Cheney council OKs well rehabilitation

CHENEY – The pump shaft of a city well that serves Cheney residents is so badly deteriorated that it needs to be replaced.

Council members on Tuesday voted to spend an extra $13,580 for the rehabilitation of well No. 7.

The shaft was set to be pulled out, cleaned and reinstalled, but workers found it so badly pitted and deteriorated that it was recommended it be replaced. The project was originally estimated to cost $28,377.

“This is a situation we’re not particularly thrilled with,” said Don MacDonald, the city’s director of public works.

Although missing members Curt Huff, Bob Stockton and Tom Trulove, the council voted to approve the extra funds, plus a 10 percent contingency for any other issues that might come up during the project.

In other council business, City Administrator Arlene Fisher welcomed Brian Jennings as the new director of community development. Jennings replaces Tom Richardson, who will retire at the end of the month.

“We’re very excited,” Fisher said of Jennings. “I’d like to welcome him on behalf of the city.”

The council also agreed to hire NAC Architecture to complete an assessment of city buildings, including City Hall, the fire station and police station.

MacDonald presented a slide show of the buildings and the issues employees have with them. City Hall’s court office is cramped, is not fully wheelchair-accessibile and the mayor’s meeting room is beneath a room which hosts aerobics classes, which can be fairly noisy during meetings.

The fire station has only one shower – there is no shower for women – and the ceiling in the resident’s quarters is only 6 feet high.

“Nobody can stand up straight,” said Chief Mike Winters.

The Utilities Building, which houses public works, the light department and community development, also is cramped.

“It’s extremely crowded in there,” MacDonald said.

The police station was purchased seven or eight years ago, but the department had to put up partitions in order to conduct interviews properly.

The council unanimously approved the agreement and the architectural firm will make recommendations for needed modifications. It’s the first step in finding solutions for many of the space problems city employees are facing.

MacDonald also asked the council to approve a contract with Inland Fence to construct a 6-foot fence around all five city reservoirs. The project is estimated to cost $30,358.

“Why are we doing this now, we’ve never done it before?” Councilmember Doug Nixon asked.

MacDonald explained that since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there have been concerns of bioterrorism throughout the country. The fence would also address some vandalism problems in the area of the reservoirs.

The council agreed to the contract.