ILWACO – Mayor Ed Leonard’s report during the Ilwaco City Council meeting Monday included news that the First and Howerton project has required “an inordinate amount of time on the part of the city staff during the past two weeks. There have been many last-minute decisions and adjustments.”

The mayor said paving is complete on Howerton Street and the project is months ahead of schedule and will most likely be completed before tourist season.

He said Rognlin’s, the contractor for the project, will be digging up First Street this week. “It will be very hard on our First Street merchants,” he said.

The No. 1 filter bed at the city’s water treatment has been repaired, Leonard said, and “hopefully we’ll have it on line by this summer. “This should alleviate much of our concerns when running fish and having a vacation weekend arrive simultaneously,” he said.

Leonard announced that the state auditors have completed their work on the city’s finances and will report to the council on Thursday. “Initial reports indicate we passed the audit,” he said.

Council committees have been named for 2003, Leonard said, noting that Councilwoman Shirley Burt has “offered to pitch in on any committee when needed. This is extremely helpful and I sincerely appreciate her willingness to serve in this fashion.” He noted there was concern in 2002 about the workload of council members serving on more than three committees.

Leonard announced the council will be asked to consider moving its meetings from Monday to Tuesday nights, for two reasons. “I find that the amount of work necessary to adequately prepare for a meeting is simply not available. I stopped taking appointments of meetings on council meeting Mondays. Still, I find that on Mondays, I must deal with the events of the weekend and prepare for the meeting. The time constraints are becoming onerous.”

He said also that Skip Urling, the city’s planner has been appointed to the Longview School Board, which meets on Mondays. Urling, under his contract with the city, is required to attend at least one City Council meeting a month. “I would prefer he not slight his duties on the school Board,” Leonard said, adding that he will discuss the matter with council members and place it on a future agenda, “If warranted.”

In other business discussed during Monday’s meeting:

Leonard said three old fuel tanks have been discovered beneath West Lake Street near a former gas station. The tanks were being removed Tuesday and a member of the construction crew said buried tanks are a common problem when street construction is being done.

Council member Victoria Stoppiello apologized for her “rascally” behavior recently and blamed it on receiving documents relating to agenda items at City Council meetings on the night of the meetings, leaving little or no time to study them. This leaves council members without the information needed to make decisions on the items. The other council members agreed with Stoppiello and an attempt will be made to get the documents in a more timely fashion.

“I don’t think Ilwaco has ever had so much happening in such a short time,” Leonard said. This necessitates sometimes split-second decisions without discussion with the entire council. He said he contacts any council members he can when this occurs.

During the meeting, John O’Phelan of the Long Beach Lions Club presented the council with a check for $100 to go for the annual Black Lake Fishing Derby.

The now-famous “bellies” in the newly completed sewer line at the Port of Ilwaco came up for discussion again. Leonard reported that Tim Osborne of Gray & Osborne Inc. reported that the line is “just fine and there’s no indication the 2-inch bellies will grow.” Leonard said he and the city’s Operations Supervisor Randy LaVold had viewed a second videotape of the lines and that it appears “workmanship on the sags at each “T” in the line was flawed, but consistent. The bottom is not falling out.” He said Osborne will guarantee his opinion in writing and submit an engineer’s report. “Gray & Osborne will take responsibility,” he said. “We’ll run another video of the lines next year and one month before the contract expires. Randy says it looks good and I’m comfortable with that.”

Council member David Fritts remarked that the council is “micro-managing this project and we’re not qualified. It’s Randy’s job and we should let him do it.”