Ritzville Council approves TIB applications

The Ritzville City Council approved three applications through the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) for construction projects at their meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 2. The meeting began with Clerk/Treasurer Kris Robbins presenting the council with Show Cause hearings homes in the area whose yard conditions are a concern to the council and the public.

Council stated their concern about the safety and security of the homeowners and public when presented pictures of the conditions of the homes. Ritzville Fire Chief Bill Banner expressed his concern regarding the fire hazard the homes create due to lack of space for emergency vehicles on and around the property.

Banner also pointed out the amount of flammable material located around the property, which could cause harm to not only the homeowner, but also the surrounding homes.

The Council decided to allow Banner to draft a letter of recommendation to one of the homeowners extending the time in which the material needs to be cleaned up to the next council meeting on Aug. 16. If the clean up is not completed, the Council will pass a resolution, which will give the owner of the home 10 days to remedy the problem.

Councilmember Scott Yaeger then presented the council with a request to approve three TIB grant applications. These applications included overlay projects, chip seal projects and the First Avenue Project.

Yaeger explained the overlay project is a part of a Small City Preservation program through TIB. The project will include a complete grind and overlay of Division Street to Palouse Street, and full depth reclamation and overlay of Cascade Street to the eastern city limits in the year 2017.

However, Yaeger stated the TIB would only potentially fund a max of $200,000 per project.

The estimated cost for the Division Street to Palouse Street project is $201,260 and the estimated cost for the Cascade Street to the eastern city limits project totals $370,100.

Out of the total $571,360 the projects require, the TIB funds will cover 95 percent of the total cost equaling $542,792 in funds Yaeger explained.

The Chip Seal Application will include Division and Adams Street from First Avenue to Broadway Avenue, Sixth Avenue Division Street to Chelan Street, Chelan Street from First Avenue to Sixth Avenue and on Main Street from Palouse Street to Jackson Street in August 2018.

Yaeger stated TIB typically only funds up to $50,000 per project.

Because of this, he said his first priority would be Sixth Avenue due to the cost of the project being the lowest of the five at $40,771. All the projects together total $467,268 with TIB potentially covering $443,904 of the cost if approved.

Yaeger told the council they had applied for TIB funding through the Small City Arterial Program for the First Avenue project last year and did not receive the funding. Therefore, he said he would like to resubmit the application this year for the reconstruction of First Avenue from Jackson Street to Clark Street to take place in 2018.

The reconstruction would include replacing the pavement and installing sidewalks Yaeger explained. The project will cost an estimated $731,204 with TIB funds covering $694,643 if approved.

Yaeger requested the Council make a motion for Mayor Gary Cook to sign the applications to be sent for review. The Council motioned for the approval and deemed unanimous.

If approved, the total amount of city funding required for all projects included in the three applications would total $94,119.

Attention turned to Clerk/Treasurer Kris Robbins with a department update.

Robbins told council they did not move forward with the Community Development Block Grant application process due to the company stating the information gathered from the income survey did not seem random enough and requested more people be contacted.

Ritzville Golf Association Council Representative Mark Weigand told the Council they have contributed $4,500 in upgrades to the golf course. He also said they received a donation from a member of $8,500 to buy a new sander for the course.

However, Weigand explained in order to pull the sander would require the purchase of a gator. Weigand made a request for the Council to purchase the new gator and ask the city for a reimbursement.

During Finance Updates, Mike Schrag informed the Council he found a used gator costing $6,000. He said the golf course currently has $10,000 in equipment funds, which could be used to purchase the gator and then ask the city to reimburse the money.

Therefore, he recommended the Council approve the purchase of a gator for the golf course for up to $7,000. The Council motioned for the approval, which deemed unanimous.

Schrag then informed Council about the idea he had for Parks and Recreation regarding the Sprenger Memorial in the park. Scharg explained the solar panel, which currently powers the lights on the memorial, distract from the memorial itself due to its size.

Schrag suggested the solar panel be moved away from the memorial and be placed on a post to be used as an additional town directory of some sort. Yaeger agreed for the board to meet and look at the solar panel and their options for relocating it on Aug. 16.

If the department decides to relocate the panel, they will then look into the funding needed to do so. Schrag concluded by stating the family of the Sprenger Memorial would also like for the solar panel to be moved.

The Council ended their meeting by addressing an email received from Gordon Fagras, owner of the new recreational marijuana store located by Taco Del Mar to waive System Development Charges. The Council decided the charges deemed justified and declined Fagras’ request.