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HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/16/2020 - City Council - City Council Meeting Minutes - Jerrilea Crawford, Mayor 7-16-2020 Council Workshop Minutes Page 1 of 3 CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE 271 9th Street NE * East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Phone (509) 884-9515 * Fax (509) 884-6233 City Council Workshop Zoom Meeting East Wenatchee City Hall 271 9th St. NE East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Minutes Thursday, July 16, 2020 In attendance: Josh DeLay, Finance Director Councilmember Magdoff Lori Barnett, Community Development Director Councilmember Sterk Devin Poulson, City Attorney Councilmember Raab Trina Elmes, Events Director / PIO Councilmember Tidd Mary Beth Phillips, Court Administrator Councilmember Johnson Tom Wachholder, Project Dev. Manager Councilmember Hepner Maria Holman, City Clerk 5:30 p.m. Council Workshop. Councilmember Magdoff opened the meeting. 1. Community Development Director Lori Barnett spoke to the Council regarding how the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority (Port District) has been distributing the Chelan and Douglas Counties’ CARES Act funds and the Working Washington Grants. Ms. Barnett provided the Council with information and asked the Council regarding which standards should be set for the City’s Small Business Stabilization Grant funds. Ms. Barnett proposed $5,000.00 per grant and up to $10,000 depending on compelling needs. The business must be located inside City limits, have an active City Business License, been in operation for at least one year from the date of application,10 or fewer full-time equivalent employees including the business owner, engaged in a type of business eligible to receive funding from the US Small Business Administration. Business cannot be owned, or partially owned by employees, officers, directors, public officials associated with the Port District or the City of East Wenatchee. The business must have experienced a loss of income due to COVID-19; grants will be reimbursing cost incurred due to business interruption between March 1st through October 1, 2020, due to COVID-19. Businesses will complete an economic injury form; a short application completed by the business requesting the grant. Ms. Barnett provided examples of eligible and ineligible reimbursable expenses. Ms. Barnett also said that a Resolution will be presented for Council’s 7-16-2020 Council Workshop Minutes Page 2 of 3 consideration at the next meeting. She also said that the Port District has a committee that decides who receives the grants. Councilmember Magdoff and Councilmember Tidd volunteered to be on the committee and help decide the distribution of the City’s grants for the $160,000 that the City allocated for this purpose. Ms. Barnett repeated what the Council’s disbursements were for the CARES Act funds as $160,000 for City’s Small Business Stabilization Grants; $160,000 for rent, mortgage, utility assistance programs, that will be administered by the Housing Authority; $20,000 to Mobile Meals; $8,061 to the Chamber of Commerce for personal protective equipment. Ms. Barnett also provided that the Eastmont Metropolitan Parks District, Sally Brawley, submitted a reimbursement request for approximately $1,500 for their day camp program. Ms. Barnett is going to take the time to review and discuss with Ms. Brawley and said that the Council can discuss this request at a later date. Comments provided by Councilmember Tidd, Councilmember Magdoff, and Councilmember Sleiman. 2. Community Development Director Lori Barnett explained to the Council that every five years the City must write a new Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan and they have been working on it with a consultant. Ms. Barnett said that the Council needs to start talking about how the City is going to spend the Community Development Block Grant funds. Ms. Barnett provided recommendations as Devon Ave. (between 11th St. and 15th St.), 13th Street, Hamilton Ave, and 1st Street SE. This is a first look of where we need to construct sidewalks, and she also presented supporting information, and information from prior conversations. Ms. Barnett also suggested the widening of sidewalks on Valley Mall Parkway as a potential project. This would allow the City to fix the electrical problem along that street that is impacting the streetlights. They are currently served with overhead wires due to the deterioration of the underground wiring. Ms. Barnett asked the Council if they would like to see this as a list move forward and the Council expressed support, except that Councilmember Raab was not in support of widening the sidewalks on Valley Mall Parkway, due to parking concerns. Comments provided by Councilmember Magdoff, Councilmember Raab, Councilmember Sleiman, and Project Development Manager Tom Wachholder. 3. Councilmember Magdoff asked the Council if they received a list of the City Partners, Councilmembers discussed adding the Community & Board Assignments Organizations and outreach process. The Council decided that Councilmember Magdoff will assign which organizations the Councilmembers are to contact. Councilmember Magdoff also reviewed the questions that the Councilmembers would be asking. Comments provided by all Councilmembers regarding the process and distribution of organizations to contact.