Airway Heights council returns briefly to in-person meetings

AIRWAY HEIGHTS — Following their lengthy study session, the City Council met on Aug. 2 in their first hybrid meeting. Certain members of staff and council were present in their normal meeting while others attended via Zoom.

The move was somewhat sort lived, however. At the council’s Aug. 9 study session, City Manager Albert Tripp said they were still experiencing technical issues that made integrating both in-person and online meeting formats difficult, and asked the members on their feelings about continuing with the online format until those issues were resolved.

Council members gave their consensus to remain online until those issues could be resolved.

At the Aug. 2 meeting, the council heard a presentation about the equipment replacement for the fire, street and water-sewer department as well as a presentation of a performance-based contracting interim facility improvement report. The council will continue to address the points in future meetings.

They then passed an emergency ordinance that authorized a refunding bond. The bond is estimated to save the city around $70,000 over the next six years.

JBurton Consulting recently completed a needs assessment and feasibility study of the state of childcare in the city. They determined Airway Heights is a childcare desert and recommended repurposing the community center on West 13th Avenue and recruiting a childcare provider for the immediate needs of the community. The council accepted the findings of the study at their meeting.

The council also approved the amendment of an interlocal agreement with the city of Spokane for sewer service and a multijurisdictional agreement with the city of Spokane for an industrial pretreatment program. They reviewed the Hunter’s Crossing alternative street section and approved the proposal.

Finally, the city’s water reclamation plant is getting a new fine screen soon. The city approved a low bid to replace the current screen and use it as the backup. The new screen will prevent some of the system issues that have occurred at the reclamation plant. Hayden Lift Station is also getting a new backup pump to combat pump failures, as the purchase was approved at the meeting.

Cheney Free Press managing editor John McCallum contributed to this story.

Riley Kankelberg can be reached at [email protected].