Pullman City Council welcomes Benjamin, seats new member

New faces were seen on the Pullman City Council during its first meeting of the year Tuesday.

The city’s new Mayor Francis Benjamin led the meeting, joined by new councilors Carla De Lira in Ward 2 and Eric Fejeran in Ward 6.

De Lira said she’s happy to be working with everyone on the council.

The council confirmed the appointment of various community leaders to city boards and commissions. It also amended a zone classification to a property at the northwest corner of the roundabout on Terre View Drive.

The reclassification involved a zone change from high-density, multi-family residential to general commercial. The amendment would allow a grocery store or restaurant to move into the space.

Councilor Nathan Weller said the northeast end of town is a “food desert,” and a store could benefit residents in that area. De Lira concurred and said she’s heard community members voice concern about more grocery options on that side of town.

The council also heard a presentation on applications for the WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant. No action was made; it served as a discussion and information item to the council.

Valerie Weaver, the city’s grants and special projects manager, is asking councilors to consider putting together a grant application package for fiscal year 2024.

WaterSMART is a federally funded program by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. It seeks to sustain and manage America’s resources in the western U.S.

The program funds projects that conserve and use water more efficiently, increase the production of renewable energy, mitigate risk of future water conflict and accomplish other benefits that contribute to resilience and sustainability, according to its website.

Weaver said the city could apply to seek funding for advanced metering infrastructure, a municipal metering technology for water usage.

Water meter data would be collected by a smart meter and sent wirelessly to a data collector, then to the city. Rather than receive readings monthly from city staff who go out into the community to gather data, the city and customers could view readings every 30 minutes.

Weaver said the city has been planning to upgrade its water metering infrastructure for some time now. She added it’s applied to WaterSMART in the past but was rejected.

The funding would provide half of the project costs. The city’s portion would be allotted by funds pre-set in the city’s Capital Improvement Program, Weaver said. She added the project is estimated to cost about $3.5 million, potentially costing the city $1.75 million.

To implement the new system, crews would have to update all meters within city limits. Weaver said the project would have many benefits, including real-time water usage data, water conservation promotion, energy savings, greenhouse gas emission reduction and monitoring and managing water usage on a customer level.

Weaver will appear before the council Feb. 13 for its consideration of approval for the grant application. The deadline to submit materials is Feb. 22

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com