Council approves loan application to cover booster pump

POMEROY–The Pomeroy City Council approved the beginning of a loan application process, passed an ordinance accounting for unexpected revenues in 2022, and approved a letter of consent regarding internet provider share transfers at their meeting on February 7.

The Council decided to apply for several loans-a Drinking Water loan from the Washington State Department of Commerce, a Rural Development loan from the United States Department of Agriculture, and a loan from the Washington State Public Works board-to help fund the water booster pump project. The decision was due to the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG), which was hoped to fund a portion of the project, lacking funding for this year. If the loan applications are approved, the Council will decide which ones to accept, if any, as well as the amount. The applications will be submitted as soon as the city's water plan is approved by the Washington State Department of Health.

Ordinance 928 amended the 2022 budget that was established by Ordinance 924. The amendment is a standard yearly procedure that accounts for unbudgeted revenues, such as grants and higher revenues than anticipated when the budget was created.

The Council also approved a letter to PocketiNet, an internet provider that services Pomeroy, consenting to the selling of shares that transfers the service responsibility to LightSpeed Internet, LLC. The letter of consent is required according to the franchise agreement between PocketiNet and the City of Pomeroy.

Also discussed at the meeting was a Low to Moderate Income (LMI) survey that has been planned. The survey would indicate whether Pomeroy qualifies for a CDBG grant. Due to the CDBG program's lack of funding, the LMI survey will not be carried out.

The Council also discussed non-commercial use of buildings in Pomeroy's down-town business zone, especially warehousing, defined as the primary use of a building for storage of materials. Warehousing is not an allowed use of down-town business zone buildings, according to the Pomeroy zoning code. No action upon this matter was decided, and the Council acknowledged that feelings may run high about it.