Schwartz to retire

After helping guide the fledgling city of Liberty Lake through its first five years of legal advice, City Attorney Stanley M. Schwartz announced his retirement Tuesday night.

Schwartz, who started working during the city’s incorporation, said he was thankful for the opportunity to serve for the city.

“It was a wonderful civics lesson to build a city,” Schwartz said after the City Council’s Tuesday night meeting. The attorney said he plans to focus his practice on land use and special purpose districts.

“Legally, to start a city from scratch is a tremendous amount of legal work,” Schwartz said. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity, a lesson and a blessing. I thank you.”

Schwartz will continue to serve at the city’s legal counsel until Dec. 31. City Finance Director Arlene Fisher said the city will soon issue a request for proposals for new legal services.

Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Jenkins, who led Tuesday’s meeting, said the attorney’s skills would be missed.

“I think I speak for everybody and say that it’s very difficult for us, but we wish you the best in your next endeavor,” Jenkins said.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, council members heard updates on the progress of several ongoing projects in Liberty Lake.

City Planning Director Doug Smith told members about work being done on the planning for improvements to the Liberty Lake Road corridor between the two major supermarkets in town.

Engineers are currently doing preliminary design work for a roundabout at the intersection of Liberty Lake and Country Vista, and plans are also being drawn for a Founder’s Corner addition at the same intersection.

Smith said he plans to have cost estimates and plans in place for a City Council decision by late February.

Mike Terrell of Greenstone Corp. told council members of two proposed plans for the undeveloped Rocky Hill Park at the east end of the city. Both plans included walking trails, open areas, basketball and tennis courts and natural areas. Planning continues on the project.

Jenkins also said he needed to make an “official statement” to quash rumors spreading about the city’s recent annexation area.

Residents of a mobile home park, the Greenacres Estates, have been worried that the city is trying to take over their homes and develop their land.

“Redeveloping that land has never been the intention of the City Council,” Jenkins said. “Right now we’re not even looking at that.”