Town of Waterville
Council Minutes
December 21, 2015
Regular meeting was called to order by Mayor DeVaney at 6:32 p.m. A moment of
silence was observed followed by The Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmembers Huber,
Munson, Smith, Driver, and Thompson were present. Town Attorney Steve Smith was
not present. A quorum was established.

Smith made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 7, 2015 regular
Council meeting. Driver seconded. Unanimous vote.

Accounts Payable for $1,776.10 (Wts. #16809 –16817) were approved for
payment on a motion by Thompson, and seconded by Driver. Unanimously
approved.
POLICING REPORT / HUMANE SOCIETY REPORT
Policing Report
Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal informed Council that the Douglas County
Commissioners had approved the 2016 budget for his department. He also announced
that Kevin Moore has been appointed as the new under-sheriff.
Sheriff Gjesdal added that new tasers had been purchased due to the limited availability
of replacement parts for the old devices. The Department plans to purchase a side-byside ATV to aid in search and rescue incidents as well as for patrolling off-road terrain
within the County.
Humane Society Report
No report.
PUBLIC HEARINGS/ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONS
Public Hearing: Hear Public Comment on Amending the Amended 2015 Final
Budget, Monday, December 7, 2015, Town Hall, 104 East Locust Street, 6:30 p.m.
Mayor DeVaney opened the public hearing at 6:45 p.m.
No public comment.
Mayor DeVaney closed the public hearing at 6:46 p.m.
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Ordinance 2015 – 765: Amending the Amended 2015 Final Budget

Huber moved to adopt Ordinance 2015 – 765 which amends the amended 2015
Budget from $3,522,103.00 to $3,530,143.00. Thompson seconded. Roll Call:
Huber – Aye. Munson – Aye. Smith – Aye. Driver - Aye. Thompson - Aye.
Unanimously approved.
Ordinance 2015 – 765 increased the amended 2015 Budget a total of $8,040.00 due to
a grant received from Countywide Solid Waste for the Recycle Center.
Original
$ 287,600.00
GARBAGE FUND
Amended
$ 295,640.00
CONSOLIDATED DISPOSAL 5TH CONTRACT AMENDMENT – GARBAGE RATE
INCREASE

Council approved the “5th Contract Amendment to the Comprehensive Solid
Waste and Recycling Collection and Disposal Agreement” with Consolidated
Disposal Service, Inc. for a garbage rate increase of 1.8% effective March 1,
2016 on a motion by Smith and a second by Driver. Unanimous vote.
The amendment was a direct result of a $3.13 per ton increase in tipping fee handed
down by the Greater Wenatchee Regional Landfill.
DELIQUENT UTILITY BILL –WRITE OFF – 502 E. BIRCH ST.
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Erica Stoddard submitted a memo to Council requesting a
write-off of $327.92 for delinquent utility charges to the account of Keli Ludeman at 502
East Birch Street.
The opportunity for the Town to file a lien against the property for any delinquent utility
charges was circumvented when the property owner had paid all utility charges up until
the time the property went into foreclosure to JP Chase Bank. Because the bank never
informed the Town of the foreclosure until well after the fact, Stoddard resorted to
sending a number of certified letters to the bank requesting utility pay-off.
The Town was unaware that the bank had sold off the property until the new owners
came into Town Hall to sign up for utilities. Although a bank or title company is
obligated by RCW to request in writing any delinquent utility charges due on a property
that is for sale, and such charges are to be paid before the sale takes place, neither the
bank or the title company complied with this statute thereby nullifying any timely effort
on the part of the Town to notify and collect payment.
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Councilmember Munson voiced strong opposition to writing off the delinquent utility
charges, and recommended that the new owners should have been responsible for
payment.
It was noted that elapsed time and missteps by the bank and title company handling the
sale essentially limited the Town’s legal rights to collect on the past due charges without
compounding the loss with attorney fees.
Stoddard added that there was no usage associated with the write-off, and that the
delinquent charges were an accumulation of base, late, and door hanger fees.

Thompson made a motion to write off the delinquent utility charges of $327.92 to
Account #972 for Keli Ludeman, with a second from Driver. Approved by
majority vote, with Munson opposing.
Mayor DeVaney suggested the Town develop a written policy outlining procedures and
assigning responsibility of payment for delinquent utility charges in the event of an
undisclosed property foreclosure, forced sale, and the subsequent new owner.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Link Board
Link Board Representative Joyce Huber reported that Link Transit anticipates receiving
the first bus in June 2016 of the 35 buses ordered.
MAYOR’S REPORT
……Town Hall will be closed at noon on Thursday, December 24th through Friday,
December 25, 2015 for the Christmas Holiday.
……Town Hall will be closed Friday, January 1, 2016 for New Years Day.
…....Mayor DeVaney reported that the he and Clerk-Treasurer Marsha Peterson
participated in an exit conference with Jake Santistevan, Audit Manager from SAO,
regarding the results of the 2012-2014 accountability audit and the 2014 full financial
audit for the Town. The Mayor was pleased to announce that the Town had received a
clean audit report from the Washington State Auditor’s Office.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:15 p.m. on a motion from Thompson and a
second from Driver. Unanimous vote.
________________________________
ROYAL J. De VANEY, MAYOR
MARSHA PETERSON, CLERK/TREASURER
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