TOWN OF WILSON CREEK

REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING

November 14, 2019

Council present: Mayor Kevin Newland and Councilmember Scott Mortimer. Staff present: Kaci Anderson.

  1. Open Meeting: Mayor Kevin Newland called the meeting to order at 6:17 pm and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Newland greeted guests and explained that due to a lack of quorum, no votes or action will be taken at tonight’s regular meeting. A special meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 15, 2019, at 6:00 pm.
  2. Public Comment: None.
  3. Council Concerns: Follow-up of the work on Navar Street was discussed. S. Mortimer stated it looks good, but the sidewalks may need thoroughly swept.
  4. Reports
    • Mayor’s Address
      • Mayor Newland expressed thanks to Scott and Roxi Mortimer for purchasing and obtaining the new snowflake lights for the street lights.
    • Maintenance/Public Works: Mayor Newland reported the following:
      • The street light outage reported during last month’s meeting near the school’s tennis courts, has been fixed. An outage at 3rd and Broadway has also been reported to the PUD.
      • The antique street light globe next to the town clock has also been replaced and is operational again. However, the work needs improvement. Mayor Newland is weighing options for continued work.
      • The tractor needed two new tires on the front. After comparing costs at three different locations, Commercial Tire was chosen to purchase and install the tires.
      • The S10 pick-up was not starting, but Mayor Newland has it running again.
      • A flashing/warning on the backhoe need replaced. The county provided magnetic ones that will work for now, but Mayor Newland recommends going a different route for a permanent fix.
      • Lyle trimmed trees and mowed fire district lot and lot next to the old barber shop. He has been busy this fall taking care of weed in preparation for spraying in the spring.
    • Clerk/Treasurer: K. Anderson stated that she will cover the bills and fiscal status at tomorrow’s special meeting. She noted that the 2020 budget hearing will take place the same evening as the next regular meeting, and there will also be a 2019 budget amendment to approve.
  5. Old Business:
    1. Burn permit: S. Mortimer reported he called Department of Ecology on the 8th hoping to burn, but was told he would not be permitted to do so until the 12th but then it rained, so now he is waiting for things to dry. The permit expires December 31.
  6. New Business:
    • Service rate: Mayor Newland discussed the need for the Town to establish consistent billing rates for instances when Town employees and/or equipment perform work that needs to be billed to outside entities. It was suggested that employee hourly rate be approximately $20 per hour. K. Anderson suggested using the composite hourly rate calculated using Form H from the Department of Ecology, plus a specific additional dollar amount ($4.00, for example). For equipment rates, S. Mortimer suggested researching rental rates at places such as United Rentals in Moses Lake, to come up with something comparable. Mayor Newland and K. Anderson will work together to come up with a proposal for the next regular meeting.
    • Water meter installation rate: Mayor Newland reported he has been asked about the possibility and cost of installing new water meters in town. Current code states that installation of new water meters is to be no less than $600, with additional costs for construction, etc., to be billed to property owner. S. Mortimer suggested asking what Ephrata would charge, and go from there.

Prior to adjournment, S. Mortimer inquired on the status of the new fire hydrant. K. Anderson stated she had asked about shipping costs so the Town could decide which would be better for the Town, but never heard back from HD Fowler. Consensus was reached that it would be better now to wait until spring to complete the fix with help from Ephrata.

  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 pm. The Council will hold a special meeting Friday, November 15, 2019, at 6:00 pm. The next regular council meeting is Thursday, December 12, 2019, at 6:00 pm.

A PDF of these minutes can be viewed here.

Filed under: Council Meeting Minutes