The Airway Heights City Council took care of some housekeeping items at its last meeting in 2014, including voting 5-0 to pass ordinances that set the budget and salaries for 2015. Deputy Mayor Kevin Richey and Councilman Steven Lawrence were absent from the meeting.
Clerk-Treasurer Richard Cook explained there was an additional $54,050 in revenues, and an increase of $152,665 for expenditures that was added to the budget since it was first presented back in November. Staff also transferred $105,000 from the current expense fund to the street fund. The ending balance is projected at $660,779.
Under the salary ordinance, Local Union 270A and non-represented employees will get a 2 percent wage increase, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Public Safety Guild employees will get the same raise, as well as an additional 1 percent wage increase in July.
In other action items, council accepted a $10,000 grant that would go toward public defender services. Court Administrator Bree Breza said she would bring a public defender service contract at the second meeting in January.
“We’ve applied for this grant for years and we finally got it,” Breza said.
The council voted 4-1 to approve a memorandum agreement between the city and Watershed Resource Inventory Areas 54, 55, 56 and 57, as well as a request for $1,500 to pay for administrative fees. Councilman Dave Malet was the dissenting vote.
The council authorized a membership agreement that allows the city to rejoin Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI). Tripp explained that the city was a member of GSI until 2012 when it suspended membership due to economic reasons.
Councilwoman Tanya Dashiell asked if there was a way the city could monitor its progress with GSI. Tripp said the city could do that and it would be “a wise move to do so.”
“With the use of a performance contract, the council will be able to check in with GSI to make sure that everything is on track,” Tripp said.
The council adopted the 2015 legislative agenda priorities at the city level. Items the city would ask the state Legislature include continued support for the Fairchild Air Force Base Preservation and Community Empowerment project, Fairchild sewer support services, transportation assistance, cannabis revenue sharing, sharing liquor taxes and infrastructure to reinstate programs like the Public Works Trust fund. The council also approved an amendment to the priorities that would allow the city to propose a local tax that would create a revenue source to help fund public safety.
Mayor Patrick Rushing said he and staff are drafting a plan to ask for funding to buy the Campbell and Lawson mobile home parks.
The council approved an ordinance that allows the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) to work remove a member if they have three unexcused absences in a 12-month period.
In other business:
● The council approved a transfer of $496,050 within the street fund for the Highway 2 path construction and Hayford Road overlay projects.
● They also approved an interlocal agreement between Airway Heights and the city of Spokane for hearing examiner services.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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