Town deals with aging vehicle fleet

The Odessa Town Council met Monday evening to hear pressing news from the Public Works Department on the town's fleet of vehicles. PW employee Gerald Greenwalt and director Rod Webster said the town garbage truck now being used to haul yard waste collected in the yellow dumpsters in town had broken down and was thought to be hardly worth repairing. The truck was of 1988 vintage and was purchased used. It currently has a broken axle, leaking cylinders and faulty brakes that would cost between 10 and 15 thousand dollars to repair.

For now, the PW Dept. has leased a truck for $4,000/month, with the lease amount going toward purchase, should the council approve such a move, of the $58,000 truck. Since the town had not budgeted for any replacement vehicles, a budget amendment will be needed prior to making any purchases.

A truck used by PW to transport solid waste from the water treatment plant to the Barr-Tech composting facility near Sprague is a 1974 model bought used by the town in 1988. It currently has 240,000 miles on it, rotted seals that leak and cause coolant loss, and a water leak. Research by the PW crew turned up two nearby used vehicles available for sale, one from Cascade Diesel in Moses Lake for $12,000 and another from the Younkers Bros. in Spokane for $8,500. Both Webster and Greenwalt agreed that newer model trucks now available from other municipalities have had improved maintenance, since the effects of road salt and de-icing chemicals were determined to be so detrimental to fleet vehicles. Most are now washed off thoroughly after each use out in the weather.

The crew plans a test run next week to see whether the leased truck might serve both for disposing of yard waste and hauling biosolids to Barr-Tech. The old vehicle held 64 bags of solid waste, while the newer truck can hold considerably more, thus reducing the number of necessary trips to Barr-Tech. The test run will help the crew determine whether the one truck can serve double duty.

Gun Club property sale

Town attorney Mark DeWulf advised council members of two possible approaches to dealing with the runway protection zone (RPZ) at the airport when selling adjacent property to the Odessa Gun Club. Council members could have a professional survey determine the exact property lines, at a cost of between $2,000 and $4,000, or dispense with the survey and allow a more vague definition of the property lines. County assessor Mark Hammond told DeWulf he thought the definition could be provided to the satisfaction of the county auditor without a survey.

Council members will have two weeks to think over the options prior to deciding at the next meeting. Neither the council nor the gun club wants to spend money unless it is absolutely necessary. DeWulf will also have further discussions with Lisa Corcoran of the town's engineering consulting firm USKH and with airport manager Stan Dammel prior to the next meeting.

Reports

Police officer Bryce Peterson reported that there were no serious problems during the two weekends of motorcycle races held near Odessa. Only a couple of tickets were issued for speeding. Most drivers were given verbal warnings to slow down. Council members asked about freight trucks speeding through town, to which Peterson responded that most truckers have been clocked right at the posted speed limit. Often, he said, it only appears that trucks are going faster than they are due to their size and the noise level.

The new police car being driven by police chief Helen Coubra has yet to have its decals and other identifiers applied. Council member Landon Lobe's company LL Customs is doing the work, but he has had trouble getting a digital copy of the needed artwork in the proper format that will allow an increase to the proper size. He hopes to have the car finished soon, he said.

Fire Dept.

Fire chief Don Strebeck was not present, but members clarified with the mayor the fact that open burning is allowed in Odessa through the end of April. Residents are nevertheless asked to call the firehouse to provide notice prior to burning.

Public Works Dept.

Webster met with USKH engineer Kennet Bertelson regarding the 4th and 5th Avenue projects over concerns about the deep swales initially envisioned for flood control. A different approach is currently being worked on and will be presented to the council.

The town crew met with an expert on grinder pumps who provided information on diagnosing whether or not the equipment is rebuildable. Major savings in time spent on repairs is now expected.

Avista representative Sam Mullins helped the crew trim deadwood from trees at the Odessa Cemetery. The crew also turned on the irrigation systems at the cemetery and other properties.

Following the release of excessive amounts of oil into the sewer system in Odessa, Webster met with several people from the state Dept. of Ecology on how to mitigate such problems. A number of town ordinances dealing with what is and is not allowed to be released into the sewer system, he said, really have no teeth and need to be rewritten. The ordinances need to define what penalties or remedies will be required of violators. While the town wants to promote new business and keep its current business clients happy, it also needs to protect all of its citizens from problems with the sewer due to improper release of substances that can damage equipment or cause major cleanup issues.

Council member reports

Council member Lois Harp of the pool committee has begun hiring lifeguards for the summer swim season.

Councilman Frank White reported on the QuadCo (four-county representatives) meeting he recently attended.

Mayor Doug Plinski said there will be a meeting of council members in August in Odessa for the purpose of training in public disclosure policies, transparency, etc., as mandated by the state legislature.

He said the town may have to consult a vendor list prior to obtaining new fleet vehicles. Then a budget amendment will also be required.

The Lincoln County Conservation District has awarded funds to the Town of Odessa for the purpose of studying how to proceed with the removal of vegetation that has grown up in Crab Creek within the town limits.