PF workshop on annexation, wastewater
POST FALLS — The Post Falls City Council will resume discussing how to change the city's annexation policy during a workshop tonight at 5.
During the regular meeting at 6 p.m., the council is expected to approve a contract with Parker Ag Services to remove biosolids from the wastewater treatment plant.
The annexation workshop is the second to be held by the council after it met with the Planning and Zoning Commission in September on the topic. Future discussions will be held.
The idea behind changing the policy is to give citizens and developers a sense of what the city's priorities are on growth early in the annexation process.
Developers can then avoid spending money on plans if the request is declined and the city boards don't feel pressured or boxed in on a decision if thousands of dollars are spent on planning, city administrator Eric Keck said.
Currently, developers make an initial request to the council to apply for an annexation. If the council gives the developer permission to proceed, public hearings and a formal annexation request are held before the planning commission and City Council.
Keck said if developers are given an OK on the initial request and are allowed to enter the public hearing process, funds are typically spent on planning for the project in preparation for the hearings.
"More effort will be taken in the future to allow for the administrative processing of applications and there will be more long-range planning studied and performed by the (planning) commission," Keck said.
The wastewater contract with Parker Ag Services to remove biosolids would be for five years for $41 per ton. The cost is $14 a ton less than the city currently pays EKO Compost of Missoula, Mont., which has had the contract for 12 years.
"EKO has asked that we no longer use their site," said Terry Werner, public works director.
Parker Ag Services has leased 3,000 acres in Ritzville, Wash., to land apply biosolids for crop production.
There are no public hearings scheduled tonight.