Port set for presentation of Pullman Arterial

COLFAX — Public Works Director Mark Storey updated the Whitman County Commissioners during their regular business meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, on the Pullman North Arterial planning progress, and Solid Waste Management Plan.

Storey told the commissioners that he had spoken with Executive Director of the Port of Whitman County Kara Riebold regarding the North Arterial and Kirekendahl Road and that he would give an update at the Tuesday, Jan. 16 Port Commissioners and County Commissioners combined meeting.

Storey said that they had asked him to give an update on the North Arterial and that he would be presenting some action in front of the board on Tuesday, Jan. 16, with the results of the consultant, Parametrix Engineering, out of Spokane, who studied the right-of-way with the state giving them the use of the 276 near Pullman. “The state is offering to give us the right-of-way so that we can turn it into an arterial,” Storey said, noting that they presented to the commissioners about a month and a half ago.

Storey said that the City of Pullman has presented and will adopt the recommendation of the report as well as Whitman County Public Works. “That allows the county staff to work with the Pullman staff, and we are going to work with the state to get terms and conditions for us to get that as a future roadway,” Storey said.

Storey said he would work on the project with Pullman Public Works Deputy Director Clayton Forsmann concerning the future arterial.

The next update that Storey gave the commissioners was that Public Works did interviews for consultants concerning Solid Waste.

Storey said that they have to update the Solid Waste Management Plan every five years and that it will include language on how they might update food waste or organic waste, which has been adopted into some of the newer state laws.

Storey told the commissioners that they had some good comments, but they might not meet the time line they’d planned to be done by February, adding that they are getting started on it anyway. “We may extend it into 2025 a little bit,” Storey told commissioners in the Monday meeting.

Storey said Public Works was handling the snow projections in an interview with the Gazette on Monday, Jan. 8, and reminded all drivers to be careful. “There’s only so much we can do because there’s such a large road system,” Storey said, noting that when winds are forecasted, they can plow a road, and half an hour later, it looks like they had not plowed. “All that we can do is do our best with the resources,” he said, noting that Public Works drivers have as much trouble getting around in it as everyone else and everyone should drive carefully.