Washington’s City Council met Monday evening, with Council President Allen Brown presiding. The Council passed five ordinances on second reading. The first ordinance amended the employee handbook, changing residency requirements for all employees to mirror those mandated by the state for firefighters and police officers. The second ordinance approved by the Council established a fund to receive money the city will receive from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The final three ordinances established the 2024 pay scale for the city’s employees. The Council did make a few changes, reforming how police officers holiday pay is figured and raising the pay differentials between first, second, and third shifts.
After discussion, the Council tabled a proposed ordinance that would require food trucks and mobile food venders to have permits before they can set up shop in the city.
In other business, the Council approved a request for City Clerk Treasurer Beth McGookey to earmark $750,000 of inappropriate TIF funds to be used as matching funds for the Highway 50 project, if needed. Bids for the eastern section of the highway project are expected to be opened in October.
The Board of Public Works and Safety met immediately following the council meeting. The Board heard a request from Discover Downtown Washington to hold a one-mile color run on Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 23. The run will be from State Road 57 to West Third Street and back. After discussion, the board agreed to the request for volunteers to monitor the cross streets during the run.
The next Council and Board of Works meetings are scheduled for Monday, September 11.
