After 12 years of serving Medical Lake, Councilwoman Brenda Redell resigned from the City Council.
The council accepted Redell’s resignation at its Dec. 2 meeting. City Administrator Doug Ross presented an email from Redell, who was absent from the meeting, that stated she resigned because she is moving outside of the city limits.
“It has been both an honor and privilege to serve this great city beside you,” Redell wrote. “After having lived in Medical Lake my whole life I find myself getting ready to end my residency. My children have found new passions outside this great city and it is time I join them and see where it leads my husband and I.”
Redell thanked her fellow council members for their support and commended them for their dedication to the city.
City Attorney Cynthia McMullen explained that the other council members can set up a timetable to allow residents to apply for the vacant position. The council will review the applications and choose candidates to interview at an open public session. After the interview process, they will appoint the new council member, whose term lasts until the next election in 2015. If that person wants to keep their seat on the council, they will have to run for election.
“You don’t have to do interviews if you don’t want to,” McMullen said. “In the past you have, but it might be that everyone who applies is so well known to you that you don’t need interviews.”
Councilman Howard Jorgensen suggested that the council review the applications and forgo the interview process.
The council had its second public hearing for the 2015 budget. Ross said there were no changes to the budget since the Nov. 18 meeting.
Following the public hearing, the council voted 5-1 to approve the first reading of ordinances that adopt the 2015 budget and sets the salaries and compensation for appointive officers and city employees. Councilman A.J. Burton was the dissenting vote on both of the ordinances.
Under the salary ordinance, city employees and appointive workers will receive a 2 percent wage increase while mayor’s salary will increase from $700 to $1,000 a month.
The council unanimously approved resolutions to set the administrative fees and charges and utility rates for 2015. Ross said there were no changes to either of those items.
The council approved a cell phone tower agreement between the city and Verizon Wireless. Ross said there are four other cell phone towers that are co-located at the water tower. The agreement with Verizon Wireless will bring in $2,280 a month to the city for five years.
“It (the rent) goes up every five years on renewal,” Ross said. “I get calls from a lot of independent companies that want to buy these leases. My guess is that we have a good deal and they see we have a good deal.”
Ross announced that the city will have to purchase a new lift station because of a vehicular accident at State Route 902. He said maintenance patched the station up and it is working for the time being. He added that the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) will reimburse Medical Lake to pay for the lift station.
“As soon as I can track down the police report from Washington State Patrol then I will send it to WCIA and they assured me they will give us a check right away,” Ross said. “We’re waiting for the final cost estimation.”
In other business:
• The council approved the second reading of an ordinance that prohibits production, processing and retail sale of marijuana products within city limits.
• Councilman Art Kulibert announced that the fire department purchased a new fire truck.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)