Grant funds to cover $1.8 million
MEDICAL LAKE – Medical Lake has unveiled a new Capital Improvement Plan which will cost in total $2,227,000.
Approximately $1,831,000 will be funded through federal and state grants, City Administrator Sonny Weathers said during the Nov. 7 City Council meeting..
Weathers said the plan encompasses three main categories – transportation, parks and public facilities, and public works.
The transportation proposal includes $750,000 in small-city preservation projects, such as the resurfacing of nearly every north-south street, with 95% being grant-funded ($712,500), he said.
Business loop signs would also be installed on Interstate 90, which is estimated to cost the city $50,000, he said.
Moving to parks and public facilities, projects involve the $4,000 addition of a backup generator to the maintenance building, a $100,000 grant for a commercial kitchen remodel to support senior lunch programs and local restaurants, and the replacement of park benches and tables, which is estimated to cost $75,000 including $45,000 already allocated from park impact fees.
Mayor Terri Cooper emphasized the importance of these initiatives in attracting visitors, especially RV enthusiasts.
“The more attractions we build, the more reasons we give people to come through,” she said.
The public works segment, introduced by Steve Cooper, the Water Waste Treatment Plant director, outlines the necessity for a new programmable logic controller due to the aging of the current 23-year-old system.
“The majority of the time and energy spent by our operators is doing calculations, manual input, and tracking,” Weathers said.
Highlighting the energy efficiency benefits, Cooper pointed out that the newer system would significantly reduce power consumption, saving approximately 62%. Scott Duncan, the Public Works Director, contributed details on two additional public works projects—replacement of lead pipe joints on Jefferson Street and storm mitigation — with a substantial grant of $970,000 earmarked for the latter.
Councilman Chad Pritchard underlined the long-term economic viability of the projects.
“We’re talking over a million dollars, but it’s a 25-year fix,” he said.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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