Ritzville Council approves income survey contract

During the June 19 meeting, the Ritzville City Council authorized Mayor Gary Cook to sign a contract between the City and Evergreen Rural Water of Washington (ERWoW) for income survey services for $6,927.89.

Clerk-Treasurer Julie Flyckt explained the City could be eligible for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding depending on the results from the income survey. She added CDBG grant funding would go toward funding utility system improvements, such as Well No. 8.

Flyckt said the City cannot apply for a CDBG grant without completing an income survey.

She explained there will be information about the upcoming survey sent with the utility bills. Flyckt noted ERWoW only requires a sample size of residents for the survey, and will make three attempts to contact a resident.

Citizens who do not want to participate in the survey must inform ERWoW and they will be removed from the list.

Flyckt said ERWoW has requested local volunteers to accompany representatives during the process. Once a resident agrees to participate in the survey, the volunteer will be excluded from the process.

Cook noted if the City does not complete the income survey there are other funding options for utility improvement projects, such as loans and grants from the state agencies like the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Cook added ERWoW will provide the City with information to explain the importance of the income survey to residents.

In other action items, the Council approved a proposal from Camtek Inc., to install six security cameras at the City Park for $8,939.

Police Chief Dave McCormick explained the cameras will monitor the cook shack, the memorial, the gazebo and a portion of the golf course.

Police officers will utilize wireless Internet from the golf course office and the cameras will be motion activated.

McCormick added Camtek has proposals to install a security camera at the police station, and two cameras at the NP Railroad Depot Museum.

The camera at the police station would monitor the outside of the building, nearby streets and a portion of the Ritzville Public Library. The two security cameras installed at the Depot would monitor Pioneer Plaza and Railroad Avenue.

The cameras would hang upside down, with the dome facing toward the sidewalk. They would also be painted to match the color of the buildings.

At the June 13 meeting, the Ritzville Planning Commission agreed to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness to the City for installing the cameras at the Depot and police station.

He said he felt the City Park was a priority and asked Camtek to complete the proposal for the park security cameras first.

During the meeting, Ritzville Planning Commission Chairman Stephen McFadden explained granting a certificate to the City would ensure the camera work would meet the Planning Commission’s guidelines for modifying buildings in the Historic District.

He added Camtek has installed security cameras in Spokane’s Historic District and the work has met the city’s Historic Preservation Office guidelines.

The Council also authorized the operation of a fireworks stand operated by the Ritzville Foursquare Church.

Brandy Lane explained the fireworks stand is located next to Brew Happy. Fireworks will be sold daily on June 28 to July 4, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Council then discussed the City’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2019-2024.

Council member Scott Yaeger said all but one of the projects in the plan are the same as the previous 2018-2023 document adopted last year.

He noted the only new project is Priority No. 2, which is a reconstruction of Weber Road and Galbreath Way, from Jackson Street to Fairway Avenue.

Yaeger said the City previously applied for Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grant funding to help fund the project.

The Council will schedule a public hearing for the 2019-2024 TIP at a future meeting.

Cook said Well No. 9 is undergoing diagnostics testing after crews found one of the panels in the variable frequency drive was malfunctioning. He added it may be difficult to find replacement parts for the drive as the warranty is expired.

Cook said he and Swift will meet with crews to determine which components in the panel are not working. He will also contact the Ritzville School District about reducing their water usage.

In department reports, McCormick said officers and residents have found graffiti on signs, water meters and other areas around the city. He acknowledged some residents have cleaned up the graffiti after they have reported it.

McCormick said if a resident sees graffiti to report the matter immediately to the Ritzville Police Department.