Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
ODESSA – The hammer is about to fall. After numerous requests via letter and in person, as well as citations issued by Odessa Police, nuisance properties within the Town of Odessa, that are not just unsightly but also health hazards affecting neighbors and/or anyone else needing to access those properties (delivery drivers, utility workers, etc.), the Odessa Town Council is taking action to clean up the properties and place liens against them in order to recoup the cost of remediation. At Monday evening’s meeting of the council, the full council and the mayor agreed, “enough is enough.” After a long wait to take action due to the Covid outbreak, cleanup crews will be scheduled and dispatched.
The full council and Mayor Bill Crossley met via Zoom and in person in the clerk’s office. The meeting was also attended by Zoning Inspector Bill Knerr, Clerk Meri Jane Bohn, Public Works Director Rod Webster, Fire Chief Don Strebeck and Police Chief Les Jimerson.
Recycling costs
Efforts to have the cardboard recycling bin moved back to its former location next to the police station have been stymied by county personnel “forgetting” to place the bin in that location when replacing a full bin. If the clerk and deputy clerk are unsuccessful in achieving compliance with the town’s wishes, Mayor Bill Crossley vowed to intervene personally.
Discussion then followed regarding how the town might recover some of the expenses involved in the recycling program. A suggestion to increase the utility rate somewhat was countered by Councilman Kelly Watkins urging a wait of a month or two to see if costs came down following council’s efforts to monitor the cardboard bin in particular. Having the town crew use its equipment to mash down the cardboard to allow more to fit in the bin was also proposed. There was also some discussion of whether the recycling bins should be reserved for town residents and not for use by businesses. Use by out-of-town residents is already prohibited. A rate increase will be re-evaluated at the end of April.
Police officer search
Odessa’s search for a new officer has been narrowed down to three candidates, who are now undergoing background checks. One is a 25-year veteran of the Washington State Patrol, another has been a corrections officer for five years and the third is a former bail bondsman who will have to attend the police academy prior to starting work if he/she is selected. Police chief Les Jimerson requested changes to the requirement that new hires live within the town limits. He suggested the requirement be like that for public works employees, i.e., live in town or within cell phone range (to comply with a 10-minute response time). The council agreed.
Spring cleanup days
This year, Odessa’s annual spring cleanup days will be April 8-10 (Thurs./Fri./Sat.). The cleanup days are for town residents only and other restrictions apply. Additional information will be provided to The Record in the coming weeks. Town fire chief Don Strebeck announced that open burning will be allowed from March 12 to April 12 for leaves and small branches only. No garbage can be burned.
Public Works report
Public Works director Rod Webster asked the council for a motion to accept the low bid offered by DW Excavating, Inc. of Davenport so that work can begin soon on the water line and streets project for which the town has received grant money. He reported that the water treatment plant requires additional testing equipment worth about $2,500 for which he had not budgeted.
Police report
For the period from Feb. 2 through Feb. 22, police chief Jimerson reported one EMT assist call, two harassment calls, two stop-sign infractions, one stop for an equipment problem and one instance of a driver failing to produce a driver’s license. There was one report of an attempted break-in. The chief also did follow-up work on pending cases, opened two new cases involving Adult Protective Services and provided an agency assist.
Jimerson also attended a meeting of prosecutors and submitted various reports. He listened to hours worth of audio dictation, performed background checks, completed administrative paperwork to keep Odessa certified and attended an emergency management meeting.
Reader Comments(0)