City Council elects to steer clear of taking sides in West Plains casino dispute
By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
The Medical Lake City Council has decided not to take sides in the battle over whether or not the Spokane Tribe should be able to build a casino and mixed-use development just west of Airway Heights.
Despite being courted in recent weeks by opponents of the proposed development the city opted to ask Fairchild Air Force Base officials for their perspective on the project before taking a stance. Mayor John Higgins told council members on Tuesday that his meeting with the base command earlier in the day revealed no concerns with encroachment.
“They were pretty non-committal and so probably so are we,” Higgins said, a sentiment the council as a group seemed to share.
Last month the Bureau of Indian Affairs asked the city to give input on the proposal as part of the process of making a determination on if the project should move forward. City Administrator Doug Ross said while there might be future concerns about noise impacts if the base's mission were to change, there is nothing that indicates a need for the city to make an official comment at this time.
The council then approved the sole agenda item of the evening, a permit request by J&M LLC to place a fireworks stand at North 111 Lefevre St. to be operated by the Airway Heights Lions Club from July 1 through July 4. The city allows fireworks to be discharged on private property within Medical Lake city limits on July 4 until 11 p.m.
Councilman Howard Jorgenson asked that city attorney Cindy McMullen look into the appropriate way for the city to take a position on Avista's proposal to increase utility rates. The utility has requested a 9.3 percent increase in electrical service rates and a 5.1 percent hike for natural gas service before next spring.
Ross said if the council was to come to a consensus they could file a comment with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, which must review Avista's request and make a decision by April of next year. McMullen said she'll do some research to make sure the city's comments are filed and worded correctly in order to have the biggest impact possible.
Jorgenson also requested that city staff draft an ordinance setting load restrictions on roads within the Medical Lake city limits.
“The grain trucks that are going through our town, it's not the best thing for our roads,” he said, adding that San Salvador Street and Brooks Road in particular are undergoing a lot of wear and tear.
Ross said the motion grew out of a conversation he and Jorgenson recently had about what the city could do to maintain the battered San Salvador Street, which has seen an increase in trucks used to transport farming commodities and other heavy loads on a regular basis.
“I'm guessing farming operations have either grown outside the city limits or they're finding roads the county hasn't put restrictions on,” he said. An ordinance will be drafted for a council vote next month
Also Tuesday, Spokane Emergency Management specialist Gerry Bozarth gave councilmembers a brief presentation on the mechanics of utilizing Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for disaster cost recovery.
The Medical Lake City Council now begins its summer schedule of one meeting on the third Tuesday of the month for the next four months, with the next meeting set to take place at 6:30 p.m. on June 21.
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at ryan@cheneyfreepress.com.
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