Sidewalk work gets approval by city leaders

The Millwood City Council’s short agenda this week included approving work on new sidewalks and an imagery license agreement.

Councilman Shaun Culler officiated the meeting as mayor pro tem because Mayor Dan Mork was absent. Councilman Glenn Bailey was also absent.

The council unanimously approved hiring Welch Comer and Associates per its 2011 General Services agreement to provide engineering services for new sidewalks along the north side of Buckeye Avenue between Argonne and Vista roads. The approved $52,000 for engineering services includes the design of curb, sidewalk, drainage, pedestrian ramps and flashing school zone signage.

Funding for the project comes from a $261,345 Transportation Improvement Board grant awarded to the city last fall. The grant covers 95 percent of the estimated cost of the sidewalk project. The city’s estimated portion is $13,755.

The council also approved an agreement to have Spokane County provide aerial imagery of the city.

“This is the same thing we’ve been doing for years,” city planner Tom Richardson said. “It’s just with the county instead of Avista.”

Richardson said the imagery provides detailed information.

“It’s three times more detailed than what we’ve been using,” Richardson said. “You can actually measure the walls of buildings.”

The city plans to purchase three 1-mile sectors at $100.50 each, in order to have imagery of the entire city.

In other business

• Attorney Brian Werst asked the council to add the Shoreline Management Program as an agenda item to keep the issue from falling off the city’s radar

• Werst gave a brief update stating that once Mork returns they plan to schedule a meeting with the state Department of Ecology to discuss the issue.

• The city’s mandated update of the Shoreline Management Program needs to be approved by the Department of Ecology by the end of December.

• A member of the Millwood council may participate on the interview team for the new Spokane Valley fire chief on Jan. 22. The list of candidates to replace Mike Thompson, who is retiring, has been trimmed to six.

• During comments, Councilman Brian Ellingson noted that the city should repaint the white stripes on the raised intersection at Fowler Road in the spring.

“I think it would behoove us to protect our investment and the citizens of the area to keep up with the white stripes for a visual,” Ellingson said. “I think that does a lot of good there.”