December 2009 Newsletter
Calendar of Events…
December 1 – Ambulance Meeting 6:00 p.m. - Ambulance Bldg.
December 4 - Chamber of Commerce 7:00 a.m. - Feeding Station
December 7 - City Workshop Meeting 7:00 p.m. - Council Chambers
December 8 – Park and Rec. Meeting 7:00 p.m. – Council Chambers
December 8 - Senior Pinochle - Tekoa Community Church
December 9 – Caregiver Coffee 10:00 a.m. – Tekoa Retirement Apartments,
Community Room
December 9 – Tekoa Fair Association 7:30 – Prairie Grain Office
December 14 – Jaycee Club Meeting - Jaycee Club
December 21 - City Council Meeting 7:00 p.m. – Council Chambers
December 17 - Distribute Commodities 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - City Hall
December 22 - Senior Pinochle - Tekoa Community Church
December 22 – School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m. – District Board Room
December 28 - Ambulance Board Meeting 7:00 p.m. - Ambulance Bldg
IN ORDER TO KEEP YOUR WATER METERS FROM FREEZING
OVER THE WINTER, THEY MUST BE INSULATED. THE METERS
HAVE BEEN READ FOR THE LAST TIME, PLEASE INSULATE
THEM BEFORE WE HAVE A HARD FREEZE. IF YOUR METER
BREAKS, YOU WILL BE CHARGED THE COST OF REPLACING
YOUR METER
~NOTICES~
***Please note: City Hall will be closed on December 24 and 25, 2009 for
the Christmas holiday, and January 1, 2010 for New Years Day
***COMMUNITY CLOSET - FREE CLOTHING FOR ALL at N 404
2nd in Fairfield, on Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 from 11a.m. to 3 p.m., and Dec. 8
from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“Shred for Hunger” Bring your documents to be shredded to Rosauer’s parking
lot in Colfax, or Georgia Carpet Works in Pullman December 8. It’s for ½ the
day in each location, TBA. For every bag of documents to be shredded there
will be a request for food or cash donation to support the local food bank in the
area of the truck. Questions: Please contact Judi Dunn-Grey at Whitman County
Recycling 509-397-5213 or Danielle Kallaher at KHTR/KQQQ Pullman Radio.
Tekoa’s Variety Store is doing a Giving Tree for children living in Tekoa ages: infant-18.
Bring a gift to give, or if you are or know someone who needs a gift, please bring in their
names anonymously to Portia at the Variety Store. Gifts and names will be taken until
December 18, so they can be wrapped in time for Christmas.
Its time to celebrate the season! The Tekoa Parks and Recreation District will be
having its Holiday Lights Contest. Homes will be judged Sunday, December 20.
Prizes will be given for Most Colorful, Brightest Lights & Waiting for Santa light displays.
Please sign up at the Tekoa Pharmacy to ensure your home gets judged. Donations will
also be accepted for park improvements at the Tekoa Pharmacy.
Also, a special thanks to all the voters for passing the 2010 Levy for Tekoa’s Parks
and Swimming Pool.
Tekoa Empire Theater Presents:
CHRISTMAS IN TEKOA Featuring: EWU Chamber Choir. Directed by: DR. Randel
Wagner Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
Adults $10.00 Students $5.00 12 and under FREE with ADULT
Call 509-284-3801 for more information
Robin Adams will be showing her Yule Logs in the gallery, Café Artisan will be
serving cookies during intermission
The City of Tekoa has changed their December 7, 2009 workshop, to a special
meeting. The meeting will start at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers.
The Agenda will include: Review letter to property owners for surcharge,
approve benefits/salary for employees for 2010, review current expense portion of
budget, golf course lease, and first reading of final 2010 budget. All citizens are
encouraged to attend.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE:
A public hearing for the final 2010 budget will be at 7:00 p.m. during the
December 21, 2009 council meeting in the council chambers. All citizens are
encouraged to attend.
~Messages from the Mayor~
***Before I begin my monthly newsletter, I want to say that I hope everyone had a
pleasant Thanksgiving Day. It’s a time when we can just step aside from our busy
lives and enjoy a day with family and friends.
I believe a “thank you” is also in order as the final figures of our street levy become
known. We had about a 66% approval of our levy, this means a lot to us at City Hall,
because we are aware that many of our patrons are experiencing some tough
economic times.
I want to commend Eileen Soldwedel for her interest in becoming a council member.
She will replace Melinda Wilkins who chose not to run for election. We are still in need
of a citizen to replace Linda Zehm, who will be leaving the council with Melinda after
this month. Those interested in this council position need to write a letter of interest:
either mail it, or hand deliver it to city hall by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4.
The council will be interviewing candidates for this position prior to our December
7 workshop meeting.
The council decided to have a one-year moratorium on our annual $5.00 increase
for both sewer and water projects. However, the council did decide that water/sewer
rates would increase in 2010 by $2.00 for each department. This means that rather
than have a $10.00 addition to your water and sewer bill, there will be a $4.00 increase.
The $4.00 rate increase will go into the daily operation of both systems so it won’t
be necessary to remove funds from our project accounts to meet operational expenses.
A reminder for owners of motor homes: As the winter months are upon us, it is
necessary to remove motor homes, campers, etc. from city streets, so the streets
can be plowed. A city ordinance addresses this issue.
The city plans to apply for Community Development Block Grants, referred to
as CDBG, for both the structural needs at our reservoir and the rehabilitation of
well #2, (across from city hall), because it is now inoperable due to walls collapsing.
Both these projects require that we hire an engineer to prepare both, to be
“shovel-ready” if, and when grant monies become available.
Our December 7 workshop meeting will include a variety of business items.
After the interviews for a new council person to replace Linda Zehm, the council
will study the current expenses budget proposal for 2010 and also review
(first reading) the final budget. The council will also address salary and benefit
proposals for city employees and review the letter being sent to property owners
who currently do not pay the $20.00 surcharge, because their water has been
turned off. The letter will advise these property owners that beginning in 2010,
they will be assessed the $20.00 surcharge each month just as those of us who
are paying this surcharge. This money is devoted to new water/sewer lines, and
necessary work on both our reservoir and sewer plant. You would think that as
much as I try to avoid this newsletter each month, I sure am “wordy.” I hope that
you will find this information “informative!”
Is it too early to write….. “Think spring”?
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