Medical Lake City Council works to wrap up 2018 issues

By PAUL DELANEY

Staff Reporter 

The Medical Lake City Council continued to tidy up a variety of things at its Dec. 4 meeting as 2018 slides to a close.

Before a full council membership, even including Don Kennedy who was actually able to make a flight connection and not be absent, the group plowed through a variety of agenda items.

Included was a new contract for Cindy McMullen who will continue to serve as City Attorney, but will step away from City Prosecutor duties Dec. 31, 2018. She will earn between $180 to $200 per hour, an amount which is 75 percent of the $250 hourly charge for clients in her private firm.

Earlier in the Cheney Free Press it was reported that McMullen, who has served the city for 30 years, was stepping away from all city of Medical Lake legal duties.

Council also approved Resolution 518 which will update a variety of city fees for permits and park usage. The yearly permit necessary to sell fireworks in the city was increased from $50 to $200. Ballfield rental increased from $10 to $20 with tournament use being bumped from $100 to $200.

City Administrator Doug Ross noted that the increases were needed to cover the added costs associated with both the city’s time to issue permits, as well as some of the maintenance associated with park usage. Most agencies, the city of Spokane and Spokane County, charge $35 for field use.

It was proposed that special use permits for park use be raised from $75 to $100 and depending on a variety of circumstances, those could be waived.

The changes may not be set in stone and dried ink, however. “We can come back a month from now to refine them,” Ross said.

Another unanimous vote passed Resolution 519 dealing with utility fees. It was also determined to surplus a speed tracking radar trailer to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for possible use by the local SCOPE (Sheriff Community Oriented Policing Effort).

In the citizen comments portion of the meeting, resident Scott Christenson told council of plans to possibly revisit the potential move of Cat Tales Zoological Park to the area. The idea was first floated in November 2017.

The next council meeting is Dec. 18 and it was determined that the Jan. 1, 2019 meeting will be cancelled — not postponed — because it falls on the New Year’s Day holiday.

Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].