The Airway Heights Police Department is taking its partnership with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office to a different level.
At its meeting Monday night, the Airway Heights City Council approved several items, one of which was a contract for the Police Department with the Sheriff’s Office’s to use their new records management system in 2016.
Police Chief Lee Bennett explained that the department had been using Spillman Technologies’ Millennium software since 2003. Spillman stopped supporting Millennium in 2007 and Bennett said it would cost the city $250,000 to purchase a new system from the company, as opposed to the $26,000 cost to join the county’s system. The city will pay a $4,000 annual fee for maintenance.
“It’s a lot cheaper to sign with Spokane County and we’ll have more access to data,” Bennett said.
The city also approved a purchase of a .45-acre parcel of land on 21st Avenue, next to the Public Works building, for $8,000 from Patricia Lillian Allen, Tamilla K. Moore and Duane David Moore. City Manager Albert Tripp said the city budgeted $10,000 for the purchase and closing costs associated with it.
“The land would be used for the future expansion of the current Public Works Department,” Tripp said.
Council agreed to waive the street cutting fee for Viking Homes, which is constructing housing North of Sixth Avenue. Tripp explained that the city has a subdivision stipulation that requires Viking to make street furnishing improvements along Sixth Avenue. The company is constructing road improvements between Beeman and King streets and has asked the city to suspend the street cutting fee.
“This will allow Viking to make those improvements without being charged another $12,000 to do the same thing they are already required to do,” Tripp said.
Mayor Patrick Rushing said waiving the fee gives Viking an incentive to continue building homes in Airway Heights. While the city will lose out on money it would have received from the fee, it will receive revenue from property taxes and fees residents will pay in the future.
“We want to make it clear that we’re not just gifting public funds,” Rushing said.
In other business:
● During the Transportation Benefit District meeting, Tripp informed the board that the city collected $218,110 in revenue from the .2 percent increase in sales tax that went into effect in April 2014.
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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