Airway Heights police department to buy new vehicle

The Airway Heights Police Department requested council approval to purchase a police equipped SUV at the July 16 City Council meeting.

Previously the council approved the hiring of two new officers and due to the addition, the department requested to purchase one fully equipped vehicle. The total cost of everything, equipment included, is $53,000.

In other action items, the council was asked to approve a change order for nine items of different conditions and additional work for the recreation center utilities project.

This is the second change of order for the project and it includes items that were not contained in the original contract. Both Century West engineering and the Public Works Department reviewed the items and recommended approval.

The work includes additional pipe fittings, pipe encasement, excess berm material removal, the raceway schedule that causes overtime, MCC bucket modification, electrical conduit conflict delays, electrical conduit re-bedding, reclaimed water backflow assembly and electrical conduit crossing.

Behind each addition, there was justification for having work and details on how it would be finished.

The original base bid for the recreation center contract price was at $1.31 million, but after these additions the price has been modified to $1.58 million, a difference of $55,036.87. It also adds 104 working days in the contracted time.

The last action item on the agenda was approving a short-term contract for planning assistance until the city planner position is fulfilled. The city will contract with Studio Cascade to provide the interim position.

The city is anticipating the interim position to last three to four months so they can review the role and develop it for skills that are important to the city.

“We want to set the positon description and be deliberate about it,” Public Works Director Kevin Anderson said. “This firm has been involved in planning for the city for a long time.”

In resolutions, the council amended the rules of procedures with emergency preparedness. The amendment was to support the planning they have discussed on May 14 and June 25. Overall the council determined the following:

• It was clarified and confirmed that City Council preferred information flow, such as channel and frequency.

• Finalized the primary and secondary representative role descriptions and training expectations for the communication liaison in emergency situations to the council, public and spokesperson to media as needed

• Finalized staff-to-city council liaison role description, application process and term.

A first reading of an ordinance was also presented to the council that amended the budgets of the current expense fund, street executive reserve, Craig Road and State Route-2 impact, hotel/motel special tax, admissions tax, Kalispel Impact, aquatic and fitness center debt fund and project fund and the water-sewer fund.

Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com.