Medical Lake City Council approves FEMA grant funding

After some discussion, Medical Lake City Council carried Resolution 524, which authorized the adoption of the Spokane County multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, at its June 16 meeting. The carried motion was among the notable moments from the council meeting.

According to the meeting agenda, the municipalities of Spokane County have been working on a plan that “identifies potential disaster mitigation projects and by adopting the plan makes those projects eligible for FEMA grant funding.”

Medical Lake was the last city in Spokane County to adopt the plan. It was brought to council at Monday’s meeting because, according to city administrator Doug Ross, there was FEMA grant money available.

Some council members seemed hesitant to pass Resolution 524 because of some confusion with the documentation provided for the resolution (some members had yet to have the chance to read the section specific to Medical Lake), but mayor Shirley Maike ultimately recommended that council pass the motion so that Medical Lake would be eligible for the funding. Ross assured that the resolution could always be amended if necessary.

Ross also shared that Medical Lake received $151,000 in CARES funding. That total wasn’t cash dollars, but the amount of money that the city can request to be reimbursed. The Department of Commerce said those grants can now go to small businesses the day of council’s meeting.

Council also approved a lease agreement with Verizon Wireless where Verizon would remove the antennas on the top of the city’s water tank and re-locate them on the side of the tank. The amendment didn’t change the terms of the city’s original lease agreement with Verizon.

Ordinance 1080 was also carried by council. The official terms of the ordinance are to “impose the local sales and use tax authorized under Substitute House Bill 1406,” but as Ross put it, the terms were somewhat misleading.

There won’t be an increase in sales and use tax to residents; the tax is a credit back to the city from the 6.5% sales and use tax the state collects. The credit must be used toward affordable housing and rent.

If council hadn’t carried Ordinance 1080 by the end of July, they wouldn’t be eligible again for 20 years, according to Ross.

Council also carried a motion that would permit the firework retail sales application of Tom Griffey to sell fireworks in the parking lot of Lakes Harvest Foods.

During Maike’s mayor’s report, she urged council to continue encouraging citizens to complete their mandatory participation in the census. Maike said Medical Lake is at about 50% completion of the census so far. Ross chimed in, reminding council that the city gets money based on population, so an accurate census count is critical.

Notes

The Parks and Recreation Department is trying to figure out how to recreate this summer with social distancing as Spokane County remains in Phase 2 of Gov. Jay Inslee’s re-opening plan.

Eight new firefighters have begun work at the fire station in Four Lakes. Four firefighters are there at any given time.

Drew Lawson can be reached at drew@cheneyfreepress.com.