AH council moves budget ordinances to next meeting

The Airway Heights City Council ensured itself of a busy agenda at its first meeting in December by moving nine items forward from its Nov. 23 study session.

Three of the items were for the second readings of ordinances dealing with current and proposed future budgets. The council will address the second reading of an ordinance amending the 2015 budgets of eight departments, a move that could total $537,080.

The council will also hold the second reading and final adoption of the proposed 2016 budget, which totals over $16.13 million in expenses. As part of the 2016 budget process, the final ordinance to be considered at the Dec. 7 meeting is the setting of positions, salaries and compensation for city employees.

Council also approved moving forward a resolution supporting the Fairchild Air Force Base Protection and Community Empowerment project. The project seeks to provide “alternative affordable housing for the residents located in the FAFB APZ 2,” and in so doing remove concerns about encroachment around the airbase.

The city is seeking a grant to assist it in developing the new housing site, and part of the application requires it to “support the proposal and designate a specific area for the funds to be targeted.”

The council will also be asked to express its support for the city’s 2016 state legislative agenda as put forth by City Manager Albert Tripp. Agenda items include getting the Airway Heights Correctional Center to convert from using drinking water to reclaimed water from the city’s reclaimed water plant for irrigation use, a move that could save Airway Heights $700,000 and provide water for approximately 360 new homes.

The agenda also includes asking the Department of Transportation to halt its plans to transfer maintenance of road and highways, such as State Highway 2, from the state to cities, and consideration of support for the city’s proposed recreation complex. The city views the project as a means of economic development through improved quality of life.

The council will also consider for approval an application for a new Planning Commission member, and review the first reading of a comprehensive plan amendment for a rezone request. It also will consider an agreement for professional services the city feels it needs in evaluating the potential impacts of a request by the Kalispell Tribe to change the status of property it owns in the city from real property to “in trust” land.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].