each separately. The county will probably be the lead agency but that has not been confirmed at this point. Funding will become available July 1, 2013, and they would like to have this group in place, ready to hire a contractor and start the process. Palouse will need to select a council person as our liaison and also an alternate. This is a funded mandate. Grouping together worked well with the Hazardous Mitigation Plan and the Critical Areas Ordinance. It’s an opportunity for shared resources and ideas. Our current Shoreline Plan is old and this update will be a state mandate at some point. Council will discuss this further at next meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: A change since the last meeting in developing the Water System Plan (WSP) – The DOH wants their second review period and approval to happen before it goes back to council for review. The DOH could take up to 90 days for this review. The meeting in which the public is invited to review the WSP is scheduled for 6:00 PM October 9th before the council meeting. Angela Taylor from Taylor Engineering will be there to answer questions along with Councilmember Newman and any others from council and staff who can make it.
Sewer Extension Policy (SEP) – Atty Bishop has responded with his thoughts on the SEP. A committee meeting is planned for Monday, Oct. 1st to continue discussion of the WSP and review Atty Bishops’ comments on the WEP.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report
Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: no report
Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report
Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report
Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report

OPEN FORUM:
Kelly Dow and Kathy Blood, volunteer swim team coaches for Palouse this year. Thanked the city for continued support of supplying the facility and providing lifeguards for the Palouse Swim Team. There were 17 kids on the team this summer. They expressed the value of the program and its positive affects on the kids and the community. Read aloud a letter from a swim team parent thanking city staff, lifeguards, and coaches.

Aaron Flansburg. Update on his efforts to head up the Palouse skate park. Aaron has had several meetings. He has started a fundraiser. There will be a “learn to skateboard” clinic this Saturday at 10 am in the Palouse Park. He is continuing to try to raise awareness and funds. He would like to work with city on the contribution of ground available for the skate park. The land adjacent to the compost site has been mentioned as a possibility. He would explore that further through the SEPA process for any possible impacts.

Pat O’Neill. Whitman County Commissioner District 2, seeking second term. Thankful for last term and discussed some of his accomplishments as commissioner.

Art Swannack. Candidate for District 1 Whitman County Commissioner. Born and raised in Whitman County. From Lamont. Introduced himself and discussed his years of various service and experience.

MAYOR’S REPORT: DOE, with the work of Public Works, has been monitoring the water temp in Palouse River above and below our effluent going into the river. DOE is developing an action program to drop the temperature of our effluent going into the river.

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

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Jones requested the minutes of 9/11/2012 be amended as follows:

Under Police Report: Councilmember Jones questioned asked why the light pole flags were flown on Main St today and who is responsible for deciding when and how they are flown. Chief Neumann said the flags are up commemorating the eleventh anniversary of 9/11 and that the Palouse Lions Club own owns and hang hangs the flags. Councilmember Jones expressed his personal concerns over the protocol appropriateness of the decision to fly the light pole flags for this occasion. Councilmember Jones’ line of inquiry was interrupted by an unsolicited comment from the audience and he ceased his request for clarification.
Under Committee Reports: Councilmember Jones expressed his unhappiness with reactions and comments the unsolicited comment from a non-councilmember made when he raised his concerns over the flying of the light pole flags on 9/11. He reiterated that he is a patriot who loves his country and considers himself as patriotic as the next guy but believes that the decision to fly the flags on the lamp poles, in the manner they were flown on 9/11 commemorating the blunder and victimization by our government is was a mistake.

Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of September 11, 2012. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried. Rick Wekenman abstained as he was not present at 9/11/12 council meeting, and Alison Webb was not present for tonight’s motion.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:48 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. #4324-4343 & EFTs $145,259.33

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
September 11, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Councilmember Connie Newman called the Council Meeting to order at 7:03 PM. Connie Newman began by stating both the Mayor and Mayor Pro-tem are absent and a motion by council must be made, naming a member of council to preside over the meeting. Norm Schorzman MOVED to appoint Councilmember Newman to preside over the meeting. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

ROLL CALL: Councilmembers present: Tim Jones; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Connie Newman. Absent: Mayor Echanove, Cecil Floyd, Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin, Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson, and Police Chief Jerry Neumann. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 28, 2012. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report and added that they are fixing some boards on the walking bridge and getting ready for Palouse Day.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann submitted the August activity log. They are ready for Palouse Day with help from Reserve Officer Snead. There was a WSU flag stolen and an arrest was made. Chief Neumann stressed to all that these flags are not novelty items and theft of them will be taken seriously. The Chief would like to move forward with the next phase of upgrade to the PD building for energy savings. It involves insulating the duct work and walling of the furnace area. This will go to committee for a report at the next meeting.

Councilmember Jones asked why the light pole flags were flown on Main St today and who is responsible for deciding when and how they are flown. Chief Neumann said the flags are up commemorating the eleventh anniversary of 9/11 and that the Palouse Lions Club owns and hangs the flags. Councilmember Jones expressed his personal concerns over the appropriateness of the decision to fly the light pole flags for this occasion. Councilmember Jones’ line of inquiry was interrupted by an unsolicited comment from the audience and he ceased his request for clarification.

OLD BUSINESS: Councilmember Newman asked Council to be sure and read the letter sent to them by the Duran’s regarding chickens and roosters in Palouse. The letter has been forwarded to the Planning Commission.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: They had a committee meeting to go over the comments by the Dept of Health (DOH) on the Water System Plan (WSP). Angela Taylor of Taylor Engineering was present along with Dwayne Griffin, Joyce Beeson and herself. All of the action items will be addressed by Taylor with help from Dwayne. The draft WSP is available for review at City Hall. October 9th, 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM has been scheduled for public review, comment and question and answer period. Angela Taylor will be there along with council members and staff. Also, a presentation by Taylor Engineering along with a question and answer period will be on the agenda for the regular council meeting on Oct. 9th. The comments must be addressed and returned to the DOH within the first week in November to avoid additional costs.

The draft Sewer Extension Policy (SEP) is on the attorney’s desk and will be forwarded to the Policy committee for their review.

Councilmember Jones expressed his unhappiness with the unsolicited comment from a non-councilmember made when he raised his concerns over the flying of the light pole flags on 9/11. He reiterated that he loves his country and considers himself as patriotic as the next guy but believes that the decision to fly the flags on the lamp poles, in the manner they were flown on 9/11 was a mistake.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Presiding Councilmember Newman read an update of the Brownsfield project from MFA, Michael Stringer. Included in the update are plans to take extra precautions at the bottom of the excavation along the existing building which is not only a residence but the future site of the Palouse Health Center. They would release “oxygen release compound” there to promote the breakdown of any benzene left in the soil at the foot of the building. Ecology agrees that is an appropriate measure. The additional cost to the contract with PSC is $15,000 and would require a change order. Michael Stringer asked for council approval to move forward with the change order. After some discussion, Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to approve the change order to the PSC contract with the understanding that the $15,000 is paid through the grant. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 7:28 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, August 31, 2012. Ck. #4269-4294 & EFT $44,490.00
Claims Paid Ck. #4268, 4295-4323 & EFT $40,027.20
VOID Ck. #4100, replaced with ck. # 4268

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
August 28, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd, Tim Jones; Connie Newman, Bo Ossinger; Absent: Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Councilmember Newman MOVED to excuse the absent Councilmembers this evening. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Darrel Goertzen, Shelley Goertzen, Gloria Hodges, Marv Pillers, Garth Meyer, Chris Sapp, Marv Pillers.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of August 14, 2012. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. We’ve had a number of water leaks about town this summer.

POLICE REPORT: The PD was called out at 3 am Monday for a possible vehicle prowl. Be diligent; keep your cars locked. Report of a theft on Union Street of a small, yellow, plastic man holding a “slow” sign on Union Street. If you have any information, please contact the Palouse PD. School starts soon; extra patrols will be ongoing. The radar trailer is on Mohr Street. Slow down and watch for kids.

JFB REPORT: Chief Bagott reported the FD went to two calls in July, 19 YTD. Calls are down from average and the Chief attributes that to the care taken by farmers during harvest. FD had two trainings this month. The FD is working on a mutual aid agreement with the town of Garfield. EMS had two calls in July, 26 YTD. EMS will begin their yearly attendance at home football games.

