Lind Council approves wage increase for substitute clerks

During the March 13 meeting, The Lind Town Council voted 4-1 to increase the hourly wage for the Town’s Substitute Clerk position by $1.50.

Mayor Paula Bell had suggested increasing the substitute clerk’s wages at the Feb. 27 meeting. She explained both Goodman and Wills have taken on additional duties since they began working at the Town Hall office. At that meeting, the Council decided to table the matter.

During the Finance Committee report, Council Member Kathy Vedder brought the matter forward and said both Substitute Clerks are taking on additional tasks that were not originally assigned to them.

Council Member Jim Dworshak was the dissenting vote on the motion. He had proposed raising the Substitute Clerk wages by 75 cents, then increasing the amount by another 75 cents after three months.

Bell presented the Council with a draft of a cash handling policy that was a result of the Town’s recent audit. She explained the intent for the policy is to ensure proper and consistent cash handling procedures by all Town office employees.

The document includes procedures and guidelines for handling, recording, and depositing cash and checks the office receives. It also features guidelines for handling and recording cash drawer funds.

Dworshak suggested to table the discussion and bring the document to the March 27 meeting to allow the Council time to review it.

Bell also provided the Council with a draft of an ordinance regarding marijuana businesses within all zoning districts in Lind’s boundaries.

The ordinance prohibits the production, processing, retailing and distribution of marijuana or marijuana-infused projects for recreational or medicinal purposes within the Town.

Bell confirmed the ordinance was reviewed by the Town’s attorney while Vedder suggested the Council review the document and bring it back to the next meeting.

During her Mayor’s Report, Bell said she, Josamy Blake and Joe Pessutti are reviewing security measures for Well No. 6. She explained some of the people who use the well’s nonpotable water for irrigation and spraying are not accurately recording the amount of water they are using.

Bell said she, Blake and Pessutti are reviewing measures to mitigate the issue, one of which would involve locking the well and having the key at Town Hall. Farmers would need to come to the office to access the well.

Another potential measure would be to increase the water rates. She said the cost is currently $7.50 for the first 1,000 gallons of water, with a 4-cent increase for every 100 gallons.

A third option would be to install security cameras at the well to monitor who is accessing the water.

Bell informed the Council the sewer plant’s computer is faulty. She contacted the manufacturer, who explained the plant’s programmable logic controller (PLC) is faulty and nonrecoverable.

She said the PLC may be recoverable with a laptop, but the Town will need to order a new one.

If a new PLC is required, the sewer plant will need new equipment and an analog, which could be $1,500-$1,600 to replace. If the Town needs to move forward with the order, the manufacturer will need more information, which Blake is gathering.

Bell confirmed the sewer plant is still functioning by manual operation.

She also informed council the Town Hall office is marked with flags indicating the 25 feet for smoking purposes. This was done in accordance with the Washington state smoking laws.

Council Member Richard Baldwin provided a report from the March 7 Adams County Solid Waste Advisory Committee. He explained tipping fees will not increase this year, but they will in 2019.

Stantec Engineer Alan Gay informed council the Washington State Department of Health is willing to provide grant funding for the Town to conduct an income survey. The agency indicated they would like to receive a request from the Town to fund the survey.

Gay explained conducting the income survey will help the town be eligible for Community Block Development Grant funding.