Town of Lind begins income survey process with RCAC

During the June 26 meeting, the Lind Town Council voted 4-0 to proceed with an income survey with Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and the Washington State Department of Health Drinking Water Eastern Regional Office.

Prior to the Council vote, RCAC Consultant Dan Bannier provided a presentation on the income survey process.

Bannier explained an income survey is used to evaluate funding assistance opportunities for municipalities.

Lind is conducting an income survey to be eligible for grants to help fund a waterline replacement for Sixth Street.

Bannier said residents who participate in the income survey are only required to answer how many people reside in the household and the household’s reportable income from the previous year

He said a household’s reportable income includes wages, retirement, supplemental security income, public assistance, disability, unemployment and investment income.

Income received by children 15 years or younger for jobs like babysitting or lawn mowing is not required for the survey, Bannier said.

He explained the information gathered for the income survey is confidential, and a household’s income will not be revealed in the survey results. The data from the income survey will be valid for three years.

Bannier said the Town can add additional questions to the survey as a way for Town officials to gather public feedback about issues in the community.

He added the Town should inform residents about the purpose of the income survey and how it can help Lind qualify for grant funding.

Bannier explained RCAC will only need a sample size of 57 percent, or 150 responses to validate the survey.

He said staff will need to determine the geographic boundary of the survey area to draw the sample size of households. Bannier said households will be randomly selected to participate in the survey.

Bannier said there are different methods to conduct the survey, including mail and door-to-door.

He said the first mailing of the survey will take 2-3 weeks to be returned to RCAC.

If Bannier does not receive 150 responses by the second mailing, RCAC would gather information by going door-to-door and conducting personal interviews.

If going door-to-door, Bannier said RCAC will need the Town to select a survey coordinator and local volunteers to accompany them. Residents who do not want to participate in the survey can notify RCAC.

Bannier said RCAC examines two kinds of income survey data, the first being the sample size’s median household income (MHI).

Bannier said MHI data is used toward grant funding from state agencies, such as Health and Department of Agriculture.

The other type of income survey data is the low and moderate income (LMI).

Low income households are at or below 50 percent of the county’s median household income based on household size.

Moderate income households at or below 80 percent of the median.

Bannier said RCAC will use LMI data for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Once the income survey data is collected and validated, Bannier will notify funding agencies of the results.

He said RCAC is hoping to have the income survey results completed by Sept. 1 in order to allow the Town to apply for grant funding in the fall.

In other action items, the Council authorized the purchase of five gallons of semi-gloss paint to repaint the Town’s flower planters.

Council Member Rose Elkington said the estimated cost of semi-gloss paint was $35.99 a gallon. She said the Town could receive a 10 percent discount because it will be used for a community project.

She said the Town’s maintenance shop only has two paint brushes and asked if the City would authorize purchasing five more brushes, which they approved. Elkington added the brushes would be returned to the shop once the project is complete.

The Council also approved a request from Diane Kennedy to allow up to six trailers to park in the lot near Slim’s Tavern. Kennedy explained the spaces will be reserved for crew members working on the Adams-Neilson Solar Farm project.

The Council also approved a request to close Second Street, from E Street to I Street, on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. for the Harvest Festival.

Kennedy said she would have vendors set up along the street, starting near the fire station. She said Slim’s will host an outdoor beer garden during the Harvest Festival, which will be fenced and have security.