NEW BUSINESS:
Ratify JFB decision to purchase an EMS Response Vehicle – The Palouse EMS were given a great opportunity from Volunteer Firemen, Inc. out of Colfax, who is replacing one of the ambulances in their fleet. Palouse EMS had already been considering replacing their 1987 unit and had set specifications to do so. The vehicle in Colfax met all their specs. They then researched comparable units and the Joint Board voted to move forward with the purchase from the Volunteer Firemen, Inc. for the price of $11,000 which would then be split between the city and rural. The rural Fire & EMS board voted to approve the purchase at their last meeting. It is now time for the city to vote whether or not to ratify the decision by the Joint Board to purchase a vehicle. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman ratifying the JFB decision to purchase an EMS response vehicle. Motion carried unanimously.

Award bid to Volunteer Firemen Incorporated – The Mayor read the desired specs, specs on four comparable vehicles found over the internet, and specs on the vehicle in Colfax they were offered to purchase – Volunteer Firemen, Inc: 2007 Ford Ambulance, with 78,060 miles, $11,000 + tax; Ambulance Trader.com 1: 2007 Ford Ambulance, with 118,000 miles, $45,000; Ambulance Trader.com 2: 2007 AEV ambulance with 186,430 miles, $14,000; Ambulance Trader.com 3: 2007 Ford Osage with 121,624 miles, $21,900; Firetec: 2007 Ford with 68,895 miles for $58,800. Only the vehicle in Colfax and one other that was found met the spec for less than 100,000 miles – Firetec Used Apparatus Sales – $58,000 and Colfax Volunteer Firemen, Inc. – $11,000. The mayor explained that the cost is split 50/50 with rural, making our share of the cost $6,000 with tax and licensing. This money would come from the EMS Vehicle Reserve fund and would reduce their balance from $24,000 to $18,000. Any repairs and modifications to the unit will have to come out of the EMS operating budget. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to award the bid to Volunteer Firemen, Inc., for the 2007 ambulance for $11,000 + tax and licensing. Motion carried unanimously. It is still under warranty as well.

Ordinance No. 900 – Budget Amendment to make purchase of EMS Response Vehicle – Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety and again by title only. Ordinance is a budget revision for Fund 313 EMS Vehicle Reserve for the purchase of an EMS response unit. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman for the adoption of Ordinance No. 900. Motion carried unanimously.

Planning Commission Appointment – The Mayor appointed Sharon Tharp to the Planning Commission. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to ratify the appointment of Sharon Tharp to the Planning Commission. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report. Policy & Admin will review the Water System Plan.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: No TIB grant this year for the Cove Road pathway project; hopefully next year. Taylor Engineering’s estimate did not come in soon enough to go to council for approval. Mayor Echanove received it Wednesday evening and it was due Friday. Based on a past motion, the Mayor felt he was not authorized to sign the application. The motion only authorized the search for funding sources. Mayor explained that because the application committed to $10,000 from city funds, he needed council approval. Perhaps, a special meeting should’ve been called. Councilmember Floyd requested that the city reserve $5,000 to $10,000 out of Arterial Streets fund for future grant match requirements. He would like to submit this same grant proposal next year and won’t be able to if we don’t commit to the city share.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report. Pool closed Aug. 23rd.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Met with Supt. Griffin and Clerk-Treasurer Beeson to review the Sewer Extension Policy draft originally drafted May 22. Atty Bishop gave them feedback and some changes and it was resubmitted to Atty Bishop Aug. 23rd. Committee is meeting Sept. 4th at 11:30 with Taylor Engineering to go over the DOH’s official comments on our WSP. We will review, amend, and resubmit to DOH. Taylor will address most of the questions which are very technical.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report

OPEN FORUM:
Darrel & Shelley Goertzen – Wanted clarification on the process to have chickens and roosters in the city limits. They have had complaints from their neighbor and asked for the code that addresses this. Their feelings are that poultry should be allowed. They have poultry for 4-H, breeding, and the eggs. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones to extend the three minute period for open forum. Motion carried unanimously. Chris Sapp also spoke in support of allowing chickens and other animals such as rabbits within the city limits. He stated that setting a limit of ten chickens would be too restrictive. Darrell asked if it was really necessary for the council to consider a change to the code just because of the one complaint from their neighbor. Chief Neumann pointed out that we have received many poultry complaints over the years, including two just yesterday (8/27/12). Mayor explained that zoning codes are already in place which requires the application for a conditional use for poultry and certain other animals (PMC 17.12). Council has asked the planning commission to review current code and deliberate on this matter to see if it needs to be modified. Councilmember Floyd’s feeling was that the PC didn’t want to get restrictive, but perhaps have an ordinance for chicken complaints (as opposed to a zoning code). Let an ordinance address complaints such as noise, odor, and sanitation. Councilmember Floyd stated that he is not in favor of restricting roosters within city limits. Our current code isn’t being followed, since there have been no applications submitted to the Board of Adjustment for animals in many years. Also, unlike other animals mentioned in code, there are no conditions listed for the keeping of poultry. Councilmember Newman encouraged the audience to speak to members of the PC about this issue. Also stating that she believes that conditions should be set for poultry and that people need to educate themselves to become compliant with what is already in place.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
WSU athletic dept is giving the Palouse Chamber of Commerce 20 WSU flags for game day display.
Liquor permit has arrived for Chamber of Commerce Palouse Days Barley Bar Relay. No objections.
Palouse Grange 177 has reformed and is moving forward. Heidi Kite is the Grange Master.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:21 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, August 29, 2012. Ck. #4249-4267 $8,856.34

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
August 14, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Rick Wekenman is working harvest. His absence is excused. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; Attorney Stephen Bishop; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Heidi Keen; Heather McGehee; Bev Pearce (7:30).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: There was request for clarification on the requested ordinance about living in RV’s. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of July 24, 2012. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann submitted the July 2012 activity log. The PD received another chicken/rooster complaint. Owners of said chickens have no conditional use permit. The city needs clear-cut rules/ordinances on the keeping of chickens/roosters. Garfield is getting a policy which states a maximum of 10 chickens and 0 roosters, and only with a conditional use permit approved by the Board of Adjustment. Much discussion ensued.

NEW BUSINESS:
Award bid for Brownfields soil remediation: There was a conference call between council and Michael Stringer of MFA at 7:20 pm to discuss the bids for excavation of contaminated soil at the Brownfields site. The site is an old fuel storage site with gasoline and diesel in the ground. 13 contractors showed up for the site walk-through. The city received 6 bids for soil remediation. ½ the bids were actually below the engineer’s estimate of $450,000. One special piece to this clean-up makes it unique; there are elevated levels of lead and there are chemicals used to treat the lead so it’s appropriate for landfills. The bidders had to provide three references proving they’ve done lead abatement; ERRG, the low bidder, wasn’t able to provide any references that they actually did treatment of this lead-contaminated soil. We asked them to submit more references, but ERRG subcontracted the lead abatement out, so we didn’t feel they were qualified based on that and the strict rules around public bidding; they didn’t meet the criteria laid out. The next low bidder is PSC. They were able to demonstrate qualifications required for this project. To summarize, ERRG bid $420,273.00 but was not a “responsible” bidder; the first lowest responsible bidder is PSC Burlington at $436,867.68. Councilmember Newman MOVED that ERRG has not submitted the lowest responsible bid. Seconded by Councilmember Jones. Motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Jones MOVED to accept PSC Burlington’s bid of $436,867.68 as the lowest responsible bid. Councilmember Ossinger seconded and the motion carried unanimously. MFA will have a pre-construction meeting with PSC next week. We should see work beginning some time next week. Dept. of Ecology and Dept. of Commerce are both very proud of the work being done on this. Phone call ended at 7:37 pm.

The city will have a representative from the Brownfields Committee come to a council meeting and give us periodic updates.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Committee met to discuss writing an ordinance regarding people residing permanently in RV’s outside of mobile home parks. Currently, we have a policy but it’s hard to enforce since there is no one specific code that clearly addresses this. This is something that must be dealt with from time to time and is currently an issue. The committee will continue to research this.

They also discussed, setting up a city park usage fee for special events and setting an updated fee for dig and cover when extending water and sewer.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Taylor Engineering hasn’t gotten back yet with an estimate for the Cove Road grant project, so Cecil will contact them because the grant deadline is soon. The committee has not met yet to discuss the agreement with the Palouse Tavern for their outdoor seating area.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: Everything running great at the pool.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Councilmember Newman submitted a written report. The city has received comments from DOH for the WSP, and is currently working with Taylor Engineering to respond to all the questions and comments from the initial review. Taylor is estimating they will need until Sept. 4th to communicate with the DOH to answer all the comments. Taylor projects that the WSP will be available for public review and council review and approval by mid October. The second draft of the WSP is due back to DOH by November 3rd.

