Othello wants ideas on spending COVID-19 relief funds

OTHELLO — A second public hearing has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 to take comments and ideas from Othello residents on the best use of about $2.3 million the town has or will have as part of federal COVID-19 relief funding.

Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said the city received $1.17 million in July and will get another $1.17 million in July 2022.

“We haven’t spent any of the money yet,” he said.

Projects must fit specific criteria to be eligible, Logan said, including combating the coronavirus and addressing other public health needs, supporting businesses and industries most affected by the pandemic, replacing revenue loss for cities and improving water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

City officials came up with a list of possibilities in July. Those options were reviewed and other projects suggested during a public hearing at the Oct. 11 council meeting. But council members said they’d like to hear more from Othello residents, which led to scheduling a second public hearing.

Some of the projects already suggested include adding video and upgrading audio systems in the council chambers, adding monitors to the city’s water system, adding lighting at the basketball courts in Lions Park, and extending water and sewer systems across Port of Othello property to hook up with an existing system on Reynolds Road.

The sound system in the council chambers is inadequate for streaming meetings, Logan said, and there’s no video at all. The water and sewer extension to Reynolds Road would allow more development in that area, according to a presentation at the July 26 council meeting.

Other proposals include adding security cameras around town, and adding internet connections at the city athletic fields and the Othello Community Pool. Other options include installing automatic locks on the bathroom doors in the city parks, and adding touchless equipment in park bathrooms.

City officials also proposed installing backup computer programs to keep city systems running in case the fiber connection is broken or the city is the subject of a ransomware attack. There’s also the option of using some of the money to replace lost revenue in the city’s building and planning department.

Logan said council members want to know if residents have other ideas that fit the criteria. People can access the meeting through the link on the city’s website, www.othellowa.gov under the calendar tab.