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: ________________________________