Overall tonnage for this year’s Cheney Clean Sweep was the lowest it has been since records have been available.
Information presented by Cheney Public Works Director Todd Ableman to the City Council at its May 23 meeting indicated 10.15 tons of material was collected at the annual citywide event held April 22. It’s the lowest in seven years of data, and has been dropping each year since a high point of 21.92 tons in 2014.
Broken down, volunteers collected 2.29 tons of garbage, dramatically lower than the previous year’s total of 7.45 tons, which itself was the lowest since the 7.68 tons in 2012. Cheney residents brought in 6.59 tons of building materials to the drop-off station located in the Amazing Grace Fellowship parking lot on Betz Road — the second year that amount has increased since a low of 4.84 tons in 2015.
Finally, 1.27 tons of metals was dropped off, the lowest in seven years. In commenting on the annual figures, Councilwoman Jill Weiszmann noted this year’s total was over half as much less than not only 2014 but also the 21.82 tons collected in 2013.
“Maybe we just unloaded the garages for a couple of years and now they (residents) just need to restock,” Ableman joked.
In other news from the May 23 meeting, council approved a resolution to enter into a service agreement with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians allowing them to use the Cheney Police Department’s ACCESS data entry, tracking and housing system. Communications Director Cathy Munoz said an analysis of the previous contract indicated the city was not charging enough for the work being done and warranted an increase.
In the new contract, which runs through Dec. 31, 2020, the Kalispel Tribe will pay $28,141 annual costs, with a 2 percent increase taking place each July 1. Under the previous contract adopted in January 2016, they were only paying $12,000. Munoz said the Tribe agreed to the increase.
The council also approved a $12,000 change order with Sundry Construction for additional work required on the city’s water main improvement project along North Eighth Street. The change order brings the project total, before sales tax, to $86,868.
Ableman told the council the additional amount was needed because of changed conditions in the area around the high school’s sports complex, including meeting existing topsoil depth and repairing/replacing an irrigation sprinkler system. In approving the resolution, the council also authorized paying $100,800 for the project, which is funded by $124,680 in Community Development Block Grant construction grants funds.
Council also approved the purchase of three more utility poles for an upcoming electrical system rebuild project between Fourth and Seventh streets, and a service agreement with Power City Electric to use the contractor on small jobs that may come up.
Finally, council approved the first budget amendment of 2017, totaling $490,900. Most of this, $472,300, was transferring grant revenue received into the arterial street fund for upcoming work this year.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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