[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6060484,"mediaKeyId","3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147","parentId",3289535,"title","Council approves payment arrangements for Luda and Virginia Street frontage assessments after residents object to surprise bills","audioSeconds",1247,"startMs",9284000,"endMs",10531000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147&start=9284&end=10531","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147/thumbnail_9284000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6060484/Moses-Lake-City/Grant-County/Washington/Council-approves-payment-arrangements-for-Luda-and-Virginia-Street-frontage-assessments-after-residents-object-to-surprise-bills","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060484-1950266802029c6cfd8eb5005730fc64/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448259&Signature=OYw4cE56bQRA1cPcLr039dhfWLYtKrRvpc6Ca6fOqVHMalQl0fEhr91gf~vMs6i3fM5csWeRkXUFjJZMmYJwXK1-Gi3VdtdP5~fBGvZ~8bguZqUq~Zl~-G5SNcsR8bTAh4~FWjtVFIhhzFHP4huE~Au-dnyKLYoAnZwZ7FpAV9ZNzuaDde3PazHaiyi-qix5fHet-soJL8gyI8bT9a~awiOAros4OUwdJn69d7PDTxqJBCaIc4-nxkDZC2IQPJcD1--wbtR5U~LXMcYhxKLTFk0q037AcP0lqtYkk2QoLPNH2Vo1ZBshCf-fyr376xSYXPbxFgIjdBz2m1mqRXPqXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Moses Lake City, WA","date","2025-04-23T03:54:19Z","article","City staff presented the final payoffs for covenant assessments tied to Luda and Virginia Street improvements and asked council for direction on payment arrangements.

City Engineer/Project staff explained certified payoff letters were sent to affected property owners after the project contract was finalized. Several residents told council the bill amounts — roughly $20,000 to $21,000 per parcel in the cited examples — were a financial shock. Speakers asked why the assessments did not appear more clearly in title reports and urged the council to allow long amortization schedules.

Council discussed options staff had proposed: follow existing code and require near‑term payment, offer a multi‑year payment plan (staff suggested 10 years at prime + 2% as a sample), or amend city policy to allow different terms. Councilors debated interest and length; several members expressed reluctance to profit from residents and suggested lower rates and longer terms to reduce hardship. Finance staff ran amortization examples for 15‑ and 20‑year terms during the meeting.

Council Member Deanna (surname not recorded in transcript) moved to approve the payment arrangements “as discussed.” A second was recorded and the motion passed. Council did not record a roll‑call vote in the transcript. Staff will finalize amortization schedules and send formal offers to property owners. The council’s action did not forgive assessments; rather, it authorized staff to structure payment plans for the covenants.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Moses Lake City Council meeting May 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After residents said they received unexpected final payoff letters for assessments related to Luda and Virginia Street improvements, the council authorized staff to set up payment arrangements; council directed staff to prepare amortization schedules and finalize terms.","taxTitle","Moses Lake City, Grant County, Washington","taxId",52037,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6060489,"Council reviews draft ban on dispensing Narcan on city property; library director urges continued access",715,4985000,5700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147&start=4985&end=5700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147/thumbnail_4985000.jpg","/articles/6060489/Moses-Lake-City/Grant-County/Washington/Council-reviews-draft-ban-on-dispensing-Narcan-on-city-property-library-director-urges-continued-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060489-6b6ab86c342746a4a243baa13dc9160a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448259&Signature=SjPRgBBr1tqVmoBVuB0MNNgUCnpil-2ZymuULnRAXJhg9q5FAgaTKC~x-fjAIhKfI-peUaVnEMRnZoJZowCZIwYR4jxON5nSOL5PSsv8ei7twenOBrpCsJFym2ovA288UCQ66FrsFoK5AbL56Dt-gKTvzgJ-uafoVGUUhSORuuVGIefQ6Fnlx9bdbvt-K-8Sof6a-07uSXkg6lqPbDGCB6gwlFB~JI9eJGJHBS3LZEoxEQDjboELkI-trqFryMRynezS5lrSeTC3~zgrcDNQu35du163AsRVVpOBLaa4YcU76ptURh78~3X6JgeSOYzRSH7VbM1QuM7nDyQ8FV1kPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney Catherine Kennison presented a first draft ordinance that would prohibit “dispensing” and “distribution” of naloxone (Narcan) on city property while allowing administration of naloxone by an individual to another person in a remedial situation and other limited exceptions.

Kennison’s draft defined distribution and dispensing as different from administration and included exceptions for emergency staff, first responders and exceptions approved by the city manager. She told council the ordinance was written narrowly to address the Narcan vending machine at the public library and similar on‑site dispensing arrangements.

Library executive director Barbara Walters addressed council during public comment, saying the library’s Narcan vending machine had dispensed 819 boxes and the library had reports of 24 lives saved. “Those are our neighbors,” Walters said. She urged the council not to make a decision based on “optics, stigma, or fear” and asked for direct dialogue between the city and the library before restricting access.

Council members probed legal and practical limits. Several asked whether the ordinance should cover a broader class of drugs or pharmaceuticals; Kennison advised that a workable prohibition would require a clear statutory definition (for example, whether over‑the‑counter items such as aspirin would be included). Kennison noted there is little case law specifically governing public dispensing of lawful pharmaceuticals and that enforcement would depend on precise statutory language.

Council also debated a licensing approach that would allow exceptions by written agreement if a third party installs equipment on city property. Kennison explained that license agreements are the standard tool for permitting parties to use city property and can include indemnity and operational conditions; some council members questioned whether a manager‑level approval for exceptions should be retained.

