December 6 — Council approves loans, legislative summary

Sumner City Council passes two loans for the arterial street and golf course operating funds, legislative agenda

Roxanne Cooke / of the Herald

The Sumner City Council approved two interfund loans and the city’s summary of important legislative issues at Monday’s meeting.

The two interfund loans include up to $1 million for the city’s arterial street fund and up to $75,000 for the Sumner Meadows golf course operating fund. The funds come from the city’s general fund and should be repaid by Dec. 31, 2008.

Because the arterial street fund doesn’t have enough money to cover costs incurred by the Valley Avenue Phase III road improvements while the city waits on grant reimbursement from the Washington State Department of Transportation, the loan is necessary, Deputy City Administrator Diane Supler told the council at the meeting.

Council also passed a second interfund loan between the general fund and the golf course operating fund. The golf course is receiving less revenue than expected due to weather issues, Supler said.

“The golf course had a rough year,” she said.

The city council also passed the city’s 2008 Legislative Agenda Summary, which is a way for Sumner officials to communicate to the state Legislature what’s important to the city and its residents.

“With this agenda, the city is telling legislators and other cities what it is concerned about while also letting residents know the key issues in Olympia and throughout the county that will affect them through their city government,” the ordinance reads.

Issues Sumner cares about include taping executive sessions, telecommunications, offender medical expenses, jobs housing imbalance and flood control along the Puyallup and White rivers.

On the issue of flooding, City Administrator John Doan provided an update to the council on Monday’s storm, noting East Pierce Fire and Rescue was monitoring river levels.

“The city of Sumner actually fared pretty well” compared to areas such as Olympia and Bothell, Doan said.