The Airway Heights City Council zipped through their agenda on Monday, July 15, despite having barely enough members present to make a quorum.
Only Mayor Kevin Richey, Deputy Mayor Doyle Inman and council members Steve Lawrence and Larry Bowman were present at the meeting, though the other member’s absences were excused.
The council unanimously appointed Lawrence, Bowman and council member Veronica Messing to serve on what was originally listed in the agenda as an “Affordable Housing Ad Hoc Committee” While discussing that item, the council also unanimously approved changing the name of the committee to the “Fairchild Air Force Base Protection and Community Empowerment Project.”
The second item on the council’s agenda, a preliminary design task order for work on 21st Avenue, was tabled after City Manager Albert Tripp suggested it might be more appropriate for the city’s Transportation Board of Directors to handle.
Following staff’s recommendation, the council unanimously approved the contracting for fire dispatch services with Spokane Regional Emergency Communications through an interlocal agreement.
“It’s one of the better things to happen in local emergency services in a long time,” Richey said.
The council also heard a final reading of a zoning ordinance governing pet grooming services and the first reading of an ordinance setting 2019 salaries for city employees.
In a last minute move, Tripp added an item to the agenda: the approval for extended absences for Messing. Messing has a medical conflict on Mondays when the council meets until Oct. 28, 2019, he said, but will still fulfill her duties and participate in city committees and events. The absences were unanimously approved.
The council then heard public comments from a resident who recently moved to Airway Heights and was seeking clarification on the ordinances governing fireworks. He said his neighbors lit off fireworks for more than 11 hours, starting at 1 p.m. in the afternoon. City ordinances say fireworks are legal on the Fourth of July from 8 a.m. – midnight, but multiple council members noted the festivities were “obnoxious” this year.
“We’re going to talk about fireworks this year and maybe change some things next year,” Richey said.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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