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NEWPORT — The Newport City Council passed an amendment funding building improvements and renewed agreements on March 17.
The amendment the council passed was to this year’s budget, increasing the fire department’s budget by $63,000 left over from last year’s budget.
The city used most of the revenue from the fire levy last year to make improvements to Newport’s fire hall and Quonset hut. While the fire hall improvements were completed on time, the hut improvements were not. The leftover $63,000 was to go toward the hut improvements.
Mayor pro tempore Mark Zorica asked at the March 17 meeting whether the leftover $63,000 would be enough to complete improvements to the hut.
“I believe so,” said Nickole North, city clerk and treasurer.
The rest of last year’s revenue from the fire levy went to South Pend Oreille Fire and Rescue, which occupies the fire hall and Quonset hut per its contract with the city. The improvements to the fire hall and hut will keep the buildings “up to par” with SPOFR’s needs, North said.
“It just improves our stuff as we’re building those connections,” North said.
In other action, the council renewed the city’s agreement with the City of Spokane for hearing examiner services. Spokane serves as a backup hearing examiner for the city for planning services. The agreement raised Spokane’s rate from $1.25 to $1.50 an hour.
The council also renewed the city’s agreement with Newport Hospital and Health Services for public works mutual aid and the sharing of labor and equipment resources. Under the agreement, the hospital can request assistance from the city’s public works crew and pay for the crew’s services.
