Town of Lind vacates Lafayette Street

During their Sept. 26 meeting, the Lind Town Council approved an ordinance stating the Town of Lind will vacate Lafayette Road.

At the July 27 Lind Town Council meeting, resident Jennifer Anderson requested the Town vacate Lafayette Road and make it a private road. At the meeting, Anderson explained the purpose of her request was to protect her property from thoroughfare traffic. Council held a public hearing on the request at the Aug. 22 meeting before the ordinance was drafted.

The document states the Town of Lind will relinquish all claims of right, title and interest in the road, which will belong to Gerry and Jennifer Anderson. While the Andersons will be responsible for the maintenance of the roadway, Lind will retain an easement on the road for the purpose of installing, operating and maintaining utilities.

In other action items, council approved a contract between the Town and Casie J. Monge for operator services at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Mayor Jaime Schmunk explained the Town is required to have a plant operator with a Wastewater Treatment Plant Level II Operator certification on staff in order to conduct testing at the facility.

As part of the services, Monge will take and analyze samples to determine the concentration of mixed liquor of suspended solids aeration basin of an activated sludge system, F/M ratio and other tests necessary for process control.

She will also work with Public Works staff to make sure sludge monitoring and other maintenance issues are conducted properly.

Monge will also conduct the monthly discharge monitoring reports and send the results to the Washington State Department of Ecology. She has been helping with testing at the treatment plant for the past month and also conducts backflow water testing for the Town.

Lind’s Public Works staff will be responsible for the daily plant washdown, visual inspection and landscaping, as well as the maintenance on the facility’s equipment. The contract states no changes shall be made to the plant’s process without Conge’s approval.

Council also voted to hold the Fall Town Clean Up on Oct. 21. On that day, Consolidated Disposal Services, Inc. will bring their trucks in Lind for residents to dispose their waste.

Schmunk announced the results of the recent survey mailed to residents regarding their opinion on the possibility of a marijuana business opening within the Town’s boundaries.

She said staff received a total of 86 responses, with 44 of the responses not in favor of a marijuana business in Lind and 36 in favor. Two of the responses were undecided and four were deemed altered and did not count toward the yes/no answers.

When Councilmember Paula Bell asked about the next step in the process, Schmunk said Council can draft an ordinance based on public feedback and approve it before the Town’s marijuana moratorium expires in November.

During the Mayor report, Schmunk said Big Sky Industrial will come to Lind and perform the sewer line inspection on Sixth Street on Oct. 16. There will be traffic control on Sixth Street beginning at 8 a.m., which Schmunk said will cause a delay in traffic.

Schmunk said Evergreen Implement finished examining the town’s mower. While the company fixed the oil leaks and made some repairs to the machine, Schmunk said the company told her the Town will need to purchase a new mower in the future.