Othello council talks water, construction

Meeting is tonight at 7 p.m.

OTHELLO - The Othello City Council is considering issues related to city water and garage construction during their 7 p.m. meeting tonight.

The meeting is at city hall, located at 500 E. Main Street.

Council is expected to make a decision on providing water to the Othello Golf Course Development. At the last meeting, council listened to citizen input related to the issue.

According to a city document, staff recommends approving the request.

The proposed development would add at least 170 homes near the golf course, according to city records.

The development is located outside the city limits, where the city charges 150 percent more than the cost of water to city residents.

"As the city is in the business of selling water and to increase the cost benefit to the city for pumping water, approval is recommended," according to the city document.

Approximately $14,580 more is expected to be paid to the city each year for every 80 homes outside of the city than if the water were sold inside city limits, according to the city document.

The second issue the council is discussing concerns altering the size of garages allowed to be built in the city limits.

City staff recommends changing the maximum size of a two-car garage from 17 feet by 18 feet to 20 feet by 22 feet to help accommodate larger vehicles, according to a city document.

The current dimensions were chosen because a parking space is determined as 8.5 feet by 18 feet.