By DREW LAWSON
Staff Reporter 

City postpones emergency declaration

Airway Heights grapples with $1.9 million budget shortfall

 

Last updated 7/23/2020 at 11:48am



AIRWAY HEIGHTS — In the midst of a $1.9 million budget gap, the City Council elected to table a resolution on whether to declare a financial emergency at its legislative session Monday.

The resolution, presented by City Manager Albert Tripp, was proposed as a way to spread awareness of the city’s financial struggles amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The importance of spreading awareness was reiterated by Tripp and echoed by Deputy Mayor Sonny Weathers, who presided over the meeting in Mayor Kevin Richey’s absence.

Councilman Larry Bowman, the most vocal councilmember during the meeting, initially moved to approve the declaration. He also voiced the need to bring awareness of the city’s “dire” financial status.

Councilmsn Doyle Inman seconded the motion.

Councilwoman Veronica Messing then asked for Tripp’s recommendation on whether to approve the declaration.

Tripp said it was not critical, noting there is resolutino language he would like to tweak to give it more flexibility.

City Attorney Stanley Schwartz asking to assist in that re-wording.

Messing said Richey should be present for a final declaration decision.

The council then unanimously decided to postpone the discussion to at least next week’s study session, with the possibility of it being pushed to the legislative session in two weeks.

Tripp also mentioned he’s heard of a possible mitigation bill being discussed at the federal level to assist towns and businesses.

If that ends up getting passed, he said, that money could potentially aide in closing the budget gap.

At the council’s July 13 study session, city administrators presented the website cawh.abalancingact.com, in which residents could log in, view an interactive city budget simulator and submit their own budget proposal.

Tripp noted that the website has been viewed 590 times, and the city has received 128 proposed budget submissions from citizens.

The council also unanimously approved the disbursement of $5,158.78 in CARES funding to the West Plains Chamber of Commerce for COVID-19 mitigation work.

The total was a slight increase from the initial request of $5,102.15 presented at last week’s study session, but both Richey last week and Weathers this week voiced strong support of the chamber and recommended the council approve the disbursement.

A professional service agreement with R3INW LLC to implement COVID-19 business recovery strategies and an authorization of a consultant task order for a water system plan update were also unanimously approved by council.

The water system plan was scheduled to be updated in 2017 until the infamous water contamination crisis, and was tabled.

The Department of Health asked the city this year to update the plan, which will total $55,000, according to public works director Kevin Anderson.

Bowman asked on behalf of the public for clarification on why the city is seemingly spending money on items such as the water spending plan and R3INW LLC agreement.

Tripp said that despite all the hardship, there is still a city to run.

He also noted that much of the money comes from various “buckets,” including CARES funding.

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

 

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