Matter surrounding city facilities upgrades, along with wages and benefits and city processes highlighted Airway Heights City Council meetings in late February, early March.
Parks shelters repaired; fields grant sought
Council gave its approval at the Feb. 12 study session for execution of an agreement and grant application by the Parks & Recreation Department dealing with a couple of upcoming projects.
The first was a $27,000 agreement with SPVV Landscape Architects for preparation of the final design, permitting, bidding and construction administration for shelters 2 and 3 and repair of the storage building at Martella Park. The city has been awarded a $100,000 grant towards repairing the shelter roofs and residing the storage building, projects estimated to cost $432,341 and must be finished by June 30, 2024.
Parks & Recreation Director J.C. Kennedy said shelter 1 was not included in the contract as it is too damaged to repair and needs complete replacement. If money can’t be found to replace the shelter, the city will close it as a public safety hazard.
Council also approved a $5,000 contract with SPVV for assistance applying for a grant from the state’s Community Outdoor Athletic Facilities (COAF) program. The program will distribute $12 million this year, with $1.2 million allocated to the Northeast Region of Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane and Stevens counties.
Kennedy told council if they were successful, the grant would be used for expansion of multipurpose fields and parking at the city’s recreation center on Deno Road.
“We have a dire need for field space right now,” Kennedy said.
Council approves wages and benefits agreements
At its Feb. 20 meeting, City Council unanimously approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the union representing the city’s non-uniformed staff in the Public Works, Parks & Recreation, Building, Court and Finance departments. The contract with Local 270-A AFSCME / AFL-CIO provides a 3.75% wage increase in 2024 for all union positions, city coverage of medical premiums for union employees and two additional paid holidays: Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Christmas Eve.
The contract allows wages and benefits to be readdressed in 2025 and 2026. The contract expires on Dec. 31, 2026.
At the March 4 meeting, the City Council formally adopted this agreement and other wage and benefit arrangements into the 2024 budget via the second reading of Ordinance C-1020, which amended the previous budget Ordinance C-1012. Besides the Local 270-A agreement, C-1020 stipulated no pay increases for members of the Public Safety Guild as well as for some staff not represented by a collective bargaining group.
Non-represented city staff who did receive a 3.75% wage increase in 2024 were the court administrator, clerk-treasurer, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director, Public Works Director and Planning Director.
Project changes approved
At the Feb. 20 regular meeting, council approved a $212,400 additional service agreement with construction management firm Adurra for the 6th Avenue Extension project. The agreement provides additional services for the project such as project management, surveying, design, right-of-way procurement and other services related to the expanded scope of the project.
Development of 6th Avenue from Craig to Deer Heights roads carries a 2019 price tag estimate of $16.8 million, and is designed to help alleviate some of the traffic congestion through Airway Heights on U.S. Highway 2.
The city was awarded $2 million in 2022 to construct a missing segment of 6th Avenue between Craig Road and South Ketchum Street. Additional funding has also been received, including $639,000 from the CHAS Development Agreement for construction between Craig Road and Russel Street, $1.625 million from Spokane Transit Authority, $754,341 from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board for traffic calming devices and $2.42 million from the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board for construction and widening of the roadway.
At the March 4 meeting, council approved an $80,678.66 change order to the 10th Avenue Utilities Project. The nearly $600,000 project was awarded to Halme Construction in August, 2023, and the approved changes brings that total to $679,595.11.
Public Works Director Kevin Anderson told the council that “all changes were city desired or legitimate changes.” Some of the changes included city-directed utility modifications and addressing utility services conflicting with Kalispel Tribe utilities not included in the original bidding documents.
Jones named to Planning Commission
Council voted unanimously at its March 4 meeting to select Pleasance Jones to a seat on the city’s Planning Commission. Jones and Melanie Kerns were the only two candidates to apply for the open position.
According to the agenda report, the Planning Commission met with both candidates in January, and after discussion, recommended the appointment of Kerns, noting her experience such as membership on the American Planning Association – Washington Chapter. Staff requested council review the applications and nominate one of the two applicants.
Council Chair Larry Bowman nominated Jones, saying she has attended all council meetings, including the March 4 meeting.
“That shows a willingness to be here, to be involved,” Bowman said.
Airway Heights associate planner Zachary Becker noted Kerns was likely not able to be in attendance due to her work.
New surplus property requirements proposed
At the March 4 meeting, the council approved the first reading of Ordinance C-1021, which would change how the city conducts its sales of surplus property. Public Works Director Kevin Anderson said the existing codes for surplus property were created in 1995, and required any items appraised at over $2,500 go through a public bidding process.
The proposed changes allow staff to dispose of any personal property whose value is $0 by “the most efficient means possible.” Personal property valued less than $25,000 but greater than $0 can be sold without council approval.
Personal property greater than $25,000 must receive council approval to be appraised and sold. The means of any personal property sales are left the City Manager or a designee.
“$25,000 seemed like a reasonable number,” Anderson told the council at the Feb. 26 study session when first presenting the ordinance. “We’re just trying to make the system more straightforward.”
All real property would still require council approval for appraisal and sale. Council approved the second reading of Ordinance C-1021 at their March 11 meeting.
