AH council moves public defender amendment forward

At its Nov. 14 study session, the Airway Heights City Council moved several items forward to its next meeting.

One was an amendment of public defender professional service contract with Maurer Law.

The amendment proposes to increase the contract from $4,000 to $4,833 per month.

City Manager Albert Tripp gave two reasons for the recommendation. One was because of the increase in the city’s caseload activity.

In 2014, the city entered into an interlocal agreement with the Kalispel Tribe for them to send defendants to Airway Heights Municipal Court. The city’s caseload grew 7 percent in 2014 and 22 percent in 2015, which in turn added caseload activity to the public defender. Tripp said the agreement allows the city to invoice the Kalispel Tribe to cover costs if the caseload goes over 5 percent.

The other reason for the amendment is Maurer Law has implemented practices that allow the court to solve more cases. The firm’s pre-trial docket averaged 45-55 cases, now it averages less than 30 cases per docket.

“Maurer is doing a great job, he’s great to work with,” Tripp said.

Councilman Doyle Inman asked Tripp if the amendment could take effect in January. Tripp said he would bring the agreement to Maurer with Inman’s suggestion.

Council also moved forward an ordinance that sets positions, salaries and compensations for city employees for 2017. Local 270 A employees and department heads will receive a 2.5 wage increase while members of the Public Safety Guild will get a 5 percent increase as will the police and fire chiefs. The city manager will receive a 3.75 increase.

In other business: council moved the second reading of an ordinance that establishes the property tax, bond, emergency medical services and excess levy to the Nov. 21 meeting.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].