City to open bids on houseboat marina study

by Nancy C. Butler

During Orofino City Council meeting Tuesday evening, City Administrator Rick Laam announced that bid opening for consultants interested in doing the feasibility study for a large houseboat marina on Dworshak Reservoir is scheduled Friday at 1 p.m. at City Hall.

City of Orofino is one of several partners for the study. They are administering a $58,000 grant that will fund the study. City leaders hope that the study will show that a houseboat marina and rental facility can provide economic benefits to the community and Clearwater County as a whole.

Pursuant to Ordinance No. 397 a hearing has been scheduled Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. regarding property at 614 Riverside Ave. that has been declared a dangerous building. The owner is being notified for the last time of the situation and asked to show cause or provide testimony why the building should not be declared dangerous.

Auditing procedures for the city are changing due to new GATB regulations. Laam said this new process requires more of city staff. The intent is to make cities audits look more like those from the private sector. With the regulations coming down in the future, the city may have to have more than one auditor. That will cost more. The city’s auditor, Mitchell Marx, has provided a copy of the present audit for the council and department heads so it can be reviewed. He will attend the next council meeting to present the information formally.

Carmen Coty discussed parking problems in her neighborhood on Michigan Ave. She said that some of the problems are in process of being resolved, but others are continuing. She is concerned about safety issues such as being able to see traffic when pulling onto Michigan and children who walk along the street to school going across the street when drivers cannot see them. Relationships between neighbors have become confrontational and some people who live in the area are afraid to speak with the council for fear of further problems. She is requesting that the council consider an ordinance to change parking regulations in the area. The matter was referred to the Police Committee.

Mayor Joe Pippenger and some members of the Mayor’s Youth Action Committee will speak at the next Orofino Chamber of Commerce meeting, Oct. 19. Laam was also going to speak, but has another meeting he must attend.

"Good Morning Orofino", an opportunity for organizations in the community to network and learn about each other will be held at 7 a.m. Oct. 25 at the Ponderosa Restaurant. One representative of each organization will have a brief time to let others know what their group is doing. Everyone is invited and breakfast will be furnished.

Council member Mike Deitrick is back from Louisiana where he was on assignment for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doing debris removal after the two hurricanes the region experienced. He said it is good to be back. He is preparing a synopsis of what he observed in relation to how similar situation can impact Orofino.

The mayor and all council members were present.