The city of Medical Lake is preparing for some changes at City Hall.
At its July 19 meeting, the City Council voted to update the recreation coordinator job description. This is a result of current recreation coordinator, Ashlee King, leaving her position with the city in mid-August, according to City Administrator Doug Ross. King has taken part-time jobs with both Spokane Public Schools and the Medical Lake School District.
Ross said the updates for the job description are suggestions from King. These include:
● organizing the Friday late start school programs at the Medical Lake School District,
● assisting in maintaining the city’s website,
● responsibility for the city’s wellness program and
● being familiar with REC1 software and other online scheduling programs.
Finance director Jennifer Hough will also be leaving the city at the end of July.
Council also held the first reading of an ordinance “Impact Fee Deferral.” City Attorney Cindy McMullen explained that this is a mandate from the state legislature that allows a developer to defer paying impact fees until the final inspection of the property, but no later than 18 months from when the city issued the building permit.
The ordinance also includes options to allow builders to defer impact fee payments such as until the issuance of the occupancy certificate or the closing of the first sale. McMullen said she could add the other two options at a later time.
“The reason I chose the final inspection is because it’s the earliest of the three and the developer is still actively engaged in the property at the time,” McMullen said.
During the Public Works report, Ross said the city’s street sweeper went through the neighborhood and cleaned up a lot of debris from the fireworks in the Fox Hollow area and around the Ladd and Hallett streets area from the Fourth of July.
During the Public Safety report, Councilman John Paikuli brought up the idea of allowing Fire Chief Jason Mayfield and Assistant Fire Chief Corey Stevens to cite people for illegal burns. Stevens said allowing he and the fire chief to cite people would “alleviate us having to stand there” until Spokane County Sheriff’s deputy arrives at the scene.
McMullen said both Mayfield and Stevens would need to be deputized by the Sheriff’s Office. Higgins said the city would look into the deputization process.
Stevens said the department hit a record of 17 calls on July 4, though most of them were illegal burns and medical related. He said there were between 16-20 firefighters on duty and five apparatus out on patrol during the night.
“The biggest problem we had was getting people out of the street and telling them to clean up their mess,” Stevens said. “We also found picnic tables with mortars attached to them.”
Stevens also commended the firefighters on duty for “doing a great job.”
During public comment, Lahnie Henderson asked council to reconsider the ordinance that allows fireworks to be discharged in city limits on July 4. She also suggested the city could organize a community display for the Fourth of July as an alternative to allowing fireworks in the city.
In other business:
The city has scheduled a budget workshop on Sept. 20 at 5:30 p.m., before the 6:30 p.m. meeting.
During the Public Works report, Ross said the city is looking to donate its old road grader to the Jensen Memorial Youth Ranch.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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