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: ________________________________