AIRWAY HEIGHTS — The city held a study session packed with information on July 26. One of the hot topics was the new police legislature that went into effect on July 25, as Police Chief Brad Richmond brought a presentation to break it down for the council.
The most impactful bills call for more detailed background checks, limit instances where officers may use physical force and update the equipment available for use. Both law enforcement and the city are working on public outreach to educate the community on how the legislature affects them.
Last fall, the city began steps to do an assessment on the state of childcare in Airway Heights. J. Burton Consulting was hired to perform the needs assessment and feasibility study, and they found that the city is a childcare desert. There are limited options for parents, and a significant amount of the population cannot afford childcare.
J. Burton Educations Consultant Jenny LeBeau recommended the community center building on West 13th Avenue as a possible site for a childcare center. Not including the renovation costs for the building, it’s predicted to take around $800,000 a year to run the center. The council voiced concerns regarding the location and funding and are continuing to look at options.
City Administrator Albert Tripp opened a discussion for the use of COVID-19 funds, which are intended to be used for long-term recovery. The council will be brainstorming ideas in future meetings. They also began establishing an ad hoc committee for a project that has spent years in discussion: a government multipurpose center. The committee will be made up of select city staff, other municipalities such as law enforcement and fire services, and councilmembers Doyle Inman, Arthur Bubb and Dave Malet. It will brainstorm ideas and possible courses of action for the multipurpose center to bring to the full council.
Public Works Director Kevin Anderson presented an alternative street section to Hunter’s Crossing. The goal is to have more of a neighborhood feel instead of an incredibly broad street section in city neighborhoods. He also gave an update on the Ninth/Hayford pedestrian crossing design, which was approved.
Pump failures at Hayden Lift Station were also discussed at the session. The station is a three-pump operation, and Anderson anticipates the need for a fourth pump in the coming years. Due to age and moisture in the junction boxes, they are experiencing failures. As the process of acquiring a backup pump is a lengthy one, he brought it to the council to get a head start on the approval process.
The council was also presented with the low bid to replace the Reclamation Plant fine screen. While it is in better shape than it has been due to repairs, the current screen is still prone to failure. The plan is to replace the screen and use the current one as a backup. The city secured a responsive bid that they will take a closer look at during their next meeting.
Riley Kankelberg can be reached at [email protected].
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