City of Newcastle, WA -- Council Meeting of July 30, 2013
The Newcastle City Council was in session for a rare daytime meeting as councilmembers passed a major infrastructure project and a plat plan for Laurel Ridge.
The Council, by a 5 - 1 vote (Mayor Rich Crispo dissenting), passed a pavement overlay and rehabilitation plan -- in other words, improving and fixing city roads -- for a cost of about 1.7 million dollars, including Schedule C (roads around the Olympus neighborhood) which they decided to add this year, by a 4 - 2 vote (Crispo and Carol Simpson dissenting), instead of delaying until 2014. Simpson warned that doing too much in one summer could heavily block transportation in parts of the city, particularly during the school season, but the majority wasn't buying her argument. Going by past statements in previous meetings, Mayor Crispo's views about road fixtures seems to be on the budget cautionary side more than his Council brethren, as he has implied that the continual anxiety or hand-wringing about roads in Newcastle is a bit overdone. A sentiment that Councilwoman Simpson shares, but apparently not as much as the Mayor given her affirmative vote for the overall plan.
The plat plan for Laurel Ridge was approved by a 5 - 1 vote (Carol Simpson dissenting).
Deputy Mayor Lisa Jensen was not present for this session of Council, and thus the six-person instead of the usual seven-person votes.
[revised on 8/2/13]
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