Monday, August 17, 2026 City Council Legislative Session 3rd

The City of Airway Heights City Council held a legislative session on August 17, 2026. Procurement and finance items included approval of a purchase register totaling approximately $32,900, including a $9,695 legal-services invoice for “2026 general matters” billed by Payne Hamlin; the exact register total is unclear in the transcript. Staff presented a $21,494 final-year contract under the Washington Department of Commerce’s $125,000 periodic comprehensive-plan update grant, but the transcript does not clearly capture the council’s vote. Council also approved, 6–0 with one abstention, a transfer from the executive reserve to the general fund to cover accumulated deficits from 2023–2025; no transfer amount was stated. The city manager reported that an HR services contract had been put in place for continuity during the finance director’s transition, with the provider’s name transcribed as “Trump HR.”

At a public hearing, an applicant sought to pay $269,360 in park impact fees instead of dedicating parkland for the Victory Ridge preliminary plat. Staff recommended rejecting the fee-in-lieu request and retaining public parkland; the transcript records discussion but no council decision. A proposed resolution to retain Christine Slater of Miller Nash as an investigator, with the investigation paid from the general fund, was tabled 4–3; related resolutions on the city manager’s leave and an interim manager were also tabled. Council adopted, 4–3, a policy requiring department heads not be excluded from specified meetings about departmental budgets, staffing, or organizational changes. Public comments raised concerns about a proposed data center, water and environmental impacts, and utility easements, but no related procurement decision was recorded.