By RYAN LANCASTER
Staff Reporter
On Tuesday Medical Lake City Council said it will continue to fight the placement of a new Spokane County jail just east of the city and authorized a letter of opposition to be read into the record at a county planning commission public hearing March 17.
City attorney Cindy McMullen drafted the letter, which outlines a number of issues the city sees with an emergency comprehensive plan amendment, an urban growth area amendment and a land rezone the county has undertaken to clear the way for the detention center to be built.
“We don't quite see how this meets an emergency for starters,” City Administrator Doug Ross said, adding that if the process continues moving forward the city will likely bring an appeal to the state Growth Management Hearings Board.
In other council business, a three-year cooperative agreement was approved to keep the city eligible for county Community Development Block Grant funds. Ross explained that the city chooses to apply for funds through the county instead of the state program because while the funding pool isn't as deep, there are fewer applicants to contend with. Since Medical Lake first began participating in the program 23 years ago it has received a total of $1.3 million in CDBG funding, an average of $57,736 per year, for projects ranging from sewer system improvements to the city skate park.
Also approved was a three-year interlocal agreement with Spokane County for continued provision of detention services. McMullen explained that the agreement estimates the number of jail beds the city will use and then “settles and adjusts” that amount after the end of each year. “What they'll do is figure out how many guests we had at the county hotel and how much we should be charged. If we've overpaid, which I anticipate we will, we'll get a credit for the next year,” she said.
Ross told council that due to state budget cuts the Airway Heights Corrections Center will not be offering work crews this coming summer for assorted projects around the city, although the Medical Lake recycling center will still be staffed by AHCC workers. Council approved an agreement with the Department of Corrections to cover the loss by utilizing crews made up of individuals required to provide community restitution through the courts.
The cost of DOC services will be $250 per day, per crew and Ross said work schedules will have to be reduced to two days a week to meet the amount already budgeted for offender labor this year.
A vote was tabled regarding a service agreement with Advanced First Responder Solutions, LLC, the producer of a software program that enables remote scheduling and viewing of on duty fire crews. Some council members expressed concern about how open records law might apply to the system and requested more information from McMullen before the item is put back on the agenda in April.
Finally, Councilman John Paikuli abstained from an otherwise unanimous vote approving his wife, Cynthia “Jeanette” Paikuli, as a contracted instructor for a new Zumba exercise class that will be offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Councilman Howard Jorgenson requested Ross look into the viability of pursuing an extended lease agreement with the Department of Social and Health Services to continue utilizing the former Pine Lodge gym for Parks and Recreation activities.
Ryan Lancaster can be reached at ryan@cheneyfcfreepress.com.
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