At its June 7 meeting Richland City Council will increase the salaries of emergency communications dispatchers to try to fill the 14 vacancies in the 40 budgeted positions.  As part of the collective bargaining agreement with the Southeast Washington Telecommunicators Guild, starting in September the entry level salary will be $26.95 an hour, an increase of over $4.00 an hour.

Staff assigned to SECOMM are employed by the city of Richland, but wages and benefits are assessed to member agencies – Kennewick and Pasco, and Benton and Franklin counties.

About $500,000 will be allocated to planning the Downtown Connectivity Project which will make the segments of Jadwin and George Washington Way one way.

The page numbers after the items correspond to the page numbers in the packet.

1.Letter of Appreciation for Fire Ops 101 (no documents provided)

2. New Hires and Retirements (no documents provided)

Public Hearing – You have 3 minutes to comment on these. You can comment live at city hall or virtually if you sign up before 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Check out details at the top of the agenda.

3. Proposed Transportation Improvement Budget – each local jurisdiction must have a 6-year plan so that the state and federal government can manage their funding. Check out the list of projects.  Pg. 174-216

4. Collective bargaining agreement with the Southeast Washington Telecommunicators Guild. The shortage of workers has necessitated a lot of overtime hours. Page 250 has the salary schedule. Pg. 217 – 260

Public Comment Period – You have two minutes to say whatever you want to but the council “will not directly respond to comments, questions or concerns during the public comment.”

5. Approval of Minutes for the May 17 meeting and the May 24 workshop. Pg. 14-21

6. Amending the 2022 budget to include the 2021 carryover of $74,715,812. Pg. 15-21

7. Correcting the illegal dumping code to correctly reference another code.  Pg. 22-24

8. Approving the Walnut Heights development that will have 24 lots on 8.48 acres. Pg. 25-54.

9. Awarding a bid to extend Henderson Loop in the Horn Rapids Industrial Park for $1,769,704.94. It will support about 21 acres of industrial property that has been selling for $50,000 to $100,000 an acre so basically a break even, although there will be future tax income.  Pg. 55-72

10. Awarding $1,832,000 for resurfacing a portion of Jadwin, improving crossing safety, handicap accessibility, and restriping for a bike lane.  Pg. 73-82.

11. Adding a $399,321 amendment to the consultant agreement with Murraysmith, Inc. for the wastewater treatment plant aeration basin retrofit project. Pg. 83-97

12. Authorizing $497,409 to Transpo Group USA for designing the downtown connectivity project which will make the downtown segments of Jadwin and George Washington Way one way. Pg. 98-128

13. The city will approve an agreement with the state for water/wastewater agency response network. Pg. 128-140.

14. A sixth amendment will be added to the gas-to-fuel project at the Horn Rapids landfill. The amendment addresses the potential need for an environmental site assessment. Pg. 141-145.

15. Accepting a $225,000 grant from the state for pedestrian crossing improvements and restriping for a bike lane at Jadwin and Catskill Street. Pg. 146-148

16. Authorizing an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for Wildland Fire Suppression. The city will be reimbursed for fire suppression on or near federal lands within Richland city limits. Pg. 149-173.

Items of Business – these two get a separate vote

17. Transportation improvement budget. See Item 3

18. Collective bargaining agreement with the Southeast Washington Telecommunicators Guild. See Item 4

City manager and councilmembers blah, blah blah

Secret Executive Session to discuss current or potential litigation with legal counsel.