TONASKET – The Tonasket City Council is taking steps toward building a new city pool and moved to allocate money to the project during their meeting on Tuesday, March 23.

“I move to allocate up to $45,000 from the Realty Excise Tax fund for a feasibility study with the condition that Alice Attwood check with the auditor that it is a rightful and lawful use of the funds and that if it is, we have the two top contenders present to us,” Council member Joyce Fancher said.

Council member Julianna Griffin seconded the motion and along with Council member Connie Maden’s vote in favor of the motion, it passed with council members Jean Ramsey and Jill Vugteveen voting against it. Ramsey and Vugteveen both stated they would like to see a pool built for the city but that the amount of money is very large and they were worried about being fiscally responsible. If the auditor approves the use of funds, Attwood said she would invite the two firms, Johnston Architects and Land Expressions, to present on Tuesday, April 13 at 5 p.m.

Also during the meeting, City Planner Kurt Danison, from Highlands Associates, said the Okanogan County Planning Commission has generally completed a draft document of the Shoreline Master Plan which has been submitted for the city council members to review.

In other news, Rose Corso, third grade teacher at Tonasket Elementary School, spoke to the council about the B3 Skate Park. She said her house is the closest neighbor to the park and the dirt berm which was put up to lower noise levels and give her home more privacy, is being used by the bikers as a jump instead. She said the bikers keep building the berm higher and requested the council look into the situation and try to find a solution. The council agreed to look into the situation and to brainstorm solutions to keeping the bikers off of the top of the berm.

The next city council meeting will be on Tuesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. in City Hall.