Keeping the city clean

MEDICAL LAKE — Keeping the city’s parks and trails clean was the subject of two discussions at the City Council’s first meeting of the month, held March 2.

Councilwoman Heather Starr returned to a subject from the previous meeting during council members report about dog feces begin left in city parks and along the lake trail. Starr said it should fall to the animal’s owners to clean up after them, but that it wasn’t the case. City workers are already stretched thin in other areas, and in order to keep parks safe and clean, wondered if there was something the city could do.

“Would we be able to get some quotes from some different mobile agencies that come out and do this very particular service?” Starr asked.

City Administrator Doug Ross said he has received just one complaint about the issue so far, adding that he walks the city’s lake trail twice a week and notices more problems from geese and deer than dogs. When the city hires inmate crews from Geiger or Airway Heights’ facilities, that is a task they would normally perform.

“Unfortunately with COVID, we haven’t had inmate crews,” Ross said. “We didn’t have them all last year and I don’t think we’ll have them this year.”

Ross said he would leave the issue up to the mayor and council on how to approach. If the city were to take on the task, it would require policing and cleaning about six miles of asphalt trails and around 15-20 miles of sidewalks.

“My concern is, if we have them come at a specific point in time, it’s clean for that day,” Mayor Shirley Maike said. “How does that really affect the overall picture and the overall issue. It’s something to think about.”

Maike added she wasn’t sure if the mechanics of cleaning would balance with the overall costs. She added the issue was something council could think about for future discussion.

“You know one thing you can do is, you can make it a $500 fine,” Ross said, adding that if the council were to choose this route, it would be something they would have to stand behind and endure the ramifications from residents who might get hit with the charge.

“Council’s in the past haven’t always been willing to do that because there’s an assumption it’s going to be someone you don’t know,” Ross said. “It could be your neighbor.”

Ross added that a proposed split shift with summer park help could mitigate the issue. The problem generally doesn’t take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. when staff are in areas such as Waterfront Park, but after 4 p.m. when they’re not.

“That’s the gap we’re going to fill,” Ross said, adding that’s what the city did last year.

In another matter, Ross said city crews continue to do clean up at Waterfront, removing a lot of debris such as old logs and fallen trees from winter windstorms. To do that, the park gets “chewed up” a bit from the heavy machinery needed to do the job.

Ross said they understand the public’s concern and share it, and ask for a little patience in getting the job done and finishing with restoration of the park.

“So right now it doesn’t look all that great but we will get it looking good when the season rolls around,” he said. “Don’t panic if you drive down there and see what kind of shape it’s it is in.”

In the only action item on last Tuesday’s agenda, the council unanimously adopted a resolution removing the former Ball and Dodd property from the city’s surplus list. The property at the intersection of State Route 902, West Brooks Road and North Lefevre Street had been the subject of a $200,000 purchase offer from the national firm Dollar General Stores which the council turned down.

Councilman Art Kulibert asked about the results of an $1,800 appraisal of the property the city had contract with an outside firm. Ross said the appraisal had actually come out right at $200,000.

“That’s what fair market value conclusion was,” he said.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.