MEETING OF THE CITY OF CONNELL, WASHINGTON
CONNELL, FRANKLIN COUNTY, WASHINGTON

August 13, 2001

The regular semi-monthly meeting of the City Council of the City of Connell was called to order by Mayor Walton at 7:30 p.m. in the City Hall and was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

ROLL CALL

PRESENT:       Mayor Gary Walton, Council members Roel Martinez, Monica Pruett, Ron Boyer and Perry Skoglund.

EXCUSED:      Councilmember Jim Lobach

STAFF:            City Administrator Art Tackett, Chief of Police Rick Rochleau, Public Works Director Pat Munyan and City Clerk-Treasurer Joan Eckman.

VISITORS:      Larry Seibel, Anderson Perry; Vaughn Davis, resident; and Associates and Kathy Bingham, Franklin County Graphic.

CORRESPONDENCE/PRESENTATIONS/APPOINTMENTS

1)                  Proclamation - Proclaiming Tuesday, September 18, 2001 as "RSVP Day"     for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.

2)                  Good Roads Association - Convention - September 14-15.

CONSENT CALENDAR

Councilmember Skoglund moved to approve the Consent Calendar as follows:
    1)      Minutes of the August 13, 2001 Regular Meeting  - Correction on Page 3 to add "possible" under Phase II - Water System Improvements - before "damage done to their landscaping."
    Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

CITIZEN COMMENT / NON AGENDA ITEMS

Councilmember Boyer disclosed that the railroad tracks on Adams needed to be fixed.  It appeared that there was about a six inch separation.  City Administrator Tackett reported he would look into it.

Mayor Walton commented that he had been approached about the sidewalk on S. Columbia, near the Napa building, that had buckled.  Public Works Director Munyan reported that he would look into it.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Mayor Walton made the following changes to the agenda;
           Moved Item No. 15 after Item No. 8,
          Addition of Item No. 17a - Traffic separation at the Post Office.
Councilmember Skoglund moved to approve the agenda as amended.  Councilmember Martinez seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

PUBLIC HEARING - MARYETTE CAMP ANNEXATION

Mayor Walton opened the public hearing at 7:45 pm on the annexation for property belonging to Maryette Camp and continued the hearing to September 10th.

VAUGHN DAVIS - POTENTIAL WATER WELL SOURCE

Mr. Davis commented that he was willing to work with the City if they wanted to utilize his services for locating a well site just outside the City limits.  This well would be closer than the one to the farm.

City Administrator Tackett reported that he had submitted a request for additional water rights to the Department of Ecology.  If additional water rights were secured then the City could possibly work with Mr. Davis.

WASTEWATER FACILITY- PROJECT UPDATE

    Larry Seibel of Anderson Perry was present to update the Mayor and Council on the progress of the projects.
    Schedule A –Apollo would coordinate with TEM and with all involved to test all the systems at once.
    Schedule B - The treatment plant building was being constructed.  As soon as the building was completed the equipment would be installed.  The fence at the site should be up by the end of the week.  The project was looking good overall.
    The Wastewater Facility should be ready to run in October.

WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS - PROJECT UPDATE

    Larry Seibel of Anderson Perry was present to update the Mayor and Council on the progress of the projects.
    Phase I - A section along Garfield had been delayed but would be started sometime in the next week.
    Phase II - The basic layout for Striker had been completed.  A walk through would need to be done with the Mayor and staff to make final decisions concerning the locations of mains.  Most of the mains would be located between the curbs and property lines.  The Fire Chief had reviewed fire hydrant layouts.  Older hydrants would be replaced but most would be relocated.

ANNEXATION OF THE CITY'S FARM

    City Administrator Tackett reported that the City had been successful in getting most of the farm inside the urban growth boundary which would allow the City to transfer water rights from agriculture to municipal use.  The next step would be to annex this area.  According to RCW 35A.14.300, code cities were permitted to annex territory outside of the city limits of such city whether contiguous or noncontiguous for any municipal purpose when such territory was owned by the city.  Annexing this area would also be beneficial to the City since a golf course was being planned to be constructed in this area.
    An Ordinance would be brought to Council for their review at the next meeting.
    Councilmember Martinez moved to approve the City proceed with the annexation of the City Farm.  Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

BEN CASPER - PROPERTY PURCHASE

This item was moved to executive session.

