Bike and Pedestrian Trail lovers check out Item 8. A consultant will receive $114,270 of a $125,000 federal grant to study extending trails from the Columbia River to Meadow Springs. This includes a bike/pedestrian bridge over Highway 240.

Additional information has been added about board appointments – the number of people who applied for each board. Councilmembers have claimed that they needed to eliminate term limits due to a dearth of applicants. Several of these boards did have very few.

However, 13 people applied to be on the Parks and Recreation Commission and Maria Gutierrez was reappointed for what will be 18 years at the end of this term. With Councilmember Marianne Boring’s promotion to city council, Gutierrez becomes the longest serving member of a board or commission. Boring had close to 20 years on both the Planning Board and the Board of Adjustment.

The item numbers match those on the agenda and the page numbers match the pages in the packet. For information on how to make a public comment go to the agenda.

  1. Proclamation of Appreciation for serving on the Parks and Recreation Board goes to retiring Nancy Doran and Barry Richards. Doran helped start the immensely popular, parks department neighborhood walks that she continues to lead. No member of the city council has ever been on one of her walks. Shame on them!! Pg. 4-6
  2. Visit Tri-Cities annual report and request for $345,250 from the lodging tax fund. Pg. 7-34

3. Hanford Communities Executive Director David Reeploeg will give an update on the work of that organization. He gave this presentation to Pasco City Council at their last meeting so he’s making the rounds. Pg. 35

4. Joe Schiessl, Parks and Public Facilities Director will describe 2021 goals. Pg. 36

5. Approval of the March 2 meeting minutes. Pg. 37-44

6. Sheds less than 200 square feet need no permits unless they are for a business. The city code will be amended to conform with state requirements. Pg. 44-50

7. The city is selling 1.49 acres in the Horn Rapids Industrial Park at Kingsgate and Battelle Drive to R&R Property Enterprises, Bonnie J. Watson, registered agent, for $81,205. Pg.  51-67.

8. Bikers, hikers, walkers, will love this. A consultant, KPFF, Inc. will study extending the trail system and even a bike/pedestrian bridge over Highway 240.  The consultant will receive $114,270 of a federal grant of $125,000. Pg. 68-123.

9. The city will surplus 840 Northgate so that it can be sold. The Department of Energy gave the .68 acres with a 26,805 sq. ft. building to Richland in 2000 but stipulated that it must used for public, non-commercial use. The city used it as a city hall annex until everyone moved to the new city hall. Columbia Basin College has expressed interest in buying the property. Pg.124-127.

10. The city will give $6000 from the business license fund to SCORE a non-profit business counseling group. SCORE will create webinars to help local businesses with marketing. The fund will still have $16,690. Pg.128-136

11. The Academy of Children’s Theatre (ACT) will receive $15,070 for improvements to the outside of their building and their sign from the Commercial Façade Improvement Program that is funded by business license revenue. ACT will provide $25,311.  The façade program will provide $20,000 to 610 The Parkway for building façade and sign improvements. That group’s contribution will be $40,000. The business license fund will still have $81,531. Pg. 137-144.

12.Here’s where the council approves the $345,250 for Visit Tri-Cities. See item 2. Pg.145-149.

13. The city received 4 applications and appointed three people to the Arts Commission: Jet Richardson, Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity Tri-County Partners; Eboni “Raleigh” Lovell, an on-air radio personality for Mix 105.3; Emilie Cooper a student at Hanford High School. Pg. 150-151

14. Michael Simpson replaced Marianne Boring on the Board of Adjustment when she was appointed to the city council. This gives him a full term. He will also serve on the Personnel Committee until his term ends Sept.30,2022. Pg.152-153

15.The Code Enforcement Board had two applicants. Albert Edmondson and Ragan Faylor, a real estate appraiser will join the board. Pg. 154-155

16. The Parks and Recreation Committee had 13 applicants. Maria Guitierrez, a high school English teacher in Pasco, was reappointed for another term. At the end of it, she will have served 18 years on that committee. Meghan Brooks a HAPO Community Credit Union employee; Isaac Arnquist, who works at PNNL; and student representatives William Henry and Annabella Aldous were also chosen. Pg. 156-157

Expenditures: Checks written in February came to $26 million. Pg. 158-235

Blah, Blah, Blah, interim city manager and councilmembers give reports and comments.