Agreement to resolve pending appeal between city and tribe
At its Nov. 21 meeting, the Airway Heights City Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to resolve a pending appeal before it reached the U.S. Department of the Interior Board of Appeals.
The agreement stemmed from Interior’s decision to place 69.03 acres of off-reservation property in Airway Heights’ city limits into trust for the Kalispels at their request back in May. The city filed a notice of appeal after it learned of the Interior’s decision.
According to City Manager Albert Tripp, the MOU seeks to create a process, agreed to by both Airway Heights and the Kalispels, “to provide services and mitigates impact for the use and development on property owned by the tribe.”
The Kalispels pay Airway Heights $374,250 per year to mitigate the impact on services provided by the city, including law enforcement, emergency services, public utilities and other municipal services. The Kalispels own a 40-acre parcel of property, which it uses to operate Northern Quest Resort and Casino. The tribe also owns a 250-acre parcel of property adjacent to the casino that is used for commercial and residential purposes.
“It’s designed to resolve the (city’s) appeal,” Tripp said. “It will resolve the concerns of the city and the tribe.”
In ordinances, council held the first hearing of the ordinance adopting the 2017 budget. It also approved the second reading of an ordinance that establishes the property tax, bond, emergency medical services and excess levy for 2017. The annual property tax levy and the debt service levy for principal and interest for the 2005 general obligation refunding bonds are set at zero.
There will be a 25 cent per $1,000 of assessed value increase for the EMS levy and an additional voter-approved $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value for the excess general obligation bonds.
Council also had the third reading of Ordinance 878, which amends the city’s municipal codes “Water System” and “Sanitary Sewer System,” and creates a new section “Utility Services.”
Tripp said council can table the ordinance at its final reading, which is scheduled for the Dec. 5 meeting.
Council moved forward an ordinance that sets positions, salaries and compensations for city employees for 2017. Local 270 A employees and department directors will receive a 2.5 percent 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 percent increase.
Clerk-treasurer Amy Gravelle added that the ordinance includes a part-time farmer’s market manager position. The manager will make $13 an hour and work 17 hours per week from March until October.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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