By JAMES EIK
Staff Reporter 

Budget discussions, JLUS dominate council study session

 

Last updated 10/25/2012 at 2:47pm



Two action items were passed at the Airway Heights City Council study session Monday, Oct. 23.

Another extension of the city’s emergency moratorium on mixed-use building applications was passed, and will last until Dec. 3. The city has worked under the moratorium during its ongoing Joint Land Use Study discussions. Surrounding jurisdictions had concerns over the placement of some locations for mixed-use buildings and their proximity to flight patterns of Fairchild Air Force Base aircraft.

Without action at the study session, the moratorium would have expired Nov. 1, before the next City Council meeting Nov. 5.

Also passed was an amendment to the JLUS memorandum of understanding, extending the termination date to Monday, Dec. 17. The city appeared close to resolving their discussions with surrounding jurisdictions related to the land use document, but will take some additional time to finalize.

Among the non-action items brought forward at the meeting included some optional items for the 2013 budget. At the onset of the discussion, the city had approximately $5,000 to $10,000 room to spare in its projected expenditures, much of which changes in the first few months of the year.

Some of the budget expenditure options brought to the council were in the area of $50,000.

“We just don’t have the money,” Councilman Kevin Richey said.

Items discussed included contracts and contributions to local organizations in an effort to provide a bit more room in next year’s budget. The City Council suggested ending its membership in Greater Spokane Incorporated, which would amount to $7,200 in savings, while retaining its membership in the West Plains Chamber of Commerce, an annual cost of $2,500.

“The West Plains also represents us at GSI,” Rushing said. “We’re actually getting a better, I believe, benefit from the West Plains Chamber of Commerce.”

Some of the council members were opposed to dropping both memberships, since benefits vary between each organization.

“We’re getting a better bang for our buck (in the West Plains Chamber of Commerce),” Councilman Steven Lawrence said.

Another option brought to the table was ending contributions to the Women, Infants and Children service, currently run out of the West Central Community Center in Spokane. The program receives federal funds, thus ending the contributions wouldn’t affect the amount of help provided to those receiving the service.

Two change orders are on the agenda for future City Council meetings from the recovery well. Public works director Kelly Williquette said they were positive change orders. Initial test runs on the well showed a greater potential than expected, requiring a pump that can handle a higher capacity. The new pump change order came in at $20,326.

The well, he said, handled 3,000 gallons per minute for two hours in the 17-foot well column before recovering almost immediately.

Williquette said the wastewater treatment plant has already placed 53 million gallons of water into the percolation beds.

“We hit a real gold mine with this well,” he said.

Water drawn from the well won’t count against the city’s existing water rights, helping to provide a stable source for the future.

“We have our water rights and then those we’ll get out of the recovery well,” Williquette said.

The next Airway Heights City Council meeting is Monday, Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.

James Eik can be reached at james@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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