Royal City Council absorbs Transportation Benefit District Board after quiet hearing

ROYAL CITY — The Royal City Council will no longer have to wait for the Transportation Benefit District Board to ask voters for a sales tax increase for street work.

At its meeting of Dec. 1, the Council dissolved the TBD Board and took over its rights, powers, functions and obligations. This was all made possible by Second Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5987, Section 302, which abolished TBD governing boards.

This bill corrects a problem with the old rules. Those rules required a governing board for a TBD. It would make a recommendation to the Council, then the Council would ask the voters.

However, the old rules allowed the members of the Council to be members of the Board. The same people receiving the recommendation were making it. And there was a separate meeting recording system and the Council and Board had to meet at different hours.

There was an advertised public hearing about the TBD before the meeting, and no one spoke.

In other taxes and revenue news, the Council adopted the city budget for 2016. This also was preceded by a hearing at which no one spoke. Residents may view the entire budget at city hall.

The Council approved a consent agenda that includes the Council meeting minutes of Nov. 17, payroll for Nov. 30 in the amount of $38,801.62 and claims for Dec. 1 totaling $87,339.19.

Finance Director Greg Pike reported to the Board that Cities Insurance Association of Washington has raised Royal City’s premiums for 2016 by 8.5 percent. The Council did not vote to change carriers, he said.

The Council voted against authorization to release retention funds related to the 2015 street improvement project. Mayor Kent Andersen and Public Works Director John Lasen will meet with Central Washington Asphalt officials to address the hangup.

“Some touchups are needed on Acacia St.,” Pike said.

The Council asked Pike to bring a draft resolution to a future Council meeting in support of keeping the John Wayne Trail or parts of it from being sold into private ownership.

The Council authorized Police Chief Darin Smith to start the process for buying a new patrol car. Smith reported to the Council that a purchase takes three to four months to complete.

Lasen reported that Schneider Water Services advised the City to repair the pump at City well No. 1 with a sand screen to prevent future issues. Well No. 1 is not used regularly. It has reserve status.

City Planner Darryl Piercy announced that Catholic Charities will re-apply for tax credits in 2016 in hopes of building a new housing complex. According to Pike, it would be sited down the hill from the Catholic Charities housing on Road F.

Pike said there is a good chance the tax credits will be awarded. He noted the city still has the $105,000 it received last year to build needed infrastructure for the complex.