Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Ownership of Tekoa parks properties is in the process of being transferred after a year-long process between the city and the Tekoa Parks Board.
After a mudslide last November resulted in a major cleanup project, in the process of working with their insurance company, the Tekoa Parks board found out they did not own the property.
“It was some kind of clerical mix-up years ago,” said Fran Martin, Parks Board president.
The Tekoa city council will vote on a quit claim for the pool and property at their next meeting Nov. 19.
A quit claim refers to a legal term that the one entity transfers ownership for no payment or a nominal fee of $1.
“We thought we had ownership. We didn't have any idea we didn't,” Martin said.
The Tekoa city council is now also in the midst of deciding how to proceed for Ruhl Park, which a family namesake donated land in the north section of Tekoa to the city in 1979.
The council seeks to find out if they transfer ownership, does it violate the original agreement of the donation.
At its next meeting, the council is also set to approve a quit claim to the Parks Board for the Gymkanna Grounds, a park just down the hill, which the city owns part of, along with the Washington State Department of Transportation, which also owns a section due to the adjacent bridge on Crosby Street.
The transfer of ownership of parks properties appears to have the votes it needs.
“I'm on board, I know most of the council is on board because that's where (ownership) belongs,” said Troy Wilson, Tekoa mayor pro-tem, following the resignation of John Jaeger.
MAYOR PRO-TEM OPEN TO PROMOTION
Troy Wilson, Tekoa mayor pro-tem, has indicated that if appointed, he would accept the job as mayor at least for the remainder of John Jaeger's term, which concludes in November 2019. Jaeger resigned Oct. 30. Wilson, who works for Century Link, is an eight-year city councilman, originally from Lakeview, Ore. Jaeger served as mayor for 11 years.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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