Cheney City Council tackles public works issues

The Oct. 13 Cheney City Council meeting had a decidedly public works flavor.

All five action items before the council involved issues falling under the scope of Public Works Director Todd Ableman — ranging from recycling to roadwork to water of different sources.

Council approved a $31,218.94 contract with Taylor Engineering for preliminary work on the Betz Road Preservation project, with the city receiving a grant for the project through the Spokane Regional Transportation Commission. The work, which Ableman said the city should receive funding for in early 2016, includes pavement removal and replacement, sidewalk and ADA improvements and new striping and signage.

The council approved receipt of funding under the state’s Coordinated Prevention Grant (CPG) Waste and Recycling Agreement for 2015-2017. The money covers operations of the city’s recycling center.

The 2014-2015 recycling amount for Cheney was $30,000, and Ableman told the council the 2016-2017 amount was cut by more than half to $13,147. When asked by Councilman John Taves why the city was only receiving half, Ableman said it was due to the allocation to the program in the current funding cycle from the Legislature being cut in half as well.

“How unusual,” Taves replied.

The council also approved the city’s application for three different grants. The first was the state Department of Ecology’s Drought Relief Grant, which the city originally applied to for $500,000 to be used to rehabilitate Well 3, which is no longer producing water due to a likely below ground collapse that sealed the water vein.

Ableman said the timeline from the state on the project was too tight, but another option to apply for $70,000 in funding to increase the pumping capacity for the city’s main wells, Well 1 and 2, was much more feasible. Currently both wells are pumping at 56 percent of capacity.

The council also approved the city’s application for $1,937 in funding from the state’s Stormwater Financial Assistance Grant program to help provide preliminary engineering to reduce or eliminate stormwater point sources from discharging into state bodies of water. If awarded, the funding would cover 85 percent of engineering costs, with the city picking up the rest.

The proposed plan is to route existing stormwater point sources to city property near the wastewater treatment and reclamation plant. Ableman said the city isn’t currently under any stormwater permit requirements, but will be beginning in 2017.

Finally, the council approved an application to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The city must submit an engineering report, which will be combined with a 2007 report on the plant that will focus on the quality, production and management of reusable water for grass areas, in order to be eligible to receive funding.

“Once we are approved by Ecology for reuse purposes, the city can apply for available engineering and construction grants,” Ableman said in an email.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].