Worksite cleanup due by May 15

An agreement is now in place to get land owned by the Spokane Valley Fire Department at Barker Road and Euclid Avenue cleaned up. It calls for construction equipment and debris being stored there by Morgen and Oswood Construction of Great Falls to be gone by May 15.

Deputy Chief Larry Rider told fire commissioners during a meeting Monday that he had received a letter from company President Greg Oswood. “This letter is basically a letter of apology,” he said. Earlier this month Rider had reported that his efforts to communicate with the company had gone unanswered. The company had originally agreed to have its property, left over from the construction of Barker Bridge, off the land by March 31.

The construction company has agreed to pay the department $834 in rent for the months of April and May, Rider said. The company will then have the site graded and any large rocks removed. Weed killer will be applied over the summer and new grass will be planted in mid-August. “They’re going to keep the weeds killed,” Rider said. “It will be a dirt patch through the summer, hopefully a dead dirt patch.”

The commissioners agreed to the new timetable. At previous meetings they had discussed ever increasing rents and taking legal action to get the construction company to move off the land. “I think it’s a very reasonable solution,” said Commissioner Joe Dawson.

“I think our goal was met,” said Commissioner Kolby Hanson.