Bulletin column

These reports are from the previous four issues of the Daily Bulletin in Colfax. They are reprinted here for the benefit of Gazette readers who reside outside of Colfax. Some accounts have been updated.

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NUISANCE

ORDINANCE

PASSES

Colfax City Council members Feb. 17 approved a nuisance ordinance which had been in limbo for the past month after a draft version of the ordinance was tabled for changes. Among the revisions will be bringing residents' appeals on enforcement actions before the city's board of adjustment.

A first draft of the ordinance proposed placing appeals in front of the city council, and at the last city council session the appeal sessions appeared to be headed for city court, a system reportedly used in Thorpe.

The ordinance calls for an initial notification of a nuisance ordinance violation by a code officer. It allows residents time to voluntarily comply with the ordinance by removing the violation before the city takes enforcement action.

Officer Matt Malakowsky, who was recently hired by the police department, explained the ordinance process to the city council before the vote.

Malakowsky, who has been designated as the code officer, presented council members with a report which included photos of sites around town which could be subject to action under the new nuisance ordinance which bans junk vehicles, weeds, garbage and unfit structures.

In first rounds of discussion enforcement was described as being complaint driven, but Chief Rick McNannay said the aim wasn't to start conflicts between neighbors. He noted officers could identify problem sites before a neighbor would have to file a complaint.

"By the time we get there anyway, the neighbors are going to say it's about time," McNannay predicted.

Councilman Jim Kackman, who questioned the draft version of the ordinance, said he approved of the revised version. Kackman earlier opposed approval of a city property maintenance code.

He noted the city has to keep in mind the "another man's treasure" viewpoint while enforcing the ordinances.

FUND DRIVE

NEARS 73 PERCENT

Donations to the Colfax and Community Fund drive are now at approximately 73 percent of the goal. The drive has logged $18,200 in donations to date with some additional contributions to be banked this week, according to Jeannette Solimine, treasurer for the fund drive. Goal for the drive this year is $25,000 with the proceeds distributed among nine different agencies.

The fund drive plans to conduct an Easter basket raffle at Rosauers in March to add to the CCF revenue, Solimine said.

TO CHECK FOR POOL LEAK

Public Works Director Matt Hammer told the city council Feb. 17 that a consultant had been hired to check out water lines at the Colfax swim pool for a possible source of a leak. Colfax park board members were also advised of the action in their monthly meeting which preceded the city council session.

The city is under a Department of Ecology mandate to stop water loss from the swim pool which causes overflow water to drain into the North Fork of the Palouse River which adjoins the north side of the pool. The city's pool design includes a relief drain which runs directly into the river.

The pool spill water contains treatment chemicals and is heated which can impact water quality in the river which sustained an algae bloom episode last year that took a toll on fish.

The DOE mandate was reported to the city council at its Jan. 20 session by Councilman Al Vorderbrueggen who also heads the city's park board. One of the possible solutions by the city would be to reroute the relief drain so that it flows through the city's treatment system.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON SERVI-CAR

The city's three-wheel motorcycle, which is part of the inventory of the police department, is a 1948 Harley Davidson Servi-Car, according to Barney Buckley, former city police chief who is now employed with the city's public works department.

The three-wheeler was mentioned Feb. 17 during a city council discussion of upgrading cars on line for duty in the police department. Police Chief Rick McNannay noted the three-wheeler is now classified as a vintage vehicle and had a value in the $15,000 range.

A NADA Guides Blue Book posting for a 1948 Harley-Davidson Servi-Car puts the value at $23,525 for a car rated in excellent condition and $16,445 for one rated very good.

Buckley said he believes the Servi-Car was purchased by the city in 1952. He said as far as he could determine the city purchased the three wheeler new from a dealer.

The Servi-Car served on line in the police department and was later assigned to the public works department where it was painted white. Buckley noted the three-wheeler had also picked up splotches of yellow paint when it was used for curb painting assignments.

Buckley later re-claimed the then-idle Harley for the police department and did a restoration which included a return to its blue police paint job. He noted one of the features was a tire friction generator which could be activated by a lever to power the siren.

Buckley considers the Harley a part of the city's collection of historic vehicles. He noted the fire department's vintage American LaFrance pumper trucks, Whimpy, a 1919 model, and Scout, 1939, are also in the same class.

POLICE SUBARU DEPARTS

The 2002 Subaru patrol car, which was a unique feature in the Colfax police fleet, has departed under a squad car purchase plan approved by the city council Feb. 17. The Subaru was used as a trade-in for the purchase of a 2013 Ford Police Interceptor from a dealer in Kennewick. The Interceptor had been used by police at Cottonwood Heights, Utah, and has 25,000 miles on its odometer.

At the time it went into action in 2002, the Subaru was considered unique for use as a police car. It has been assigned to Assistant Chief David Szambelan for most of its tour of duty in Colfax. 

Police Chief Rich McNannay received approval from the council Feb. 17 to go ahead with a deal as part of a plan to upgrade the city's lineup of patrol cars.

McNannay said he would like to have a standard replacement policy for the patrol cars. He said the patrol cars now used by city officers could present liability problems. He pointed out the high speed chase, which went through Colfax Jan. 10 in the pursuit of John Lee, Moscow murder suspect, could be a challenge for cars in the present lineup, especially two Ford Crown Victoria models. The cars are now not capable of making that type of high speed pursuit, he said.

The city council also approved a $15,498 payment out of the police capital fund to cover the balance of payment for the 2013 Interceptor. McNannay noted he would like to purchase a second Interceptor and told the council he could request funding in the future.

The Interceptor was purchased with most of the police equipment already installed. The city will have to install a radio. It is expected to be on line for duty at the start of next week after local markings are applied to the car.

Another vehicle in the police fleet which could depart is the city's vintage three-wheel Harley Davidson motorcycle which for several years has been limited to parade duty. McNannay said the motorcycle is now considered an antique and probably has a value in the $15,000 range. He noted the city now has to pay insurance costs on the three-wheeler.

KNIFE CITED IN Colfax ARREST

Joshua Todd Lee Musselman, 19, Colfax, was booked into the county jail early Feb. 14 on probable charges of assault and harassment with a threat to kill. A Colfax police investigation said Musselman reportedly pulled out a knife and threatened a Colfax resident during an altercation at a residence in the 600 block of S. Main Street.

The report said the alleged victim fled across Main Street to the area of Ace Hardware and later returned to his residence at Paul's Place.

The report also said the alleged victim sustained a cut on his jaw in another altercation with the suspect. The victim admitted to police that he had hit the suspect in that exchange.

The report also said Musselman denied he had pulled out a knife when arguing with the alleged victim in the other episode.

BIG PHOTOS

FOR CITY HALL

A photo panorama of Main Street Colfax as it appeared in 1917 is being assembled for display in the Colfax City Council chambers. City Administrator Michael Rizzitiello said the two panorama photos of Main Street, taken from hill sites on each side, were discovered among a collection of photos at city hall and the city water department.

The original wide-angle panorama photos have been enlarged in segments and then reassembled into six-foot-long photos.

Among featured buildings in the photos are the Ridgeway Theater building which was on Main Street near the Codger Pole and the Colfax College on the west hill.

The city manager said the plan calls for the east and west panorama photos to be mounted on opposite sides of the city council chamber.

DOG LICENSE PROCESS STARTS

Colfax will begin is annual process of renewing dog licenses during the month of March. License fees will be increased to $10 for spayed or neutered dogs and $20 for other dogs. Residents are also required to show dogs have been vaccinated for rabies.

The city now has approximately 150 licensed dogs in town. Licensing is normally done during March to standardize the expiration time on the one-year licenses.