Streets and fishing were the two main discussion items at the March 21 Medical Lake City Council meeting.
Mayor John Higgins informed council that staff could end up spending a lot of money fixing roads that were damaged by water runoff and that there could be a “couple of budget amendments by the end of the year.”
City Administrator Doug Ross added the street repairs would reduce the general fund’s ending cash balance.
“Let’s say that we were going to have $800,000 (in the general fund) before,” Ross said. “We would take out $100,000 and move it to the street fund.”
Ross said he applied for a grant from the Washington Cities Insurance Authority. The city was also awarded a grant from the state Transportation Improvement Board and staff can allocate that for fixing streets.
“We do have grant money to make repairs, it’s just that everything is so soft that when trucks and buses drive on the road, they tear it up,” Ross said. “There’s nothing we can do until it dries out. I’ve heard the same thing from the city of Spokane, the county, everyone.”
Councilman John Paikuli added that residents in South Lake Terrace were being asked to move their garbage carts for trucks.
Ross told council that state Department of Fish and Wildlife fish biologist Randall Osborne contacted him, asking if the city would have an issue extending fishing season on Medical Lake to Nov. 30.
In an email to Ross, Osborne wrote that water temperatures should be “similar to those at the time of the year of current closure,” which is Oct. 31, and all other fishing regulations would be the same.
Ross said he did not think extending fishing season on the lake would be an issue, however, he wanted to bring it to council’s attention since the city owns the boat launch.
City Attorney Cynthia McMullen said Fish and Wildlife has the authority when it comes to regulating fishing season and reaching out to the city was a courtesy on their part.
“If you have an issue, you can bring it to them, or you can draft a resolution supporting it,” McMullen said.
In other business: Ross announced that the compost trailer will be open on April 1.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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