AIRWAY HEIGHTS — After some discussion and clarification work from mayor Kevin Richey and city attorney Stanley Schwartz to make sure everyone was on the same page, council unanimously approved Proposition No. 1, which sends a ballot measure to voters on Feb. 9, 2021 that would adjust how the city selects its mayor. It was part of a busy legislative session held Dec. 7 via Zoom.
If approved by voters, the city will move from selecting its chair of council in Pos. 1, who is by default the ceremonial mayor, to allowing council to select its chair and mayor. Elections would still take place for each council position, so voters would still have a say in who represents them on council. The mayoral position would be chosen by council, however, from within.
Council has yet to decide whether to select a member from within to replace Richey, whose resignation is effective Dec. 31, or whether to select someone outside council. Multiple city sources have said they expect the prior.
Council began its meeting by holding four public hearings on the 2021 budget, Proposition No. 1, the industrial sub-area plan and traffic impact fees.
The only public comment came from Jacob Powers concerning the budget, who inquired why the parks and recreational budget has been cut in half. Parks and recreation director J.C. Kennedy explained that the rec center is unlikely to open any time soon. Pouring dollars into an area that may not open until the spring isn’t a conservative approach during fiscally challenging times, he said.
Council also approved Kennedy’s request to lower the asking price for Sekani Park Property from $323,442 to $250,000, which matched an offer that council approved in August that ultimately fell through. The property is just east of and adjacent to Walmart at the 10000 block of West 12th Avenue.
The industrial sub-area plan for developing a 300-acre area south of Highway 2 was officially approved by council Dec. 7, also.
Two ordinances concerning transportation impact fees and general provisions from those impact fees were also approved. An update to the code is the application of those fees city-wide, not just through SEPA or the Highway 2/Craig Road intersection improvement project.
Council then heard first readings on four ordinances, including the final 2021 budget, a salary adjustment for city employees, a transportation concurrency ordinance amendment and an ordinance concerning cannabis growth, production and sales.
If the cannabis ordinance is approved, a cannabis producer or processor may operate or locate a business within area zones primarily for residential use.
Limited expansion cannabis production and processing into the C2 General Commercial zone, which is generally non-residential, would be allowed as long as the business meets three criteria: The property shares a property shares a property boundary with a I2-Heavy Industry zones property without an intervening public right of way, its at least 1,000 feet from a property with a residential use and is no further than 1,000 feet from a 1-2-Heavy Industry zoned property boundary without an intervening public right of way.
State law dictates that cannabis producers and processors can’t have a business within 1,000 feet of an elementary or secondary school, a public park, public transit center, library or arcade not restricted to those 21 or older.
The salary adjustment for city employees would be a salary increase of 3% for most main city employees not represented by a collective bargaining group, including city manager, court administrator, clerk-treasurer, parks and recreation director, public works director and other positions within the public works, finance and parks and recreation departments. A wage increase of 4.5% would be given to the fire chief and police chief.
The increase is consistent with two collective bargaining agreements entered into by the city with Washington State Council of County and City Employees Local 270-A and the Airway Heights Public Safety Guild in Dec. 2018, each for a four-year period. Those agreements cover wages and benefits, and the proposed consumer price index increase is “pursuant to the respective agreements,” according to meeting documentation.
Council will next meet for a study session Dec. 14.
Drew Lawson can be reached at drew@cheneyfreepress.com.
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