Lois Rice fills vacant council seat

 Six year transpo plan approved

New Tonasket City Council member  Lous Rice takes her oath of  office on Tuesday, July 22.
New Tonasket City Council member Lous Rice takes her oath of office on Tuesday, July 22.

TONASKET – The Tonasket City Council appointed Lois Rice to fill the vacant council seat opened by Jean Ramsey’s resignation in June.Rice was approved by a 3-0 vote (council member Jill Vugteveen was absent) at the Tuesday, July 22, council meeting after a brief executive session to review the qualifications of Rice and fellow applicant Sandi Sunda.

In other actions:

* The council held its annual public hearing the Six-Year Transportation Plan, which was reviewed by city planner Kurt Danison, who added additional projects. The council later approved the plan, 4-0.

* Danison was also authorized to draft a letter to the Economic Alliance with the city’s top three project priorities to apply for “.09 funds” that could move those projects along. Those projects included: a complete streets project to reconstruct Whitcomb Avenue (US-97) through the downtown core; infrastructure and annexation at the south end of the city; and the creation of south end access to Chief Tonasket Park.

* The council also awarded the US-97 pedestrian improvement project to Varela and Associates, one of three candidates who bid on the project.

* The council appointed council members Rice and Dennis Brown to meet with prospective Eagle Scout Dallin Good about installing new signs at Chief Tonasket Park as his Eagle project;

The council also met on Tuesday, August 12, after the Gazette-Tribune’s press deadline.