The committee is waiting to get a SEP draft from Atty. Bishop. Once the draft is received we will present it to council for approval. Committee will put it in a narrative format to hopefully speed Atty. Bishop along. His workload isn’t allowing him the time right now to work on this.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report

OPEN FORUM:
Heidi Keen – submitted a copy of the waiver which includes the City of Palouse having no liability for the Barley Bar Relay. It will be held in the vacant lot next to the PCC. There will be other groups using part of the lot earlier in the day so they will be very flexible if there are any spacing conflicts; they don’t need much room.

Bev Pearce – attended a meeting with WSU Athletic Director Bill Moos, Pullman Police Dept, WSU Police, WSDOT, and the communities of Oakesdale, Rosalia, Garfield, & Palouse. There are 5 WSU home games coming up, a new stadium, and 35,000 attendees. They are trying to alleviate a major traffic problem so they want to partner with these communities to encourage alternate routes. There are exciting opportunities for these small communities. They are going to work together to make brochures promoting these four communities, to be distributed to ticket holders. Maybe Palouse can be a “WSU Cougar” town for a day, get flags to hang, tee-shirts to wear, etc. Possibly have busses/drivers, to chauffer RV’ers if necessary. They are brainstorming ideas.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The Ride Around Washington Cycling club was wonderful; those kinds of group visits/stays are huge assets to our community.

Mayor presented council with a grant application to TIB Pavement Preservation for chip sealing, for $46,451 cost with $0 match required from the city. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to authorize the mayor to sign the grant for pavement preservation work in 2013. Councilmember Newman seconded, motion carried unanimously.

ALLOW PAYMENT OF BILLS: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED that the bills against the city be allowed. Councilmember Jones seconded the motion carried unanimously.

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:19 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, July 30, 2012. Ck. #4185-4208 & EFT $46,287.24
Claims Paid, August 15, 2012. Ck. #4209-4248 & EFT $56,837.73

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
July 24, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Absent: Cecil Floyd, Connie Newman. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to excuse both councilmembers’ absences. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Brian Dentler; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Janet Barstow, Garth Meyer, Caitlyn McGehee (7:52).

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Special Council Meeting of July 10, 2012. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Additionally, they have started the Mohr Street project. They discovered that one of the sewer mains will be in the way of the new curb so the sewer line will be moved north about three feet.

Award bid for G Street Paving: Received two bids. Motley & Motley bid $24.95/sy = $15,194.55. Poe Asphalt bid $22.50/sy = $13,702.50. Supt. Griffin confirmed that both bids met the requirements and recommended that council award to the low bidder. Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to accept the low bid from Poe Asphalt for $13,702.50 for the G Street project. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT: The Police Department is requesting that council establish an ordinance for people residing in RV’s outside RV parks. We currently have a policy but it is not backed by one specific ordinance but rather different references within Palouse Municipal Code. For instance, Title 17–Zoning sets the minimum size for a dwelling unit at 750 sq feet and that two separate dwelling units cannot be located on the same lot. Zoning code also allows RV’s for human habitation in a mobile home park. This isn’t something that we have to deal with often, but it is an issue from time to time. In order for the current policy to be properly enforced, it should reference an ordinance. Our attorney recommended that council include the Planning Commission in addressing this issue since it concerns zoning codes. The Policy and Administration committee will address this.

Palouse Music Festival is this weekend. The PD doesn’t foresee any issues. August 7 & 8 is the Ride Across Washington bicycling event with approximately 250 bicyclists camping at our park.

JFB REPORT: Due to aging demographic of the fire department, they’re having trouble getting enough responders to fire calls. EMS is right where they want to be for support personnel.

NEW BUSINESS:

2nd Quarter Treasurer’s Report: No surprises, no budget amendments. Busy looking at next year’s budget and what beginning balances might be for next year. As the numbers start coming together, the Finance Committee needs to meet with Clerk-Treasurer Beeson every two or three weeks.

Ordinance No. 898 – setting 2013 excess property tax levy amount: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety and again by title only. We are taking our banked capacity of $782 and the 1% increase allowed by law. These figures exclude any new homes that aren’t on the tax rolls yet. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to adopt ordinance No. 898. Motion carried unanimously.

Ordinance No. 899 – setting 2013 regular and special levy amounts: Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety and again by title only. This ordinance sets the amounts for the special street levy, special pool levy, regular EMS levy, and the general levy. Currently, 65% of the general levy goes into Current Expense fund and 35% goes into Street fund. The Street fund is an operating fund. Capital improvements to streets come out of our Arterial Street fund through the voted special levy. The pool levy funds only a portion of the pool, the rest is absorbed through the current expense fund. Some years it costs more than others to operate the pool, depending on condition of the equipment. Councilmember Webb brought up charging entrance fees to the pool. The last time we charged for entrance, we brought in only about $5,000. Collecting fees to operate the pool on top of what they’re paying in their taxes doesn’t compensate for hours spent collecting, banking and auditing the process. It would also mean that homeowners not only pay the tax, but would then have to buy a pass to use the pool. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to adopt ordinance No. 899 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2012-05 – language for placing the street improvements levy on Nov. 6, 2012, ballot:
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt Resolution No. 2012-05, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman. Supt. Griffin stressed how important this levy is in order to maintain our city streets. The paving and dust control are funded only through the special street levy. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2012-06 – language for placing the M & O swimming pool levy on the Nov. 6, 2012, ballot:
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, to adopt Resolution No. 2012-06 as written. Motion carried unanimously.

Resolution No. 2012-07 – interim specifications for sewer hook-up:
Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. The city is in the process of developing standards for new sewer connections. This is setting an interim standard by setting the size of a standard sewer service line to a single family residence at 4” pipe. In adopting this interim standard, the city will be able to move forward with applications for sewer hookups while the comprehensive standards are being developed. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Webb, to adopt resolution No. 2012-07 as written. This resolution was written by our attorney. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: no report

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: no report

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Colfax hazardous mitigation draft is in its final stages.

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report

OPEN FORUM: Janet Barstow. Talking about Haunted Palouse. Dates this year will be Oct 19, 20, 26, 27. Janet asked permission to use city property again as in the past: Shady Lane, the PD basement, and Central Park. They will be starting to set up the last week of September. Supt. Griffin is fine with it. The Palouse Chamber will have the portable potties again which really helped last year. Councilmember Jones MOVED to grant the Palouse Chamber of Commerce permission to operate Haunted Palouse using city property as outlined in the past. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Brownfields bids close 4 pm, July 30th (update: bid closing date moved to August 1st). There were 16 contractors here for the pre-conference meeting. We have scheduled a special council meeting August 7th with just one agenda item to perhaps award the bid for the project.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:09 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, July 25, 2012: Ck. #4167-4184 $7,734.79
Void: Ck. # 4165

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
Public Hearing – 6-Year Street Plan
Public Hearing – 2013 Revenue Sources
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
July 10, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Cecil Floyd & Rick Wekenman. Also present: Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: David Nails, Mark Storey, Nicole Wood, Greg Partch, Pete Hertz, Cate McGehee, Garth Meyer.

PUBLIC HEARING: 6-Year Transportation Improvement Plan. Opened public hearing at 7:03. No public comments. Public Hearing closed at 7:03.

PUBLIC HEARING: 2013 Revenue Sources. Opened public hearing at 7:04. No public comments. Council has the option of adopting 1% increase, and the option of taking the bank capacity. Our banked capacity is $782. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to increase our councilmatic levy 1% as allowed by law. Motion carried unanimously. 65% goes to current expense and 35% goes to streets. The split percentage is councilmatic; can be changed by resolution. Street and pool levy amounts are to stay the same as last year. Councilmember Newman MOVED to direct Joyce to prepare necessary ordinances and resolutions setting the levy amounts at $40,000 for Arterial Street improvements and $28,000 for pool operations and maintenance. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. Public Hearing was closed at 7:13.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Under Mayor’s Report, add that Mayor appointed Councilmember Schorzman to chair of the Finance, Property & Equipment Committee. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 26, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Chief Neumann submitted the June Activity Log.

NEW BUSINESS:
Whitman County yard waste discussion: Commissioner Greg Partch following up on alternatives for the Whitman County chipper program. Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey, and Whitman County Solid Waste manager David Nails, both spoke about possible ideas for cities to consider. The county is considering a pilot program for the delivery and pick up of a large roll-out container for chippable yard debris. The city would still have to load and compact it but the cost should be less than the chipper costs. The city would need to purchase a thumb for the backhoe and would need a place to put the container for loading and unloading. The container is 25’ x 8’ x 8’. Supt. Griffin and David Nails will discuss further.

