Patrick Jenkins resigns Liberty Lake council

Liberty Lake City Councilman Patrick Jenkins announced his resignation at Tuesday’s meeting, effective immediately. The city will be accepting applications through Jan. 15 for those interested in being appointed to the council to fill out the remainder of his term.

Jenkins works as a financial planner and has many clients in Utah, said Mayor Wendy Van Orman. His family and his wife’s family are also from that area, so he sold his house and plans to move to Utah next week to launch his own company, she said.

Jenkins has served on the council since 2003. “He will be very much missed,” Van Orman said.

If the city receives enough interest, interviews of applicants may be conducted at the next regular council meeting on Jan. 19.

Returning council members Odin Langford and Ryan Romney were sworn in, but Van Orman had to visit a local hospital Tuesday morning to swear in new council member Josh Beckett. He has been hospitalized with viral meningitis, Van Orman said.

A closed public hearing was held on a proposed change of conditions with the Bella Lago project. The development, east of Lakeside Drive where Valleyway curves south and turns into Lakeside, was originally required to put in a sidewalk and curbing along the Lakeside road frontage. The developer of the project asked the city to do away with that requirement, which created an outcry from the public.

The city received 61 letters against the developer’s request, said Van Orman. City staff and the developer reached a compromise that the developer can put in either a 6-foot sidewalk or a 10-foot pathway on the west side of Lakeside instead. The council voted Tuesday to approve the compromise.

“They’re still on the hook for building the 6-foot sidewalk or the 10-foot pathway, but they are flipping it from one side to the other,” said Van Orman.

The move made sense because of the topography of the site and the location of water mains, she said. “When it’s put in I think the residents will be very thankful it was changed. This is truly a better location.”

The sidewalk or pathway must be installed whenever the city does improvements to Valleyway from Molter to the east city limits. The project can also be completed in advance of the improvements if the developer wants to, Van Orman said.

In other business, the council voted to delay any work on the business locater signage program until the city’s sign ordinance can be reviewed as a whole.

The city has also gone out to bid for Rocky Hill Park phase two improvements. The council is scheduled to select the bid winner at its next meeting.