Purchase agreement finalized on new Waitsburg City Hall

WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council met on July 1 for a council workshop. The meeting was open to the public and attended by ten members of the community. There was no public comment period during the meeting. Per the public notice dated June 29, any questions or comments could be passed on to the City Council via City Hall, located at 147 Main St., P.O. Box 35, Waitsburg, WA 99361, or (509) 337-6371.

The first item on the agenda regarded City Hall. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe confirmed that the council had received the agreement, which the city attorney had approved before the meeting. The packet was not available to the public at the time of the workshop meeting. The same sales agreement will be included in the July 21 council meeting packet available online the Monday before the meeting. The council will give its final vote on the purchase agreement at the July 21 meeting.

In an emailed response to The Times, Hinchliffe confirmed the agreement was a purchase agreement for 106 Main St, Waitsburg.

"Idea is to initially move City Hall to the new location and get it established first. Depending on what happens with the library, the Council would like to relocate it as well into one space that can provide better access and more room for the library but will wait until we hear from the advisory committee about it."

The second agenda item covered the future splash pad, which will be installed at Preston Park by the Unity Wall, near the restrooms. Hinchliffe said the location works well for access to water and sewer lines, drainage, and fulfilling a restroom distance requirement provided by the state in WAC 246-260-031. The state requires pads to be located within 150 ft. of a public restroom.

Councilmember Jim Romine asked about the cost of the project. Hinchliffe said that he was waiting for a formal estimate from SPVV Landscape Architects, Spokane. He said the jets and other water units are the costliest components as they do not come from a single supplier.

The splash pad project has been approved in principle, with no further action until the city receives the engineer estimate and bids.

Councilmember Karen Gregutt asked about the splash pad's drainage and if the pad uses less water than the pool. According to Hinchliffe, the splash pad will drain directly to the sewer, and he did not expect it to strain the existing sewer system. Water use would depend on usage, and it does not necessarily use less water than the pool. The splash pad system will be on a timer to prevent wasting water. Hinchliffe said that the city would winterize and drain the system for winter.

Hinchliffe reported that Mayor Marty Dunn asked the city's public works department to fill the pool in preparation for a visit from American Leak Detection, who will try to pinpoint leaks. Hinchliffe said that the company would be diving in the pool to determine the volume of leaks. He said one major cause of leakage is because the pool sits below the water level and its proximity to the Touchet River creates a natural pull that does not allow leaked water to accumulate. This has made it difficult for the city to locate or assess leaks.

Hinchliffe commented that leaks are so severe that the pool would 'drain itself' within four days. Adding water daily during the season when the pool was last open is why the pool water always felt cold.

The city received $171,816 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This included $17,160 to make up for 'lost revenue.' The city plans to hold the remaining money until next year to be used on a larger water and sewer project. The city will receive a second ARPA allocation next year for another $17,816 in June, 2022. He hoped to have a detailed plan for budgetary discussions in August.

Walla Walla County has offered to share ARPA funds with local entities via an application process, which Hinchliffe said he has finished. Should the city be selected, the funds would go towards creating a GIS map system of Waitsburg's water and sewer lines, bringing the city's maps up to date and making them more accessible for current and future employees.

Additionally, the city has applied for a smaller ARPA grant dedicated to libraries. Should the grant be approved, Hinchliffe said library manager Rosie Warehime has asked for new laptops for the Weller Public Library. The decision of how to use the money may be the responsibility of the board of trustees.

The city is working with the city attorney to clarify governance over the Weller Public Library as specified in the municipal code. The code established a Board of Trustees in Title 5, and a library advisory committee is described under Title 2. State law requires a public library to be governed by a board of trustees which has power over how the library is run as well as how assets are used. An advisory committee does not have direct power and can only advise the council. The Municipal Code states the purpose of the committee is to advise the council on changes to Title 5, Chapter 1 – Library.

During the meeting, Hinchliffe and Mayor Dunn referred to the governing group as an advisory board/committee. In an email to The Times, Hinchliffe said the board and the advisory committees are the same and interchangeable. Current members are Jim Leid, Eleanora Montgomery, and Becky Huwe, who believe they are on the board of trustees, not the advisory committee.

There are nine applicants for positions on the advisory committee/board, according to Hinchliffe. Since there are more applicants than seats, the applications will be sent to the current board, who will give their recommendations at the upcoming regular city council meeting. It is still unclear how many seats need to be filled, the state limits the board to five members, and the code says the committee has seven seats.

Mayor Dunn asked what the responsibilities of the Friends of the Weller Library are and its relationship to the city. Jim Leid offered clarification, saying the Friends of the Weller Library is a non-profit group that raises money for new books and materials and provides help to Warehime when needed for programs at the library. It is independent and does not report to the city.

Hinchliffe gave a brief update on levee repairs along Preston Avenue. He said that most of the homeowners prefer a plan to repair the existing levee and not the alternative plan creating a new levee. Hinchliffe said homeowners did not want the "perceived loss of property" resulting from the alternative plan.