WATER RIGHTS

    City Administrator Tackett reported that a group who had shown interest in locating to Connell had been told by DOE that the City did not have sufficient water rights.  City Engineer and Public Works Director Munyan had been working on updating the water usage for Connell.  The City was using less water now than it had been in 1993, this was due to Lamb Weston conserving water and a major line being fixed.  Currently there was only 3.47% water loss for the City.  Once Striker lines had been fixed this percent would be even lower.  City Administrator Tackett reported that he would be meeting with the Department of Ecology to give them the updated information.
    Larry Seibel reported that the water rights for wells 1-8 were 3,155 acre feet per year.  Production for the City for 2000 equaled 2,348 leaving an available balance of 807 acre feet per year.  The water rights for the farm give the City an additional 1,686 acre feet.  The total water excess equaled 2,493 acre feet.
    City Administrator Tackett reported that he had contacted the Conservancy Board who replied that it would take 8 to 12 months to transfer the water rights.  An application form had been requested  and Staff would be meeting with DOE to discuss transfer of right and usage requirements.

TIB APPLICATION

    City Administrator Tackett reported that the City had received funding for the first phase of the Clark Street project.  The application for the second phase would be due October 1st.  This would take the project all the way to the end of the City limits.
    Motion: Councilmember Martinez moved to authorize the City apply for the second phase for the Clark Street project.  Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

CASCADE EARTH SCIENCE PRESENTATION

            This item was tabled till the September 10th meeting.

  SPEED LIMIT - HIGH SCHOOL

    Mayor Walton reported that there was much confusion with the three different speed signs posted near the High School and Junior High for 35, 25 and 20 miles per hour.
    Motion: Councilmember Skoglund moved to change the speed limit within the City limits on West Clark Street from 35 mph to 25 mph.  Councilmember Pruett seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

TRAFFIC SEPARATION AT POST OFFICE

    Police Chief Rochleau reported that  he had looked into a separator for traffic to be placed in front of the Post Office.
    Engineer Larry Seibel commented that it would be easy to install. Council requested that a cost estimate be presented at the next meeting.

PAYMENT OF BILLS –

Councilmember Skoglund made a motion to pay the payroll and bills in the amount of $93,180.83. Councilmember Pruett seconded the motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

DEPARTMENT REPORTS

Planning Commission - City Administrator Art Tackett

1)                  A Planning Commission meeting was held August 21th and would need to set up a hearing on the Comprehensive Plan for September 24th.

Police Report - Chief of Police Rick Rochleau.

1)                  Dept of Corrections did a back ground check on an individual who had been arrested and on the individual's web site it warned other pedophiles not to come to Connell.

2)                  Officer Quinton started the Police Academy.

3)                  Officer Boyer was accepted into the Academy for October.

4)                  Officer Turner should be returning to work on full duty the following week.

5)                  Had a reserve application for Council to review. Dionisio Arteaga had been through the Police Academy as a Reserve Officer.
Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to accept Dionisio Arteaga as a Reserve Officer once he had been sworn in as a citizen.  Councilmember Martinez seconded motion.  Motion carried unanimously.

Finance Department - City Clerk-Treasurer Joan Eckman

1)                  Moving along on the budget amendments to this fiscal year's budget.

2)                  General fund doing very good.  Expenditures had come in below what had been expected and Revenues had come in very well.  Had a fund carry over from last year that was over $100,000 more than originally budgeted for.  Some of this money would be but into the reserve funds to have available for Fiscal Year 2003. 

3)                  Although there had been some concern in regards to the initiatives, Connell should be in good condition to meet these restrictions.

Public Works - Public Works Director Patrick Munyan

1)                  The pool had been closed for the year.  Next year would look into solar heating.

2)                  Working on Elm Street.

3)                  The Museum's  main floor would be done next week.

4)                  Fall Festival clean up preparation going on.

5)                  Water system being run by Total Energy Management.

6)                  Had a water problem, lost well 6 and well 4 but they had been brought back up.

City Administrator's Report - City Administrator Art Tackett

1)                  Mayor and Art to be in Olympia on September 4th to meet with DNR and DOC.

2)                  Provided a layout of the proposed golf course.

MEETING RECESSED

The Mayor recessed the regular meeting at 9:02  p.m. to go into an executive session  for approximately 15 minutes, to discuss the purchase of property.

MEETING ADJOURNED

The regular meeting was called back into session at 9:18 p.m.  There being no further business to be heard before the City Council of the City of Connell, Mayor Walton adjourned the regular meeting.