Library repairs coming soon

ROYAL CITY — According to City Finance Director Greg Pike, repairs to the Royal City Public Library should start early in June.

The library was damaged a couple of months ago when a car parked in the Harvest Foods parking lot rolled down a slope and hit the building.

Pike told the city council at its May 3 meeting that one contractor submitted a bid to perform the repair work on the library. Othello Construction submitted a lower than expected bid of $4,208, he said.

Pike added that there may be a prevailing wage issue that needs to be addressed with this contractor.

A motion was made to accept the bid submitted by Othello Construction with the stipulation that prevailing wage is verified to be included in the bid and an agreement signed to include a deadline for project completion.

Nancy Wetch of Gray & Osborne Engineering of Yakima outlined the next steps in the process for updating the current ultraviolet facility at the wastewater treatment plant. According to Pike, it is so old that it is no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Pike said that means the system will have to be rebuilt. The Department of Ecology will demand it.

The City has been awarded a $40,000 grant/loan from the DOE that will go toward the preparation of a facility plan. This plan will help determine the best course of action. The cost of construction for a UV facility would range from $200,000-$500,000.

The Council voted to authorize Mayor Kent Andersen to sign the agreement with Gray & Osborne to prepare the UV facility plan.

The Humane Society, which is on-and-off serving the city, will begin taking any dogs impounded by the city after sufficient time has passed for the dogs to be claimed.

City Planner Daryl Piercy told the Council he’s been contacted by an individual looking to partner with the current owner, Lloyd Sparks, on the 310 Acacia Apartments.

This individual would be looking to purchase and update the property, Piercy said. However, no written documentation has been provided by this individual to inform the City of his intentions.

The City has recently had the building inspected for asbestos. A motion was passed to continue with the abatement process.

There was a discussion of Royal City Community Center at the golf course, particularly the northwest entrance. There had been a complaint about a woman being injured there by the force of wind against that door.

Police Chief Darrin Smith told the Council that patrol cars will be taken to dealership for recall repairs. He added that he will be looking at options regarding the surplus of replaced patrol cars. Trade-in value is only $1,500.

The Council voted to authorize the mayor to sign a resolution allowing the surplus of the two police vehicles that have been replaced.

The Council approved a consent agenda that included the meeting minutes of April 19, a payroll of $43,288.01 and claims of $29,928.06.