Currently anyone in the county can still haul all yard waste and dump for free at the county. However, the DOE has some rules coming down the shoot that will dictate that yard clippings won’t be accepted in the free, clean-green disposal, only limbs and wood.

Solid Waste Advisory Committee now has an opening. www.WhitmanCounty.org has more information.

Resolution 2012-03: Interfund loan terms for repayment: Mayor read aloud the resolution in its entirety. This resolution is the same resolution that was adopted in 2010-17, except the minimum terms for repayment of said interfund loan principal and interest shall be set and included as follows: July 30, 2012, no less than $10,000 principal and accrued interest; July 30, 2013, no less than $13,000 principal and accrued interest; May 30, 2014, no less than $17,000 or remaining balance of principal and accrued interest. Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt Resolution 2012-03. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: DOH reported they will need their full 90 days to review our Water System Plan so the city should get it back late July. The Sewer Extension Plan is still with Attorney Bishop; it too should be back in late July. August will be busy for council for the adoption of the WSP and the SEP.

Councilmember Newman wants to look into allowing a high school student representative on city council. She learned of this program at the AWC conference. She will investigate further.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Cost allocation resolution draft is on Attorney Bishop’s desk.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: no report

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment: no report

OPEN FORUM:
Nicole Wood: Has asked for a hydrant on 8th & C through a water extension application submitted on July 9th. Nicole asked what will happen to her application and if the application fee of $150 (which was not included with the application) would be refunded if her application is denied. Councilmember Newman explained that one of the purposes of the $150 application fee is to partially recover the costs of Superintendent Griffin’s and/or staff time of reviewing the plan, writing specs, etc. There is no clause for a refund if a request is denied. However, the public works superintendent will recommend an alternate extension plan if the one requested is not feasible. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Webb to continue this discussion. Motion carried unanimously.

Nicole Wood: Sewer connection at manhole G. They’ve requested a 6” pipe. Nicole’s sewer extension request has been approved for a single-family residence and Nicole may proceed with a 4” line. A materials list and construction specifications were provided by the city, along with council approval for their contractor to work in the city right of way. Nicole is now requesting a 6” sewer service to replace the 4” line that the Kessler’s had installed. Her contractor may contact Supt. Griffin directly. Nicole stated that if they can’t get approval for 6” pipe, they will explore other options. Supt. Griffin has stated a 6” pipe does not work for a single-family home; there are engineering reasons you do not put a single-family home on a 6” line. Nicole stated that they assumed that the Kessler line was 6” since that is what was written up on the work order. C-T Beeson explained that the Kessler’s paid for a 4” service and that is what was installed. The mistake was only that Dwayne accidently wrote 6” on the work order instead of 4”.

Council thanked Nicole for the in-person dialogue. Nicole asked if she could attend a committee meeting to discuss her w/s development concerns and was told yes.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Mayor requested a Special Council Meeting August 7, 2012, at 7:00 pm, for one item only: to perhaps award contractor bid for Phase II of the Brownfields clean-up project. This will allow for as much time as possible for contractor to perform the work.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:08 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, June 29, 2012. Ck. #4110-4135 & EFT $43,916.47
Claims Paid, July 11, 2012. Ck. #4136-4166 & EFT $71,141.00

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
June 26, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Rick Wekenman is on vacation. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Heather McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of June 12, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.
Award for dust control contract: Received three bids for 160,000 square feet of road oiling: 1. Lyman Dust Control $06.2 per sf; 2. Mort’s Dust Control $.06 cents per sf; 3. Tak Petroleum $04.9 per sf. Supt. Griffin would like to recommend we move forward with TAK petroleum. The savings comes to approximately $2,000. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to accept the bid of TAK Petroleum for $04.9 per sf. Seconded by Councilmember Floyd. Motion carried unanimously.

The city received a letter from Jack Nagle Construction for permission to perform work within the city’s right-of-way to install sewer line on C Street for Nicole Wood. The only way to get the work done is if he has access to the right-of-way. Supt. Griffin has no problems with giving him approval. Public Works will inspect Jack’s work and material. His license and bond are current. Councilmember Newman MOVED and seconded by Councilmember Webb to allow Jack Nagle to perform sewer work on the C Street right-of-way. Motion carried unanimously.

POLICE REPORT:
Whitman County Animal Control contract renewal: Contract is for three years at $1,000/year. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to authorize Chief Neumann to sign the contract. Councilmember Floyd seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

JFB REPORT: no report

OLD BUSINESS:
Award consideration for Mohr Street sidewalk project: We received two bids: A & R Construction $82,648; Ace Elliott $83,577. Both came in higher than expected. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to award the bid to A & R Construction contingent on TIB approval. Seconded by Councilmember Newman. The increase on the city’s share will come to $450. The school’s portion won’t increase. Motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Equipment for recording of public meetings – Jim Farr: Councilmember Newman told Mr. Farr that he needs to bring a detailed proposal with technical info, budget info, maintenance & repair, anticipated staff time, how to store, archive, etc., and examples of other cities with similar budget who do this. Jim Farr responded that he would get on a later agenda as he didn’t have all the information. Jim would like to see the recordings streamed live on the city’s website. Currently, the public is able to record the meeting for their own use. All citizens are encouraged to attend the meeting and/or read the minutes. Mr. Farr sent a proposed flier soliciting funds for a private account to purchase all necessary equipment. Council voiced concern that the flier is misleading and reads as though the city is soliciting donations and supports the program. The city isn’t sponsoring or soliciting any funds for this purpose. Concern was raised that if the effort did not come to fruition, people who donated are going to come back to the city. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED that council does not support this activity, and does not approve any flier referencing city involvement. Councilmember Jones seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Norm Schorzman, Chair: no report

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Connie and Cecil met regarding the Harrison and Sumner Street request from Rod Rosen to build a retaining wall in city right-of-way to aid with the parking and street issue. Minus any issues that Supt Griffin has, they recommend allowing it. Mr. Rosen already has a permanent retaining wall; he’s just requesting permission to rebuild it to the west 6 to 8 feet. He will cover all costs requesting only that the city provide backfill dirt. Supt. Griffin sees no problem. It doesn’t affect any neighbors, being on the west side facing the grange. The move will allow more clearance on the street. Councilmember Floyd MOVED and Councilmember Newman seconded to allow Mr. Rosen to rebuild his retaining wall, pending supervision from Supt. Griffin. There is concern about city liability if the retaining wall fails. The wall will have to be permitted and meet building code standards. Motion carried unanimously. Regarding the access for fire and safety, Fire Chief Bagott sees no problem at this corner.

Regarding the street sign request on the corner of Harrison and Sumner, Supt. Griffin said he can move the sign, no problem. Mayor suggested the owner may be better served by putting in an approved fence on the corner. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to have public works move the sign from the NW corner to the SE corner of Sumner and Harrison. Councilmember Newman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

The city has an open-ended agreement with the Palouse Tavern to allow an outdoor beer garden. The agreement isn’t being followed to the letter. Committee is considering changing to an agreement that has to be renewed on a yearly basis. The tavern owner would need to address council yearly and that will allow council to review the terms of the contract for better enforcement or allow changes. Committee will meet to further discuss.

The call for transportation projects is open and Taylor Engineering is working with WSDOT on the Cove Road pathway project. Due date is August 24th.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Continuing work on the sewer extension policy, working to ensure the policy is thorough and consistent with all city codes. Still waiting to hear back from DOH on the water system plan.

Councilmember Newman attended the AWC conference. She learned more information regarding PRR’s and will share at next council meeting. She discussed her expenses for the trip, offering to pay out of pocket for a portion. Council approved her expenses up to the maximum budget amount of $450.

OPEN FORUM:

MAYOR’S REPORT: The 2013 Revenue Sources Public Hearing has been set for July 10th. The Six Year Street Plan Public Hearing is also set for July 10th.

Brownfields project: Some additional asbestos was found and abated. We’re beginning the bidding process for Phase II of the cleanup which will include excavation of contaminated material from the concrete and asphalt down. It will be published for bids beginning July 9th with bid opening set for July 30th. MFA wants a special council meeting on August 6th or 7th to award bid so as not to lose time waiting for the next council meeting.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:14 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, June 26, 2012. Ck. #4097-4109 $40,667.59

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
June 12, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Alison Webb; Bo Ossinger; Cecil Floyd; Connie Newman; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman; Tim Jones. Also present: Police Officer Brian Dentler; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Jens Hegg; Dana Anderson; Caitlyn McGehee; Garth Meyer.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 22, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Mayor asked that PW inspect a tree near AmericanWest Bank that appears to be dead.

