MEETING
OF THE CITY OF
The regular semi-monthly meeting, of the City Council of the City of
PRESENT:
Mayor
ABSENT:
Councilmember Martinez was excused.
STAFF:
City Administrator
VISITORS: Alan
Schroeder, Anderson Perry; and Leslie “Les”
None
Motion:
Councilmember Pruett moved to approve
the Consent Calendar as listed:
Minutes
of the
None
The following items were added to the agenda:
Item 13(a) Farm Land CRP
Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to approve the agenda as amended.
Councilmember Skoglund seconded motion.
Motion carried u
PUBLIC HEARING – TIP Amendment
Mayor
Walton closed the regular meeting at
City
Administrator Tackett explained that the street committee had met to consider
amending the TIP to include a pedestrian above grade crossing at Hywy 260 and
Mayor
Walton opened for further discussion from council, staff and visitors. The
discussion including concern voiced over something needing to be done
immediately even if it is a short term fix. Also included in the discussion were
ideas about how far the overpass should extend and how to route the pedestrians
into the overpass and block them from crossing at street grade.
Mayor
Walton closed the Public Hearing at
TIP AMENDMENT –
2005 BUDGET –
City
Administrator Tackett informed council that the police union would be having
their first meeting on October 11th and that the fi
USDA – WATER SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
Alan
Schroeder of Anderson Perry reported on the following:
Reservoir
Schedule – Alan
indicated that the contractor will begin with the preliminary ground work about
the second week in October. Larry Seibel will be retiring in a few weeks so Alan
will be taking over the projects to report to council and Jim Bolton will be the
project inspector.
Schedules G & H –
At the last meeting council had postponed a decision on the bid award due
to pending determination from DOE concerning water rights and requested it to be
placed back on the agenda for the current meeting. Mr. Tackett presented an
update and indicated that the city had received a notice of extension from DOE
that would delay a final decision on the water rights until October 23th.
Mr. Tackett indicated that DOE was looking at retaining up to 10% of the water
rights and not releasing them to the city, but that he is still hopeful that
they will release all of the water rights.
Motion: Councilmember Pruett moved to go ahead and award the bid. Councilmember Skoglund seconded the motion. Discussion followed. Mayor Walton asked for the vote and the motion carried with 3 YES votes of Councilmembers Skoglund, Pruett and Sawyer and 1 NO vote from Councilmember Boyer.
Alan
Schroeder indicated that it will still take some time as USDA will still need to
approve the executed documents for the bid award. He also indicated that there
is a contingency of $100,000 for changes or bid alterations and that there is a
possibility for adding the Lamb Weston waterline to the project if there is
money left. He will have more information available at the next meeting.
STREET
PROJECTS – UPDATE
Alan
stated that the street projects are progressing smoothly and that the chip
sealing was completed on Friday the 24th and that both the fog
sealing and paving in Terrace Heights
should be completed by the end of this week.
DNR
PROPERTY –
Mr.
Tackett drew council attention to Agenda Memo #12 which presented specific
wording requested from Marshall Title and Escrow for a motion that would allow
Mayor Walton to execute all the documents necessary for closing of the DNR land
purchase transaction.
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved that the Connell City Council authorize Mayor
Walton to execute all documents necessary for the closing of the transaction
relating to the purchase and encumbrance of the land acquisition for the State
of Washington and further; authorize Marshall Title and Escrow, Inc., to
disburse the funds delivered into escrow by the City of Connell and our lender
Community First Bank to the State of Washington, Department of Natural Resources
for payment in full of the land acquisition Reference No. 01-072163, prior to
the State depositing the deed into escrow. Councilmember
Pruett seconded. Motion passed u
SOLID
WASTE – Planning and Discussion
Mr
Tackett presented information and ideas for dealing with the garbage situation
in town as a possible alternative to the current cost for that service. He
indicated a need to pursue it more
fully and listed several steps needed to start things moving.
1)
establish a group or committee
2)
funding availability
3)
feasibility study to look at cost
vs. current rates
Art
recommended at the very least to form a small committee in order to beginning
exploring possibilities.
Mayor
Walton asked if there was anyone interested in serving on the committee
and Councilmember
Boyer indicated he would be interested. Mayor Walton appointed Councilmember Boyer to the committee along with Les Guilford, City
Administrator Tackett and Public Works Director Munyan.
Mr.
Guilford explained a little more fully about proactive planning at the request
of Mayor Walton. He shared some of his experience with other entities on
waste to energy plants,
the EPA funding availability and that landfills are no longer available means to
get rid of waste. He indicated that just because Connell is a small town with
a population less than 5,000 it should not be a deterrent. It does not
mean that it would not be able to compete
for EPA funds. He indicated that once a project is approved that up to 90% of
the cost can often times be funded by EPA.
Mayor
Walton closed the discussion with the indication that a first meeting of the
committee would be set up and the members contact within the near future.
CRP
– FARM SERVICE AGENCY
City
Administrator Tackett advised that the City owed Mrs. Loeber $544 for an acre
and a half of property that needed to be put back into CRP and recommended that
the City do an Assignment of Payment to have the City’s portion of Mrs.
Loeber’s CRP contract be sent directly to the City.
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to
authorize Power of Attorney to City Administrator Tackett to sign the CRP
Contract with USDA and to proceed with Assignment of Payment. Councilmember
Sawyer seconded motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to
authorize City Administrator Tackett to check into putting 200 acres from the
farm into CRP land. Councilmember
Pruett seconded motion. Motion
carried unanimously.
Motion:
Councilmember Skoglund moved to pay the payroll bills in the amount of
$329,707.90. Councilmember Pruett seconded. Motion carried u
POLICE
DEPARTMENT – Mayor Walton / Administrator Tackett
1)
Police Department had to
offer Hepatitis B shots according to L & I.
Employees could choose not to receive the shot but would need to sign a
release form. Hepatitis A can be
tied in with the B shot if Council approved the cost.
Council
gave its consensus to approve the Hepatitis A shot be given to employees along
with the Hepatitis B Shot.
CITY
HALL – City Clerk-Treasurer Joan Eckman
1)
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer ChavezPeña was gone on funeral leave.
PUBLIC
WORKS DEPARTMENT – Public Works Director
1)
Broken water line at Lamb
Weston
2)
Broken water line on
Chelan
3)
Winterizing parks
4)
Street projects going good
MAYOR’S
REPORT – Mayor Gary Walton
B/F
Health Department will be at the TRAC to provide flu shots October 11 through
October 15.
There
being no further business to be heard before the City Council, Mayor Walton
adjourned the meeting at