City examines issues of acquiring Osborn School property

Council approved two measures with a total cost to the city not to exceed $17,116 to conduct an environmental assessment of the Osborn School and an appraisal of the property’s value.

The environmental assessment will establish that there are no hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead based paint. The Department of Ecology has already examined the soils at the site and has determined there is no evidence of contaminants such as arsenic or lead.

The school district has placed a value of $716,000 on the property but the city wants to conduct its own evaluation. Council members questioned why the city should have to pay for work they believed should be thee responsibility of the seller. City manager Ana Cortez responded that it was prudent for the city to have its own appraisal and evaluation during negotiations.

In February of 2015 voters approved a $69.5 million bond issue to replace Osborn Elementary School, Cascade High School and to remodel the Peshastin Elementary School. It was an ambitious plan. Building a new elementary school to replace Osborn was the first item on the construction agenda.

At the time it was uncertain if the new Osborn School building would be built on the current site or on a new site on Pine Street. Ultimately, it was decided to build the new school on Pine Street and utilize the old Osborn School for Peshastin students while the elementary school in Pesashtin was undergoing renovation.

During a meeting in February of this year City Council woman Sharon Waters reminded the school district that School District promotional materials promised to sell the Osborn site and that the city was interested in maintaining it as a green space.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was created back then that gave the city first right of refusal to purchase the property when the school district decided to sell it. The MOU further states that if the school district bypasses the city, then the school district would owe the city $100,000 for construction of the new skate park that Cascade School District took out to make room for the new high school.

The skate park was originally built on school district property with state funds that required the city to pay back the state if it was ever closed.

While no official vote has ever been taken there is broad community support that the property be maintained for a community center and green space.

As a result of the COVID-19 restrictions on school reopening for the fall the school district is looking at the possibility that it may need to utilize some of the classroom space at Osborn in order to be able to meet social distancing rules. Nothing has been decided on this at this point, but the issue did come up during the council discussion.

 Councilwoman Waters expressed surprise that given the admitted environmental issues that the school district has cited in its estimated value that they had not discounted their estimated value to reflect that.

Councilman Jason Lundgren replied that he was surprised they were placing their estimate at only $700,000 for a property that includes over 2 ½ acres. In response Mayor Florea expressed that its true the highest and best use value may well exceed the current school district estimate.

In other Business

The pool will remain closed for 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic. As a result the city was looking at two employees that would be laid off. Council passed a motion to repurpose their jobs to COVID-19 education and additional city related functions. Half of the $20,000 funding would be taken from Lodging tax.

Transportation Element Update

Council approved a motion to sign a Professional Services agreement with Fehr & Peers to update the Transportation Element for a fee not to exceed $60,000. The work includes incorporating the 2018 Parking Study, US 2 Upper Valley Corridor Study and peak hour travel in thee 20 year Transportation Improvement Plan.

Parking Meters

Council approved the signing of an agreement with IntegriTech for an amount not to exceed $10,000 for engineering and consulting related to parking meter installation.

Whitman Street improvements

Council approved a motion to call for bids to improve pavements on Whitman Street form Woodward street to Evans.