DRAFT ONLY. Without council review or approval.
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING
Palouse, Washington
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: ________________________________
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