Transportation plan approved at July council meeting

WAITSBURG-The Six-Year Transportation Plan was approved and adopted at the July 20 Waitsburg City Council meeting. All council members were present during the meeting.

The council heard comments from community members before the business portion of the meeting. Comments included concerns about dips in the newly-chip sealed roads in town and statements regarding the library.

The six-year plan included eight projects that the city plans to start and complete between 2023 and 2028. Projects include ongoing city-wide sidewalk replacement and repair estimated at $10,000, ongoing efforts for city-wide street repair in coordination with Walla Walla County, estimated at $20,000, and the $240,000 Harmon Street Sidewalk project.

Projects include rebuilding a section of Bolles Road that runs from the Bolles/Millrace Road intersection to the railroad crossing. The Bolles Road repair cost was estimated at $822,000 and noted as grant-funding dependent. Grant applications have been submitted on four large-ticket projects.

Following a public hearing that received no public input, the council voted to approve and adopt the plan as presented.

Council members approved the third and final payment for the splash pad, which is fully operational now. The final payment was $3,405.60.

Park and Recreation Commissioner Bart Baxter gave a presentation to the council on what the commission hopes to accomplish over the next few years. Parks and Rec surveyed Waitsburg community members and received 110 responses. Forty-five percent of the responses indicated that they would like to see an indoor pool constructed.

Baxter said that the commission would like to repurpose the current pool facility for alternative recreational use. He used a skate park, rock-climbing facility, or an interactive theater as examples.

Next, Baxter presented the 'vision' of what the P&R commission believes Waitsburg residents want in a pool facility. This included an indoor Olympic-size pool, a therapy pool, a fitness center, a health club, and a splash pad. He said that the facility would be open year-round and be membership-based. He did not have many answers regarding the funding for the facility, and estimated construction costs could range between $1 million and $11 million. Regarding potential funding, Baxter said there was $344 million in various state-funding opportunities available over the next few years.

P&R and RYSE are running a Double the Dollar fundraiser intending to raise $10,000, which would be matched dollar for dollar, by the beginning of the school year. Earlier this year, P&R received a $10,000 donation specifically to be used for a pool.

City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe provided a second-quarter budget update. As of the meeting, the city's general fund has collected 38% of its estimated yearly budget and has reached 52% of its estimated expenditures.

Water sales were down slightly from the year before, but Hinchliffe said that he is estimating the upcoming hot weather to help make up for the difference. He noted that the current budget status is not indicative of the year's total budget. He said that the third quarter would be a better indicator.

The budget report can be found on the city's website, http://www.cityfwaitsburg.com, in the July agenda packet.