Othello council passes 2024 budget, discusses ordinances

OTHELLO — The Othello City Council unanimously approved their final 2024 budget during the regular meeting Monday evening. The council also discussed temporary cargo containers on certain city properties.

The council, including newly elected council member Darryl Barnes, unanimously approved the final 2024 budget after a public hearing, which featured no public comment. 

“This is the culmination of a lot of work tonight. We started in July with department heads, getting estimates to end our 2023 year. We started developing estimates for 2024, and we started building the budget … I believe this is a budget that meets the operational and future capital needs of the city.”

Mayor Shawn Logan gave his input on the 2024 budget. 

“We're going to build a splash park this next year,” he said. “I have wanted to build a splash park for years and we finally got funded to build a splash park in Kiwanis Park. We're still on track to do it this spring.”

Logan also mentioned the budgeted increases to the Adams County Pet Rescue contract. He said ACPR is considering an offer from the city and that the contract should go before the council at the Dec. 12 council meeting. 

Other 2024 projects Logan brought up included updating the city’s comprehensive plan, hiring new staff, rehabilitating well seven, a new shelter in Lions Park and more. 

“I want to applaud the council because you guys are the ones who approve these budget items that are brought forward and I think this is an excellent budget.”

After the budget was approved, the council discussed an informational agenda item regarding the possibility of allowing temporary cargo container storage on certain city properties.

    Council members Danae Valdez, Angel Garza and newly elected member Darryl Barnes listen to Othello Planning Commissioner Chris Dorow as he explains the planning commission’s consideration of certain cargo container zoning restrictions.
  

Othello Planning Commissioner Chris Dorow said that there are several properties currently zoned C-1, in which temporary cargo container is not allowed at all, that are closer to C-2 zoning, which does allow cargo containers provided they are hidden from the street and disguised.

“After reviewing, we thought it was better to make a recommendation to City Council for places within C-1 that have parking in excess of what is typically required for that business type in C-2 and C-3 zones, that they could use that for the placement of one cargo container, as it would be with any other commercial zone in the city, and it would also fall under the rules the commercial zone two and commercial zone three,” Dorow said.

Logan responded to the possibility of allowing the containers on C-1.

“One thing. I want you to consider is … I can buy a permit, I can do a site plan, I can build, have inspections and pay x and then get an electrical inspection and etc., or I can just go buy a cargo container and go flop it down out in my parking lot and I don't buy a building permit, I guess it's considered temporary,” Logan said. “I don't want to fill up town like that. I don't. I don't think it's a good idea. It’s why we had restricted that in the past…and the city gets no revenue out of it.”

Council member John Lallas said he did not want to allow cargo containers in C-1.

"In my opinion, I don't believe that we should allow it if we already have it in an ordinance, and if there are containers in C-1 that we enforce the ordinance,” Lallas said. “And that means, visiting the owner of the property and telling them they have to remove their container. Because it is against the city ordinance today.”

Chris Dorow said the planning commission wanted to make a fair ordinance and also make it easier for the Othello Police Department to enforce the cargo container ordinances.

Logan commented further on the containers. 

“As far as I'm concerned, I think that they should be regulated to the point that that it's temporary until they have a permanent solution but they don't get 10 years to figure out a permanent solution,” he said.

Dorow said that the commission has not officially formed a recommendation on the subject yet, and public input may change that recommendation, but they are leaning toward recommending the ordinance allowing the containers on certain C-1 properties. He said that the majority of those properties would not be able to place containers. 

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

2024 Fund Appropriations:

General Fund: $9.3 million

Water Utility Fund: $6.1 million

Sewer Utility Fund: $3.7 million

Street Fund: $2.2 million

Solid Waste Utility Fund: $2.1 million

Real Property Reserve Fund: $ 1.9 million

Public Safety Tax: $583,000

TBD Fund: $550,000

American Rescue Plan Act: $459,000

Sewer Reserve Fund: $378,000

Complete Streets Fund: $300,000

Debt Service/GO Bonds-Main Street Fund: $272,000

Real Estate Excise Tax Fund: $170,000

Tourism Fund: $90,000

Debt Service/PWTF Broadway Fund: $30,000

Crime Prevention Fund: $14,000

Restricted Donations Fund: $3,000

2024 Budget Total: $28.1 million