The Cheney City Council unanimously approved a contract for technical support at the city’s water and wastewater treatment systems at its July 8 meeting, as well as entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cheney School District on a grant to enhance after school programs.
Applied Solutions, LLC was the successful bidder on an advertised proposal for professional services to provide support and maintenance of the city’s Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems at the plant as well as Cheney’s water system. The contract calls for a base rate of $97 an hour for engineering services, with weekday above 10 hours, weekends, holidays and emergency calls during normal weekday hours calculated at 1.5 times base rate.
Emergency calls at all other hours are double time. Other costs such as travel time, expenses and equipment will also be picked up by the city, with Applied Solution paying for any subcontractor required for the work, charging the city 3 percent for administrative costs. Applied Solution also has the ability to increase its fee schedule 3 percent annually pending notification of the city.
The MOU between the city and the school district allows the district to proceed with its application for a five-year state and federal grant through the 21st Century Community Learning Project. The memorandum also includes the city of Airway Heights, Eastern Washington University and Communities in Schools of Spokane County.
The funding would allow creation of a 21st Century Community Learning Center at Sunset Elementary School in Airway Heights and Betz Elementary School in Cheney. City Administrator Mark Schuller told the council the funding would pay for four positions through the Parks and Recreation Department in the after school program at Betz, as well as any associated administrative costs.
“It strengthens our relationship with the Cheney School District and its students,” Schuller said. “The best thing about this is there are no costs to the city.”
The council also approved a resolution, with Councilwoman Teresa Overhauser abstaining, to send to the hearing examiner a request to split a high-density residential parcel on K Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets, into two lots. Overhauser is a neighborhood resident and has joined other area homeowners in opposition to the application.
In staff reports, Public Works director Todd Ableman told the council construction is scheduled to begin next week on North Sixth Street. Shamrock Paving crews will begin grinding out the old asphalt on Monday, having 40 days to complete the work.
The North Sixth project includes new asphalt surface together with sidewalk repairs including upgrades to be compliant with American with Disabilities Act requirements from Betz Road to Oak Street. It also includes water main work on North Sixth between Nolan Brown and Annie Place.
Ableman said the North Sixth Street project would require some road closures likely later this summer. He informed the council paving work on Bethany Street in Avalon Place is also expected to get underway soon.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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