After discussion, members asked staff to research options and statutory risks, including the recreational‑use immunity statute referenced in the meeting, and to return with draft alternatives and legal analysis. Council agreed to bring the item back for further study at a later meeting (staff suggested the second regular meeting in June). No ordinance was adopted at the meeting.","The council received a first draft ordinance aimed at prohibiting public dispensing or dispensing machines for naloxone (Narcan) on city property. Library leaders and public commenters urged the council not to restrict access to life‑saving naloxone; council asked staff for further research and to return with options at a later meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6060494,"Moses Lake council says sleep center will close when state grant ends; outlines 'homegrown' plan for drugs, camps and park safety",3629,971000,4600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147&start=971&end=4600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3289535-7c0fa17c1ea52e0cd7ba17b3217f3147/thumbnail_971000.jpg","/articles/6060494/Moses-Lake-City/Grant-County/Washington/Moses-Lake-council-says-sleep-center-will-close-when-state-grant-ends-outlines-homegrown-plan-for-drugs-camps-and-park-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060494-1b207e19b221cf8c64c56bf385f02925/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448259&Signature=iQfA6UQHDaGQ6JNQqy8IHdyuOuJbQ9MYEnQaFoFvcievgFoE9gM93nt~q3wdwgRAzjEzuiSDRC-xldWgRi8Gz3WalWS5l8R9~lWRoQL~7EsWeT~STsj3qShqBLCG0N4DbfKRh9zIn-qtyFlkX1bQjVt-bXjO6j6dkPwA2HxifyPCZ61fuEEB~nIJfJyOEdxAGsxUyYRw4Opw-TEu2YFpzS5-NOfdj3FqCEmphKzsIQVZ57FaUhpgwOvRmCN~qF-n59zyipRP8Ctuo8KXdWCy8msM1TLY0EYunxYZVb9~PxR9QVU709Wgg4nlysLxweQ-L6eNji3ooykWgjUyxsI7PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Dustin Swartz told a packed council chamber that a majority of the city council has decided to allow the community sleep center to close when its state grant ends in June.

The decision was framed as a shift in the city’s role in addressing homelessness. “We know there are plenty of good things happening in Moses Lake,” Swartz said, adding that residents “deserve a clean, safe city.” He said the city lacks resources to provide broad social services and that other governments and nonprofits are better equipped to deliver many of those services.

City Manager Rob Marlinzi told the council the city’s role now is to prepare for likely impacts from the closure rather than to “solve homelessness.” Marlinzi described staff work to produce a high‑level plan and timeline: community engagement this month, a town hall on June 3, and a council review and possible adoption of the plan tentatively scheduled for June 24.

The draft plan outlined by staff includes: (1) partnering with nonprofits to get people to shelter and wraparound services, (2) tighter rules on camping, sitting and sleeping in certain public and private places, (3) temporary park closures or reduced hours and more frequent park monitoring, (4) enhanced police emphasis and patrols on drug activity and trespass, (5) business outreach to handle nuisances on private property, (6) partnerships with faith‑based groups and nonprofits for recovery services, and (7) public information directing people to regional providers and helplines.

City Attorney Catherine Kennison said staff will draft ordinance changes, including amendments to Chapter 9.18 (camping) and a “sit, sleep, lie” provision targeted to specific zones or areas. Kennison also noted the legislature has required a permitting process for religious organizations that host temporary encampments (House Bill 1754) and reminded the council that House Bill 2020 provisions for emergency low‑income housing were already incorporated in Chapter 15.415 of the development code.

Staff described operational items already in place or planned: updated signage, a “see something, say something” reporting protocol, a 72‑hour notice and cleanup protocol for established public encampments on city property, an inoculation of outreach and a public awareness campaign, and consideration of providing PPE or cleanup supplies to volunteers doing private‑property cleanup. Public works and parks staff said parks are currently open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; staff suggested reducing hours as an initial step before any short‑term closure for cleanup.

Council members and members of the public pushed staff on details. Council Member Lombardi asked whether entities distributing tents or sleeping bags were “aiding and abetting” camping; staff said the city should approach such providers as community partners rather than attempt to regulate them directly. Staff said they would contact the health district to clarify whether items were being distributed from a specific building.

Library and nonprofit leaders urged the council to preserve services that connect people to treatment and recovery. Several community members, including people in recovery and local nonprofit leaders, cautioned that the sleep center had been a place people used to access showers, phones and job resources and that its closure could remove a critical pathway to services for some residents.

The council and staff emphasized the plan is iterative and will be refined after public meetings. Marlinzi said the plan's purpose is “to proactively be ready for what may result from the closure” and not to claim it will end homelessness.

Ending: City staff will return with ordinance drafts, operational protocols and a final plan after the scheduled public engagement; the first public town hall on the topic is scheduled for June 3.","Mayor Dustin Swartz and city staff told residents the city will allow the sleep center to close when its state grant expires in June and outlined a multi-part plan of ordinance changes, park monitoring, policing emphasis and nonprofit partnerships to address drug activity, illegal camping and homelessness.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves payment arrangements for Luda and Virginia Street frontage assessments after residents object to surprise bills

Council reviews draft ban on dispensing Narcan on city property; library director urges continued access

Moses Lake council says sleep center will close when state grant ends; outlines 'homegrown' plan for drugs, camps and park safety