Medical Lake accepts road improvement grants

MEDICAL LAKE —A full City Council, including newly elected councilman Art Kulibert attending his first meeting, took 15 minutes to work through a short agenda at its regular Tuesday, Jan. 21 session.

The council started by unanimously electing Councilwoman Jessica Roberts as mayor pro-tem for 2020. Roberts will fill-in for Mayor Shirley Maike in the event of an absence.

The council also unanimously voted to accept two Transportation Improvement Board grants totaling $413,402.

The first, a $214,310 grant, will fund construction of a sidewalk on the south side of Grace Street between Broad and Hallett streets, then another south along Hallett from Grace to Campbell Street.

City Administrator Doug Ross noted that once complete people will be able to walk from Hallett Elementary to City Hall on a sidewalk.

The second project, officially called the Lake Street Overlay Project, is funded by a $119,092 TIB grant that will grind and replace 2-inches of asphalt on Lake Street between Lefevre and Prentis streets.

Both projects are expected to occur within the next year, according to Roberts, the chair of the council’s public works committee.

In return for the grants the city is required to provide matching funds of $21,758.

In other business, the city was introduced to its new city attorney, Laura McAloon, who is replacing the retiring Cynthia McMullen who had provided the legal services to the city for 37 years.

Spokane Fire District 3 Assistant Fire Chief Don Crawford offered a report regarding fire and emergency medical service calls within the city.

He said the district had responded to 49 calls to date in January in Medical Lake.

“It’s kind of where we had targeted it,” Crawford said. “I think we’re right on track for the call volume we anticipated.”

The councils next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].