POLICE REPORT: May Activity Log was submitted.

NEW BUSINESS:
Dana Anderson & Jens Hegg, Little Sprouts Daycare: Little Sprouts Daycare is looking at a program to recylce cardboard and mixed paper as an ongoing fundraiser. They would like to bring in a recycling dumpster through Empire Disposal which has a program where all proceeds from recycling (after overhead) go back to a non-profit. Little Sprouts asked the City if they have a location to place the dumpster. They would also need a letter of release from the city naming the location and giving Empire Disposal notice of permission for that space. Little Sprouts would oversee the whole operation. The only city-owned location mentioned was the old chipper location. Their other ideas for a location are all privately owned: the lot next to the PCC, on the property next to the PD, or a spot on Spokane Street between the pavement and the railroad tracks. It was suggested to look for space near the school. If this is successful, they could possibly bring in a compartment container for aluminum and glass as well. They will need to look into insurance requirements. Council supports their efforts.

Review draft of the Six-Year Street Plan: Cecil reviewed aloud the draft Six-Year Street Plan. 1. Wall Street Reconstruction from Union to Bluff; 2. North F Street Overlay from Church to Cannon; 3. West Whitman Reconstruction from Bridge to Mill; 4. West Whitman & Fir Street Reconstruction from Mill to Illinois; 5. Wall Street #2 Reconstruction from Union to Park; 6. Culton Street Reconstruction from Park to Holyoke; 7. Park Street reconstruction from Holyoke to Wiley. Councilmember Newman MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Jones, to set July 10th as our public hearing for the six year street plan. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: Committee has some revenue-based issues to act on.
The city is charged a fee every time they use the cc machine for RV park reservations, whether it’s to make reservations or to refund cancellations. A $5.00 charge for cancellations would cover those machine costs and loss of reservation revenue. Councilmember Webb MOVED to implement a $5.00 non-refundable reservation fee (included in rate), seconded by Councilmember Schorzman. Motion carried unanimously.

Councilmember Webb MOVED to implement a policy of two-night minimum reservation on WSU premium weekends (Homecoming, Mom & Dad weekends, and home football games). Councilmember Schorzman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

Committee would like to consider extending the RV Park to a maximum of 28 days. The city has received numerous requests for 28-day reservations and has had to refuse them. 28 day max would still keep the city under the 30 day threshold for leasehold excise taxes to kick in. Much discussion ensued. Committee will meet again to continue discussion. Councilmember Newman MOVED to make a temporary change to the RV policy allowing up to 3 RV spots a maximum stay of 28 days at the going rate of $150.00/week. Councilmember Webb seconded. Councilmember Floyd voted nay. Motion carried.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Mohr Street Project is coming along.
The estimate for the Cove Road pathway was $400,000 last year. For financial reasons, we decided to split the project into two which brought the cost down half. First half of path would come from Union Street, down Cove Road, around the corner on the highway all the way to the bridge. The match for that is %5 or about $10,000. The call for projects is coming up at the end of the month. Can we come up with the matching money if we’re awarded the grant? Arterial Street fund will have as little as $3,000 or $4,000 carryover in 2012. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman, to authorize Councilmember Floyd to proceed with Taylor Engineering for the pursuit of grants to accomplish that construction.

There is still the ongoing issue between the neighbors about the corner of Harrison and Sumner. Citizen requested a sign on the corner so the public would realize where the street was and not cut through private property. This issue is not just a streets committee issue, but also a police issue regarding public safety. There will be another committee meeting with the police department and public works included.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: Pool is opening June 20th. Local resident Kelly Dow has started a Palouse Swim Team.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair:
Water System Plan went through Dept of Ecology review and is now in the hands of the DOH. We’re still on the timeline to get that back in July.

The Sewer Extension Policy draft is currently in Attorney Bishop’s hands. Hoping to have that back in July and bring it back to council for review and approval. It should look similar to the Water Extension Policy as far as policy and procedure for the application process.

In 2007 the city did an extension to the Breeding’s Sewer Project. The revenue generated from sewer connection charges paid by Breeding’s Addition property did not come in as anticipated. We must set up a payment plan for the remaining interfund loan for this extension. There will be a resolution at the next meeting setting the terms of the repayment for council to consider.

W/S committee will be reevaluating the rate schedule, with potential $1 raise to sewer. We have to address conservation efforts in our rate system. We will bring back recommendations to council before the first of the year.

Connie will be attending the AWC conference next week in Vancouver.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Committee met to discuss the potential for burning the yard waste or chipping the yard waste. We discussed the following options: 1. Do nothing, keeping with the current program. Options of disposal are out there for the public: free disposal at the Moscow and Pullman landfills and the Moscow recycling center. It’s a service we’d like to offer but aren’t obligated to provide. 2. Attempt to find a spot for a 40 Yard dumpster. The county is investigating whether they would provide a large dumpster to the city and the fees the city charged for permits would cover the dump fees. This option would require a location, compaction, security, man hours, and monitors. Not very feasible. 3. A one-day chipper program. The citizens would be asked to pay a fee ($30 or $40) for a one-day, all you can deliver event. You would need monitors on site, with no intention of chipping anything that day, just accumulating a pile. No commercial customers. At $30, we’d need a minimum of 20 participants to break even. After one attempt, we would learn if $30 was enough to cover the expense. However, if someone trims limbs in April, they won’t want to wait three months to get rid of it. 4. Allowing a day of individual burning of small disposal piles at individual residences. This is risky health-wise and very difficult to monitor. If the FD responds to one call, it costs between $100-$150 out of their budget each time. And it would have to be an approved day by DOE. DOE could call at 10 am and say it’s okay to burn, then call back at noon and say the weather is changing, fires have to be put out. 5. Burning outside of city, central location. Permit fee paid to the FD to monitor the blaze, one-day collection and burn a different day that DOE stipulates, with the same problems. That would also require monitoring during the dumping period. The money involved is substantial, would have to mobilize a fire crew on the burn day. Logistics are uncertain as to weather conditions. Health issues are quite real on all of these things and the city needs to be sensitive to that. There are resources available to those who don’t have the means to transport yard waste. The committee recommends option one – No change to the current program. If the economic climate were better we could buy our own chipper and hire someone to man it.

Finance, Property, & Equipment:
Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair:

OLD BUSINESS:
Resolution #2012-02: fee schedule. Changed the private pool rental fee to $75 for 1.5 hours with three guards provided, and added the $5 RV park non-refundable reservation cancellation charge. Councilmember Jones MOVED to adopt Resolution #2012-02. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously.

MAYOR’S REPORT: Three liquor license renewal requests: Special occasion license for the PCC at Hayton Greene Park for beer garden at the 2012 Music Festival; yearly licensing for McLeod’s Market; and yearly licensing for Palouse Act II Tavern. No objections.

Larson’s Demolition has begun work on the Brownfields site demo.

2013 Revenue Source public hearing will be scheduled soon.

Discussion ensued on who would chair the finance committee. Councilmember Wekenman is going to chair it along with the Police, Fire, & Safety committee.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, May 30, 2012. Ck. #4036-4053 & EFT $36,644.72
Claims Paid, June 12, 2012. Ck. #4054-4096 & EFT $65,028.29

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
May 22, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Pro-Tem Wekenman called the Council Meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb. Absent: Councilmember Tim Jones and Mayor Echanove. Mayor Echanove is on vacation. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Fire Chief Mike Bagott; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Caitlyn McGehee, Mary Estes, Doug Willcox.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Ossinger MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of May 8, 2012. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS:
Citizen’s proposal to have a burn day in Palouse. Mary Estes asked council to look into a few burn days a year for non-combustible, legal yard waste. Chief Bagott spoke with DOE in Spokane who indicated, because we’re not an urban growth county, they have actually changed their stance on hauling material to one central location and burning it as one manageable pile rather than small burns throughout the city. Whitman County is one of two counties in the state that will allow burning if the proper procedures are followed. The city passed its own ordinance limiting open burning to recreational fires. This is a hot button issue with several people in town with health conditions. That’s why the chipper program came to be but unfortunately cost too much. Chief Bagott explained this has to be very well managed with some sort of permitting to know who was going to burn, when, what manner, how to be contacted etc. Chief Bagott’s ultimate recommendation is if it’s something the city council wants to pursue, that the site be located outside of town, be securable, and that we collect the material on the burn day only. If you have an open pile, then you end up with the same problems we had at the chipper pile. Mary also suggested having a specific day to collect this waste and have fees and permits to cover hauling it to the site (vs. burning). The other issue is the cost, having a site that is gated so as not to be available year round, etc. This could perhaps, be an opportunity for a fundraiser for someone to provide a hauling service for those who don’t have the means. Much discussion ensued as to pros and cons, and different scenarios. The city is not insensitive to the problem of yard waste. Councilmember Newman pointed out that Palouse EMS cannot transport to Moscow, Pullman, & Colfax nor administer meds so medical treatment can take time if someone has an adverse medical reaction to burning which should be taken into consideration before deciding to allow burning. This issue was sent to the Police, Fire & Safety committee to consider options.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report.

