Council to examine builder’s bond ordinance

The Cheney City Council will take a look at making changes to an ordinance requiring developers to put up a bond to guarantee environmental mitigation, maintenance and monitoring on new projects.

The controversy began at the council meeting Tuesday night when Public Works Director Todd Ableman asked the council to approve a $5,000 line-item budget change to guarantee wetland mitigation at the new Cheney Industrial and Commerce Park. He said most developers would put up a performance bond, and in lieu of that, the city would put $5,000 from the sewer fund.

Councilmember Tom Trulove said he understood why this needed to be done, but he thought it was ridiculous that the city would have to guarantee itself that it would complete the wetland mitigation.

“The city of Cheney isn’t going out of business,” Trulove said.

City attorney Stanley Schwartz told Trulove that he agreed with him, but since the Cheney municipal code requires a guarantee from all developers the city must comply as well.

The council ultimately voted unanimously to put the money aside for this purpose, but Trulove made a motion to request the “offending ordinance” be brought before the council at a later date to discuss changes.

In other council business, the city recognized Nadine Arévalo for her work in organizing the Eastern Washington University food drive. The food drive raised $8,200 and seven tons of food for the Cheney Food Bank.

“We are thankful for everything you do in this community,” city administrator Arlene Fisher told Arévalo.

The next Cheney City Council meeting will be Oct. 27.