Touchy Topics On Council’s Agenda Street Bond, City Water Tests Will Come Up For Consideration

A move to put a street bond before voters and the selection of laboratories to test city water - two controversial topics - top tonight’s Spokane City Council agenda.

The council will consider asking residents if they’re willing to spend $15 million to $45 million to fix the city’s roads.

Council members also will decide who gets a $78,500 contract for water testing.

A water-quality committee is recommending the council divide the contract three ways. It suggests paying the county Health District to test city water for bacteria, a Portland laboratory to test for drinking water contaminants, and a Kelso, Wash., laboratory to test for ground water contaminants.

But Cheryl Blake, who owns AAA Superior Laboratory of Cheney, said the city is making a mistake that will cost taxpayers money.

Blake, who submitted a proposal to the city, said her laboratory and four other local companies were passed over for the contract. Instead, the committee is asking the council to send water samples as far away as the Washington coast and Portland.

Shipping water is expensive, she said. “That’s a huge cost to taxpayers.”

Lloyd Brewer of the city’s environmental programs department said cost plays into the selection process, but it’s not everything. “When you’re dealing with public safety, cheapest isn’t always best,” he said.

The water-quality committee looked at several issues when selecting the most qualified lab, such as the staff’s size, education and experience, Brewer said. Members also considered the laboratory’s availability and past history.

Also tonight, Irv Reed, city director of planning and engineering services, will present the council with several options for putting a street bond before voters.

Those range from a $15 million bond to a $45 million bond, with repayment ranging from five to 10 years.

The options affect the cost to taxpayers.

A $15 million bond repaid over five years would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $27 a year. A $45 million bond repaid on a 10-year schedule would cost that same taxpayer about $84 annually.

The money could be used only for street resurfacing and repair, not building new roads.

Council members must decide whether to place the measure on one of two fall ballots or wait until next spring.

The council also will discuss the city’s six-year capital improvement plans for street, water and sewer departments.

, DataTimes MEMO: Meeting A briefing for the council starts at 3:30 p.m. in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The council meeting begins at 6 p.m.