Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Appointed once and elected twice, John Jaeger looks to his fifth year as Tekoa mayor.
Items on the upcoming agenda include pigeons, sewer lines, a basketball court, the community center and road work.
In the Feb. 6 city council meeting, after a discussion on an upgrade to the furnace at city hall, Jaeger proposed that any time the council is to spend money on something, they should postpone the decision until the next meeting.
“We’re spending other people’s money, so I thought it’d be good to chew on it,” Jaeger said. “Especially this early in the budget year.”
He said the proposal is an ongoing discussion.
“We’ll probably entertain the thought next meeting,” he said. “Sometimes when something comes up, it might be two, three thousand dollars, we’ll just think about it a little. If we allocate it, then we can defend it or whatnot.”
There is also a pigeon matter in town. They perch in alleys, and the mayor said there is about 100 of them.
“It’s bad,” he said. “They’re not a clean animal. We’re still looking for ways to alleviate the pigeon problem.”
He said he has not heard from the pigeon catchers that reportedly come and round up the birds for free.
“I think it’d be really hard to get to the pigeons,” he said. “They’re in a couple buildings in town and roosting around outside. It’s really the responsibility of the building owners.”
Looking ahead to the year, the mayor said more ground will be broken in Tekoa.
“Another construction summer,” he said.
With Century West Engineers and Granite Construction at the ready, the town is primed for two projects.
“We’re going to finish off the water, do some paving,” the mayor said.
Pipes and gravel have been stacked near city hall since fall.
“We’ve got a mirage of stuff down there,” said Jaeger.
Beginning in later March, crews will pave Henkle Street by the school and then Crosby Street.
Since the equipment will be there, it may also be used for an outdoor basketball court, which is a senior project by Tekoa High’s Alex Overton.
The proposed site of the court is south of Gymkana Park grounds.
Tekoa is also hoping for a grant to replace sewer lines. The old, porous lines run along the banks of the creek. When the water rises, it covers the pipes and water leaks in.
“When the creek’s high, it’s absolute overflow going into the treatment plant,” said Jaeger.
The city applied for a federal Community Development Block Grant, which is distributed by the state of Washington.
The project’s cost is estimated at $1.4 million.
Mayor Jaeger said different factors go into how these grants are decided on, such as the status of existing infrastructure.
The town’s community center is also set to receive more work in the coming months.
Last year, the City of Tekoa took over the center donated by the Jaycees and new lights, floor tiles and ceiling tiles were installed along with a new coat of paint on the walls.
Jaeger said the efforts are just to maintain and improve it.
“It belongs to the town. We’re not making money from it,” he said.
The center is next to the Empire Theater.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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