POLICE REPORT: Animal shelter contract is in the works. Door-to-door solicitors hit Palouse today. Anyone going to the doors is required to apply for a permit through City Hall. Once they submit an application, they then go through a background check, etc. before a permit will be issued.

JFB REPORT: On the financial end, everything is within budget. Had 1 fire call in April, 14 YTD, which is above average. Pumper tank is back in service; tab was $6,450. Two EMS members have completed their EMT training. 3 EMS calls in April, 21 YTD.

Questions arose about Palouse EMS’s permissible range of duties and various certifications. Those questions need be addressed to EMS.

OLD BUSINESS:
Brownfields contract for site demolition: Bids were opened May 21, at 4 pm. Bids were as follows:
Larson’s Demolition $19,829.81
Talisman Construction $19,833.04
Ace Elliott Landscaping $27,288.49
Skycorp LTD $28.079.74
R Wilson Construction $30,879.31
Councilmember Newman MOVED to authorize the mayor to execute a contract with Larson’s Demolition, Inc. Palouse Producers building demolition, not to exceed $19,829.81. Seconded by Councilmember Schorzman. Motion carried unanimously. Actual demolition will occur in early June.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Alison Webb. Chair: Is looking into a resolution charging RV Park credit card users a $5.00 cancellation fee to cover the city’s costs.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Committee proofed the 2011 annual report. There’s a little left to proof; needs to be done by Thursday.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Met with Gloria Bennet of TIB and proposed to her to have West Whitman Street reclassified as an arterial. We offered up H Street from the school to the ball field to be reclassified as local access. Also talked with her about the Cove Road project. Regarding improvements to the bridge (near car wash), she said we need to talk with the WSDOT about that.

Also, he met with two households regarding clearance near and around the corner of Sumner St. and Harrison St. Cecil used a diagram to outline the ongoing dispute. Much discussion ensued. Councilmember Floyd is going to take it to committee and include Chief Bagott and Chief Neumann. One neighbor also expressed his concern about a tree on city property that he wants removed because he feels is unsafe to his house. PW Dept. is going to contact a tree expert to see if it is a problem.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:19 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, May 23, 2012. Ck. #4023-4035 & EFT $9,566.07

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
May 8, 2012

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Echanove called the Council Meeting to order at 7:10 PM.

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Alison Webb; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Caitlyn McGehee; Pete Hertz; County Commissioner Greg Partch; Bruce Reim of Canfield & Associates.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 24, 2012. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Submitted a written report. They are halfway done with putting in the chips at the park. The STOP legend for Main & Bridge Streets will be installed within the next couple weeks.

POLICE REPORT: Submitted April activity log. Palouse River Duathlon is this Saturday. Whitman County Animal contract is coming due. Contract is $900/year. Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to allow Chief Neumann to move forward on negotiations for a three year contract with Whitman County Humane Society for animal services. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

OPEN FORUM: Rod Rosen discussed the ongoing issue with parking and right-of-way in his neighborhood at 300 E. Harrison. The property has been staked which now puts a bottleneck on the street. Rod has proposed at the end of the street, moving that retaining wall out 10’. The extra 10’ will eliminate the huge dispute for all of us on Harrison who are concerned and also will allow for the garbage truck and emergency vehicles, etc. Rod would like the city to consider his proposal so there are no more neighborhood disputes. Councilmember Wekenman MOVED to continue discussion for another five minutes. Councilmember Floyd seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Councilmember Floyd is going to familiarize himself with the situation and have a Streets & Sidewalk committee meeting to discuss it further. Rod Rosen also expressed concern about a tree on city property that is leaning over his property. He would like it topped for safety reasons.

NEW BUSINESS:
Whitman County Commissioner Greg Partch: Discussed Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). $.03 cents of every gas tax dollar goes into TIB fund which amounts to 80 to 100 million dollars a year. Palouse has been the beneficiary of quite a few TIB projects over the years. There is now another 1.5 million set aside for towns under 5000. Greg has proposed that Palouse be a beta test site for a street light program converting all street lights into LED. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman to authorize Commissioner Partch to proceed pursuing Palouse be a beta test site for this program. Motion carried unanimously.

.09 funds are 9/10 of 1% of sales tax generated in Whitman County. That generates approximately $350,000 a year for the county. Funds have to be used for infrastructure that creates and/or retains jobs. In the past, .09 funds helped us with our RV Park, with Heritage Park restrooms, etc. They need people to serve on the committee.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:
Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair:
Met and discussed the 6 year street plan; Dwayne is going to put together a priority list.
Discussed sending a request to TIB to reclassify West Whitman Street as an arterial from highway to Mill Street. The committee believes that it meets the state criteria. This would make it eligible for TIB reconstruction grants. They discussed street opening and driveway opening guidelines. Regarding Mohr Street project, Taylor Engineering is finalizing the design. Committee is meeting with them Thursday on-site. Once that design is done, they send it off to TIB and once they approve it will go out for bids.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair:
In order to cover our expenses, the committee is recommending that the cost for private pool rentals will be raised to $75.00 + tax. Councilmember Floyd MOVED to increase the private pool rental fee to $75, seconded by Councilmember Webb. Motion carried unanimously. This will be adopted by resolution at next council meeting.

The pool hours will change slightly. Pool will open at noon on weekends (instead of 1:00), and close at 8:00 every day.

Parks, Cemetery & Buildings-Norm Schorzman. Chair: no report

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Had a committee meeting. DOH requires property lines around our water tower on the North Hill be defined and enclosed by fencing. Supt. Griffin is going to have a survey done and get it taken care of. They had more discussion on the development of the sewer extension policy. The final WSP draft was received by DOH. DOH’s 90 day review period has now begun so sometime within the next 90 days we’ll get their revision suggestions. Then will come the public comment/review period.

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: Had a meeting going over the BARS regarding cost allocation for staff payroll costs and other indirect costs. We’re inclined to go along with Joyce’s suggestion to separate the cost allocation from the resolution.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment- Chair: no report

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Regarding Brownfields Project, the demo bid specs are being advertised in the Spokesman Review and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Bid docs are also available on www.visitpalouse.com. Closes May 21st at 4:00 pm.

Mayor will be absent next council meeting.

Committee assignments: discussion ensued. No decision yet.

Joyce is in the final reviews of annual report and would like council to review. Finance Committee is meeting May 16 and will include review of the annual report.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Jones MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:48 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, April 30, 2012 Ck. #3980-3997 & EFT $36,845.29
Claims Paid, May 8, 2012 Ck. #3998-4022 & EFT $18,829.97

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 24, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Alison Webb; Bo Ossinger; Tim Jones; Cecil Floyd; Rick Wekenman; Norm Schorzman; Connie Newman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: David Hertz; Martha Hertz; Janet Barstow; Heidi Keen; Miss McGehee.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of April 10, 2012. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. The new lawnmower wiring issues are under warranty.

POLICE REPORT: Tremendous turnout for the bike race; no injuries to anyone.
Had some solicitors in town trying to sell insurance; instructed them of rules regarding going door-to-door.

JFB REPORT: Prior to normal JFB meeting, there was a capital improvements meeting to discuss how we might be able to afford new equipment in the coming years. In the next 5 to 8 years one of our pieces of fire equipment will be pushing 30 years old which is reaching the maximum age for reliability and trustworthiness. Bottom line is there is no money in coffers at this point. Used purchases cost approximately $150,000, new cost upwards of $250,000. This was just discussion, no decisions were made. Grants are very hard to come by anymore.

There were five fire calls in March, 11 YTD, which is more than half of what we had all of last year. Pump on pumper tanker is still being repaired in Spokane. We’ve come across some tires that need to be replaced on some of the vehicles so we’re doing that. Pullman’s new fire chief has visited with our department and is eager to work with us. There were six EMS calls in March, 18 YTD.

