TOWN OF WILSON CREEK
REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
February 13, 2020

Council Present: Mayor Kevin Newland, and Councilmembers Raymond Kelby, Earl Justice, and Keith Jensen, with Scott Mortimer arriving at 6:19 pm.
Staff Present: Kaci Anderson.

  1. Open Meeting: Mayor Kevin Newland called the meeting to order at 6:11 pm and led the Pledge of Allegiance.
  2. Approval of Minutes: Motion made by K. Jensen, seconded by R. Kelby, and carried to approve the minutes for the regular meeting on January 9, 2020.
  3. Public Comment: Mr. Darin Herreid inquired what he needs to complete and submit to the Town in order to continue with his grading permit. Mayor Newland explained a site plan is required. K. Anderson will send Mr. Herreid a letter explaining requirements after consulting with representatives from Northwest Code Professionals and CenturyWest.
  4. Council Concerns
    1. S. Mortimer stated he was happy to see Mr. Kelby’s return to council meetings.
  5. Reports
    1. Mayor’s Address
      1. Mayor Newland supplied copies of correspondence regarding a company to conduct fire investigations. It would operate similarly to the way the Town does business with our building permit contractor, where the Town would only pay when services are required, with no annual or membership fees, etc. Another possibility is the Town paying for a Fire District 12 representative to become certified, and then the Town could pay the Fire District per investigation. S. Mortimer, as the fire chief, stated he wasn’t sure there would be anyone to fill those requirements available.
      2. The Department of Ecology provided a variety of materials regarding burning laws, rules, requirements, etc. Mayor Newland explained that if the fire chief calls the Department of Ecology regarding an illegal burn, the DOE will come in and enforce the laws. He noted that because Wilson Creek is classified as an Urban Growth Area, only recreational fires are allowed within city limits. He also confirmed with S. Mortimer that the town is in fact annexed into the fire district.
      3. Regarding the desired road construction discussed at last month’s meeting, at Navar and First streets, Mayor Newland received information from the DOT that the road is currently listed at a T1 rating, and a T4 or T5 is required to receive approval for a new road. He mentioned the possibility of renting a traffic monitor to help make the case, which would include traffic from both trucks and school buses. He said the city engineer believes a grant to widen the existing road may be easier, but moving the hydrant, etc., would be required. E. Justice noted that widening the road may only make the problems worse – as it is, the trucks drive that road/around the corner very quickly and gravel hits his house because of it.
      4. Mayor Newland discussed the airport property with Rich Mueller of the Port of Moses Lake. He said he was impressed by the building and runway. Mayor Newland stated the biggest drawback is the road leading to the airport. He and the council discussed options for weed and building maintenance and road work.
      5. Mayor Newland is now receiving regular reports from the Sheriff’s Office. He also shared statistics he received from the Health District, including coronavirus (COVID-19).
      6. Mayor Newland suggested the possibility of listing a more specific cost for installing a new water meter, as opposed to what is currently written in city code.
    2. Maintenance/Public Works Report: Mayor Newland discussed the following:
      1. The lawn mower was taken in for its first service appointment. Until now, staff has been performing regular maintenance in-house (oil changes, etc.).
      2. The hinge on the gate at the train caboose seems to be operational. S. Mortimer clarified the issue was more about misalignment. Mayor Newland will have L. Komarek take another look. He also reported C. Stout patched the window on the caboose.
    3. Clerk/Treasurer Report:
      1. Motion made by K. Jensen, seconded by R. Kelby, and carried to approve the Town’s current fiscal status and to pay the February 2020 bills as follows:
        February 2020 Bills
        Payroll checks 10355 – 10363     $       1,638.71           
        A/P checks 10364 – 10376          $       5,754.84             
        EFT payments                              $          344.82              Total                                             $       7,738.37
        Current Account Balances
        US Bank            $    155,314.40
        Grant County    $    111,501.76
        Total                  $    266,819.16
  6. Old Business: None.
  7. New Business:
    1. Resolution 2020-01: Establishing Policy on Credit Card Use: K. Anderson explained this resolution stemmed from the suggestion from the SAO to establish written policy regarding credit card use by town officials and employees. Motion made by K. Jensen, seconded by E. Justice, and carried to approve Resolution 2020-01 to establish the Town’s policy on use of credit cards to transact official Town business.
  8. Adjournment: Motion made by K. Jensen, seconded by E. Justice, and carried to adjourn the meeting at 7:24 pm. The next regular council meeting is Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 6:00 pm.

A PDF of these minutes can be viewed here.

Filed under: Council Meeting Minutes