Unable to attend the City Council meeting Tuesday? Missed it on Channel 19? Here are some of the highlights. You can also watch the meeting in its entirety on www.cdaid.org.
Seltice Way headed
for improvements
City Council gave the Engineering Department the go-ahead to fund a study of city’s portion of Seltice Way. The Department will contract
with JUB Engineers to evaluate the former federal highway and what repairs are
needed. The city’s Public Works Committee recommended the expenditure so the
city can move forward on fixing the bumpy road. Council’s approval allows only for
the study. Further discussion on actually fixing the road will come later. The
study is estimated to cost $10,000.
Wastewater
improvements on the horizon
City officials authorized a bond council to prepare revenue
bonds and set a Dec. 18 public hearing on wastewater capital improvements. The
city must reduce phosphorus levels in the treated wastewater that is released
into the Spokane River. The EPA is requiring all wastewater dischargers along
the river to do this under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
The bonds would be repaid through user fees. The public will have a chance to
learn about project, the federal requirements and what it all means to them at
the December hearing.
Police Chief awarded
Citizen of the Year
Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Steve Wilson presented
Police Chief Wayne Longo with the chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award. Upon
accepting the award, Longo said, “I’m
very humbled by this.” You may have read about the award in the CDA Press.
Click here to read that story.
Crime Prevention hero
The Police Department awarded David Travieso with the department’s Crime Prevention Award. Travieso, a citizen, witnessed a robbery on
Oct. 25 at a Food Mart on Northwest Boulevard. He followed the suspect, who was
armed with a knife. Chief Longo, who happened to be the closest unit, took over
the pursuit. “I personally witnessed his unbelievable bravery,” the Chief
said. “We would not have been able to capture this individual had it not been
for this man’s commitment to keeping our city safe.” Mayor Sandi Bloem called Travieso
“a good example for our community.”
Leaf Fest winds down
Streets Superintendent Tim Martin updated Leaf Fest 2012.
Tuesday was Day 6 of the leaf pick-up program. Crews had covered about 85
percent of city with just a few spots left in the northeast and from Francis to
Fourth Street. Martin expected to be finished Wednesday. One of the challenges has
been the weight of the leaves, which affects the number of loads crews can
clear. With all the water and snow, loads have been heavier than usual.
Snow Plan ready to go
Martin also presented the city’s Snow Plan, which Council
adopted during its last meeting. Martin called the city’s snow program “one of
the most customer-focused programs in the United States.” But there are challenges, he noted. The city
has over 250 lane miles of street and 500 plowable miles of roadway. Many of
the streets, mainly the arterials, require 5 or 6 passes to clear. That keeps
crews busy in a storm.
Some of the plan’s highlights:
- Plow operations start with 4 to 5 inches of snow on the ground or 2 inches on the roads with more expected.
- The snow plan calls for 37 hours to complete a plow.
- The department partners with KVNI to constantly update efforts.
Martin’s snow tips:
- Allow extra commute time when it snows
- Keep cars off the streets when plows are in the area.
- Help your neighbors.
Did you know in
2007, a record 172 inches of snow fell? To put that
in perspective, last year, we saw 83 inches for the season. What will
happen this year? “I think it’s anyone’s guess,” Martin said. But, he added, “Whatever comes, the
department’s going to be ready for it.”
