Airway Heights council approves YES officer

City also has new members on parks board

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – During an Oct. 18 City Council meeting, Police Chief Brad Richmond told members that a cooperative agreement between the Cheney School District and is department had been reached about the implementation of a Youth Engagement Specialist, commonly referred to as a YES officer.

Richmond said the Cheney School District has agreed to fund $70,000 of the annual cost to cover part of the salary, vehicle and technology costs. The department will use other available funds to cover the remaining balance because the total expected cost is closer to $105,000 per year.

The council agreed a considerable population of school-age children live in Airway Heights, which falls within the Cheney School District.

After some discussion, the motion was quickly and unanimously approved.

Councilmen Art Bubb and Larry Bowman thanked

A trio of positions have also opened recently on the Park Advisory Board, and the council voted unanimously to appoint three new members.

Long time Airway Heights resident and supporter of the parks and recreation community Michelle Musgrave was approved to be appointed to Position No. 4.

Don Mitchell was appointed to Position No. 5; he is a former city council member and longtime coach for recreational sports teams in Airway Heights.

Mrs. Lori Wood was appointed to position number 1.

City Manager Albert Tripp asked the council to approve the general framework for expenditures regarding the American Rescue Plan Act funding, and explained the funding had to be spent within five broad guidelines.

Tripp said these guidelines will also be organized via a tiered system in which items will be listed and prioritized by urgency or need.

Some focus areas include supporting public health, addressing the negative impact of COVID-19, and replacing lost revenue. The action was unanimously approved.

Kevin Anderson spoke to the council regarding an amendment to the agreement the city has with Fairchild Air Force Base.

The agreement states that Fairchild helps the city to pay for purchased water, and this amendment raises the maximum cap for that to over $900,000, among some additional language regarding the wells that feed the city water system.

Matthew O. Stephens can be reached at [email protected].

 

Reader Comments(0)