Planning commission has openings

The Liberty Lake City Council announced Tuesday that the city will soon have two vacancies on its planning commission.

Mike Eikens, chairman of the Liberty Lake Planning Commission, and Bill Rich are stepping down on Aug. 1.

Both positions are volunteer, and people interested are encouraged to contact City Hall.

In other action, the council approved a $439,202 bid for Spokane Rock Products Inc. to resurface and improve Molter Road between Sprague Avenue and Appleway Boulevard.

The project will begin in the next two weeks and is expected to wrap up around Labor Day.

In addition, council members unanimously approved funding for the Liberty Lake Municipal Library to link up with a Web-based library management system.

The EOS.Web system includes software and training and continued access and will cost $25,000 for the first year and $5,000 for subsequent years.

More than 5,000 libraries across the nation are linked via the system, said librarian Pamela Mogen, who touted EOS.Web as having patron-friendly screens.

City officials awarded Liberty Lake’s first life-saving awards to Liberty Lake Police Officer Mike Thomas and citizen Ty Larsen.

Thomas responded to an early morning call June 5 about a boat capsizing on Liberty Lake.

Two adults and a 4-year-old – none wearing life jackets – were clinging to the flipped boat and screaming for help.

Thomas found Larsen and the two used Larsen’s ski boat to rescue the three and get them to shore for medical attention.