NEW BUSINESS:
Q1 2012 Financial Report: There are no issues or budget concerns this quarter, with no budget amendments. Councilmember Newman MOVED to cancel and not reissue the check from March 2011 to UCR&D for $150. UCR&D underwent administrative restructuring and are no longer a viable business. Councilmember Schorzman seconded. Motion carried unanimously. REET money is from the sale of real estate; the city gets a percentage. The laws have changed for spending REET money and the state has suggested cities open a fund just for collection of the tax. Once council develops a project, it can be transferred to the fund as needed. REET money can be spent on certain capital projects such as park improvements, building improvements. This year it has made approximately $1,000 (actual to date $1,600). The city doesn’t have to spend it every year; we can save it for bigger projects.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Norm Schorzman. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Re the Mohr Street project the paperwork is underway with TIB, Taylor Engineering, and Joyce. Construction should begin sometime June or July. We’re considering an application for another project to TIB. In the past we’ve discussed a walking path from downtown up Cove Road to Union Street. And the next year do the second half from Union Street to city limit. The $18,000 matching funds would come from our arterial streets fund and is for the WHOLE project.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: Pool opening date is set for June 20. Last day of school at Gar-Pal is June 13. Pool closing date is yet to be confirmed but approximately August 20. Swim lesson session dates have been determined.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Submitted a written report. The Water System Plan (WSP) is in its final stages. The wellhead protection piece is currently being reviewed by Don and Dwayne. Once reviewed it will be sent back to Taylor Engineering. Plan is to have the WSP submitted to the DOH by the first week of May. WSP will be available for community review sometime in July. The fee for DOH review of the WSP will be $2,280.

Our next order will be developing a Sewer Extension Policy (SEP). We hope to have that ready to present to council for review and approval by June. Additionally w/s committee will be meeting with DOE this summer to begin the process of preparing for the new wastewater treatment permit which is due June 2014. We are currently compliant with all of DOE’s sewer system requirements.

Councilmember Newman wanted to discuss an administrative issue we’re having with Jim Farr and/or Nicole Wood. Councilmember Newman and staff have spent multiple hours each week and each month for a few years now to answer their questions and concerns pertaining to water and/or sewer business. The w/s committee’s goal is helping Ms. Wood find a solution and answering her questions satisfactorily. Connie read aloud a letter she wrote advising city staff on how to proceed with this issue from here on forward. It’s unfortunate that we’ve had to come to this point but Connie feels it’s absolutely necessary, in an effort to come to a true solution. Much discussion ensued. Ms. Wood is reporting she’s not getting satisfactory answers via email, so we’ve offered to meet with her personally which she declined. Councilmember Wekenman thinks it’s unusual that they refuse to come to any meeting to address their issues, and that it’s unreasonable on Ms. Wood’s part and that she should make more of an effort to get this resolved in a public forum. The council and mayor agreed. Connie reiterated the need for a w/s meeting with them and to simply have a dialogue as emailing back and forth has not proven successful. Councilmember Newman has repeatedly asked Nicole to direct certain specific questions to Supt. Griffin and she refuses. Dwayne’s job is to maintain the integrity of Palouse’s water system. Councilmember Newman added that much of the email correspondence that she is receiving from Ms. Wood regarding w/s business has included personal attacks on city staff which in Connie’s opinion are unsubstantiated and potentially libelous. City staff handles all requests for w/s the same; these two haven’t received any different treatment than anyone else.

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: Attended another county hazardous mitigation meeting; we’re to the point now of summarizing our accomplishments since the last go round.

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Alison Webb, Chair: none

OPEN FORUM:
Janet Barstow. On behalf of the PCC requesting permission for a beer garden, July 28th at the park, as part of the Palouse Music Festival. PW has no issues. PD has no issues. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Schorzman authorizing the Palouse Chamber to have their annual beer garden at the city park, July 28 for the Palouse Music Festival. Motion carried unanimously.

Heidi Keen. Would like to have permission to have the Barley Bar relay again in conjunction with Palouse Days. The Chamber was the sponsor last year. This year they would like permission to have the start of the race somewhere on Main Street. This is a fundraiser for the PCC. Discussion ensued. There are no objections to the race but the logistics still need to be worked out.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
The steel building is gone from the Brownfields site; they were very conscientious about cleaning up the debris.
We have not received Department of Commerce executed grant agreements yet.
MFA‘s intent is to have the concrete building down by June 30th.
Committee assignments have yet to be determined. Mayor is going to continue working on it.
Go to www.AWC.net for training opportunities.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Webb seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:30 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid, April 25, 2012. Ck. #3961-3979 $7,713.12

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
April 10, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Police Officer Joe Merry; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Alison Webb; Vickie Griner; Marcia Lehman-Kessler; Aaron Flansburg; Greg Kessler.

Interviews for Council Position #1:
Aaron Flansburg and Alison Webb both submitted letters of interest for filling vacated council position #1. Council interviewed each candidate separately. Each candidate was asked the identical questions pertaining to interests, experience, and various council issues.

Executive Session for council position selection: At 7:27 Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to go into executive session for 10 minutes to discuss the two candidates. Seconded by Councilmember Newman. Motion carried unanimously. They extended executive session by 10 minutes. Meeting called back to order at 7:49 pm. Councilmember Jones MOVED to accept Alison Webb as new councilmember. Councilmember Wekenman seconded and the motion carried unanimously. It was a difficult decision. Mayor Echanove swore in Alison Webb as councilperson for position #1. Committee assignments will be determined later.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Newman amended the minutes to add, under the Streets & Sidewalks committee report, “In the absence of minimum specs for driveway development, Councilmember Newman MOVED that ……..” Councilmember Newman MOVED to adopt the amended minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 27, 2012. Councilmember Schorzman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Supt. Griffin submitted a written report. Additionally they started excavating the parking lot for the PCC today. Public Works is looking at getting volunteers together for cleaning up the flood damage at the park. Good team effort on watching the flood.

We’ve had limbs being dumped in the compost pile. The site is compost only: grass, leaves, and soft vegetation only. No tree trimmings, no bushes, etc. There is a 4’x4’ sign on-site saying chipper pile closed.

POLICE REPORT: March activity log submitted. Chief publically commended Officer Merry’s work during Chief Neumann’s vacation. There are ongoing investigations into crimes such as stolen property, drugs, stolen checks, gas siphoning. Chief reminded all of us that we need to help protect ourselves from these crimes of opportunity by locking our houses and cars. Always report suspicious activity; the police are available 24/7 and are ready and willing to respond.

OLD BUSINESS:
State Ecology Remedial Action Oversight Grant Agreement:
Federal EPA Brownfields Mediation Sub-Grant Agreement:
Federal EPA ARRA Brownfields Remediation Sub-Grant Agreement:

The Grant Agreements from DOE and EPA have arrived. Our Brownfields project is now 100% grant funded pending mayor’s authorization. Mayor read aloud a letter from Department of Commerce outlining the grants. The $150,000 ARRA EPA grant must be spent by June 30, 2012. The $200,000 EPA grant must be spent by Sept. 30, 2012. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Ossinger, allowing the Mayor to sign the grant agreements with the DOE and Dept. of Commerce for the EPA funds. If approved, it’s in MFA hands after this to arrange all the details. Atty. Bishop has reviewed the grants. Motion carried unanimously.

The purchaser of the metal building has a few weeks left to remove the building. May 1st is the deadline. The city will remind him.

NEW BUSINESS:
Budget Amendment for administering three Brownfields remediation grants as proposed. Because of the grant, we need to amend the budget. Ordinance No. 897 amending Ordinance No. 896. Mayor read aloud the ordinance in its entirety. Summary Revenue: EPA Brownfields Remediation – $200,000; Ecology LTCA Brownfields – $477,672; ARRA EPA Brownfields Remediation – $150,000. Summary Expenditures: Ecology – $477,672; EPA – $200,000; EPA ARRA – $150,000. Councilmember Jones MOVED, seconded by Councilmember Newman to accept Ordinance No. 897 amending the 2012 budget. Motion carried unanimously.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Street & sidewalk committee has not met since the last council meeting and may not meet until the first Wednesday of May. Regarding the request for a private driveway on 7th Street – The requestor has asked for a driveway on an undeveloped portion of 7th Street. There is a city sewer line located through it. Councilmember Floyd stated that there is no policy in place that would restrict a driveway. There is concern for the neighbors both uphill and downhill of the request. If approved as a private driveway, the standards won’t be high enough to prevent problems for those neighbors. There’s no policy on the books setting standard specs for a driveway but there are minimum standards for a street opening. The city needs to maintain control of the construction standard and maintenance since it could have a negative impact on the abutting properties. Costs for street and driveway openings are bore by the requestor. The adjacent property owners, Kessler’s and Griner’s, submitted letters opposing the private driveway. Kessler’s stance is not objecting to a street opening, but they’re nervous about a private driveway: soil erosion; significant surface and ground water; effects to the sewer line, and fire hazard caused by unmaintained vegetation. Three properties adjoin this request, and all three are against opening it as a drive. Griner’s are concerned that if it’s not built and maintained at city standards, who takes care of a private drive? The water issue is significant; it’s not passable many months of the year. Marcia Kessler pointed out, regarding precedent setting, that the city could be held liable for negative impacts to abutting properties. Councilmember Floyd MOVED, based on the fact that we have no minimum requirements for a private driveway and we have objectors, that we deny opening 7th Street as a private driveway. Seconded by Councilmember Newman. Discussion – The requestor can come back and request a street opening. There are minimum street requirements which give the city some control and protection for the property owners. Perhaps in the future a policy for private driveway openings specs could be considered. What made this request particularly difficult is the entire length of the request (full city block) abuts three property owners while having no effect to the requestor’s property. Pullman deals with these kinds of requests on a case-by-case basis because each request is so unique. Last year the City of Palouse granted this same requestor private drive access in a different location (which they declined) which wouldn’t have affected any neighbors. Motion carried unanimously.

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: Pool committee met. Discussed 2012 staff hiring, pay and duties. Pool manager is returning as well as five guards. Tentative pool opening date is June 20. School gets out June 13. Still no swim team as no one has stepped forward to coach and/or run that program. One option may be for kids to perhaps co-op with Garfield.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Still at same phase on WSP. Meeting tomorrow to go over final chapters of the WSP and capital improvement recommendations. This will be the last committee meeting before the working draft is submitted to the DOH. DOH has up to 90 days to review. Once we receive that back we’ll make any changes necessary as per DOH comments. There will be a review period for the community at that point.

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Norm Schorzman. Chair: No report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: No report

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: No report

Finance, Property, & Equipment-Mike Milano, Chair: No report

OPEN FORUM:
Aaron Flansburg is still looking at locations for a skate park. He really likes the Brownfields site but not sure if that’s allowable under the conditions of the grants.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Newman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:59 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Payroll Paid, March 31, 2012. Ck. #3917-3935 & EFT $41,050.46
Claims Paid, April 11, 2012. Ck. #3936-3960 & EFT $19,367.37

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________

DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
March 27, 2012

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

ROLL CALL: Council members present: Cecil Floyd; Tim Jones; Connie Newman; Bo Ossinger; Norm Schorzman; Rick Wekenman. Also present: Public Works Superintendent Dwayne Griffin; Police Chief Jerry Neumann; Clerk-Treasurer Joyce Beeson; & Deputy Clerk Ann Thompson. Public present: Mark Sawyer; Tom Kammerzell.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 13, 2012. Councilmember Ossinger seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT: Superintendent Griffin submitted a written report. Regarding the rising Palouse River, the water got to shop but no damage. But at the park the river moved all the wood chips and it’s a mess. City will try and have a volunteer day at the park to fix it before the Easter egg hunt on the 7th if weather is permitting.

PW was going to try and use the tin roof from the building on the Brownfields site but it’s not salvageable.

POLICE REPORT: Reminder to drivers to watch for pedestrians now that weather is warming up. PD will be having bike safety education day at the elementary schools soon. Reminder that dogs have to be leashed at all times while off of your property, even if it’s a well-behaved dog. The PD completed yearly mandated training and has been certified by the state. City Hall and PD radios have been updated and are now FCC compliant. Public Works’ radios still have to be replaced. We’re mandated by the feds to do this.

OPEN FORUM:
Mark Sawyer spoke about the 2nd Annual Palouse River Duathlon scheduled for May 12th. He would like permission for use of city streets and city park, use of city cones and white barricades, assistance from PD for traffic control, volunteers from the community on race day, and publicity through word of mouth. Also would like to have permission to begin setup for the race on May 11th at 4pm. The only changes from last year will be an earlier start time and reverse the race direction. Mark will obtain all county, D.O.T., and city permits, insurance, signage, emergency services, public notification, advertising, registrations, race timing, sponsorship and prizes. No objections from council.

Tom Kammerzell, Port of Whitman County Commissioner – Right now the fiber optic project is their main focus. As word has gotten out that the entire state will be looped, there is increased interest from business. This is a great opportunity to the Palouse. Project is about 60% done. The wet weather slows progress. All the vaults will be placed underground.

The port has put in for the federal Tigre grant to upgrade the rail system between McCoy and Marshall; this grant is what could potentially repair/rebuild all the bridges including the bridge in Palouse on SR 27. One positive thing for the rail in this part of the country is the DOT has assigned someone to be in charge of the rail. The upkeep of the rail will save wear and tear and expense on the highways.

Lewiston, Clarkston, and Whitman County recently had their quarterly meeting in Palouse.

JFB REPORT:
The training fund is over budget right now due to the increased cost for EMT trainings. Right now there are two people training in the program. It is about $700-$900 per person and very time-consuming. EMS has changed their policy on accepting new people into their program just because it is so expensive. They’re requiring 2/3 of the cost of the new equipment to be paid by the person and also requiring them to be in the community for two full years before they apply.

Four fire call in February, 8 ytd, which is already half of all of 2011. Our pumper tanker 416 is out for repairs. Should be back soon. We’ve notified neighboring community departments just in case we have a fire.

EMS had 6 calls in February, 12 ytd. Waiting to hear word on a pre-hospital participation grant from the DOH which will help outfit us in new equipment plus replace various sundries used on all their calls.

COMMITTEE REPORTS/REQUESTS:

Parks, Cemetery, & Buildings-Norm Schorzman. Chair: no report

Policy & Administration-Bo Ossinger, Chair: no report

Police, Fire, & Safety-Rick Wekenman, Chair: no report

Finance, Property, & Equipment-, Chair: no report

Personnel & Pool-Tim Jones, Chair: no report. Having a meeting tomorrow.

Water & Sewer-Connie Newman, Chair: Update about WSP. We continue to meet regularly. We’re into the point in the WSP where we’re looking at the strengths and weaknesses of our water program; our capital improvement plan. We will be submitting our first draft to DOH by the end of April. DOH will have 90 days to review. Once we make any revisions, we’ll have a public comment period.

Streets & Sidewalks-Cecil Floyd, Chair: Taylor Engineering is submitting paperwork to TIB for our grant.

Regarding the request by Nicole Wood to be allowed to have a private driveway on a city right-of-way. Councilmember Floyd recommends allowing it. Much discussion ensued. When the Kesslers built their house, they requested opening B Street between 7th and 8th, paid a contractor and built it to city spec and then some. Dwayne Griffin oversaw the work and has approved the street construction. A letter has not gone out yet to Kessler’s accepting it but that will be done. However for all intents this is now an opened city street. A private drive insinuates it goes to one property owner; there are three adjacent property owners (Tronsen, Griner, Kessler) abutting where Nicole Wood wants to put a private driveway. There are requirements for street openings and we need clarification on the process vs. a driveway. We don’t want to treat anyone any different, however each request is unique. It’s very important that we address the effect to the three adjacent property owners. If you look at the platted map, it appears the requestor (Nicole Wood) has access through their own property to that location. PW Supt. Griffin distributed in writing his concerns and accompanying map: several maintenance issues top the list. Dwayne stressed that the city needs to keep control of its property. We’ve had issues like this in the past and the city didn’t go through the proper channels and still has to deal with those issues. Now is the time to get this done right; don’t leave this for someone down the road. Connie stated that we should defer to our PW Supt as his concerns are not unreasonable. It is in the city’s best interest to have 24/7 access. Councilmember Newman MOVED that we refuse the 7th Street driveway request and require it as a street opening. No second. Motion failed. Council wants more information. Councilmember Floyd requested a note be sent to Nicole that no decision was made and it will go back to committee. He would like to have answers from the attorney on questions that have been asked and invited Nicole to the committee meeting scheduled for April 4. Council members were encouraged to look at the right-of-way in question.

MAYOR’S REPORT:
Brownfields project is still moving along.

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

ADJOURN: Councilmember Schorzman MOVED to adjourn. Councilmember Wekenman seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously. The council meeting adjourned at 8:20 PM.

The following checks are approved for payment:
Claims Paid Ck. No. 3898-3916 $5,686.86

APPROVED: ________________________________ ATTEST: ________________________________