Ellensburg Community Morning Show, Tuesday, October 20th
NEWS
The Ellensburg City Council has started work on next year's budget. Last night's agenda included the public hearing state law requires before a city raises its property tax. State law generally holds Ellensburg to a one percent increase a year in its regular property tax levy, and the city's 2027 revenue estimates assume it will take the full one percent. According to the city's finance staff, that works out to about 38 thousand dollars more next year. Property tax is less than a quarter of the city's tax revenue; sales tax is the biggest piece by far. Staff say costs are climbing faster than revenue. Employee health insurance premiums go up more than 11 percent next year, and public defender services alone will cost about 280 thousand dollars more. No vote on the tax was planned for last night. The council takes up the property tax ordinance at a later meeting, as part of the city's two-year budget for 2027 and 2028.
Also on last night's agenda: a contract to replace the software the city uses to run its finances, payroll and human resources. The city has used the same system for more than 20 years, and Microsoft stops supporting it after 2029. Staff recommended Workday, with a company called Strada setting it up. Installation plus ten years of licenses and training comes to about three point eight million dollars before tax. The city has been setting money aside for the switch for several years and has about 2.2 million dollars ready for it. The council was scheduled to vote on the contract last night.
The city has also released the results of this summer's survey about the pool. More than 1,500 people told the city how they use the Kittitas Valley Memorial Pool and Fitness Center and what they'd want in a future aquatic facility. The clearest message was families, kids and teens. People put swim lessons and shallow-water play near the top of the list. Folks who swim every day or almost every day ranked lap lanes above everything else, and a hot tub ranked high across the board. The city says it is not thinking about closing the current pool, but the building needs ongoing work, including a full replacement of its sloped roof. The survey didn't ask whether people want a new pool or a renovated one. That decision is still ahead. An upgraded aquatic center is also one of the projects the new countywide Public Facilities District was set up to look at paying for.
Kittitas County commissioners meet this morning at 10 in the Commissioners' Auditorium at the courthouse, 205 West 5th Avenue. On the agenda: 250 thousand dollars in grants from a sales tax the state lets rural counties use for public facilities, things like roads, water and sewer lines, and buildings. A panel of local governments reviewed four applications last month and recommended two: about 212 thousand dollars for the City of Cle Elum and almost 38 thousand for the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce. If commissioners approve, county staff will write up grant agreements for a later vote. There's time for public comment at the meeting, three minutes per person.
And free flu shots are coming this Friday. Kittitas County Public Health holds its yearly drive-thru flu clinic Friday, October 23rd, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Western Village, 1010 East 8th Avenue in Ellensburg. Drive in from Alder Street. It's first come, first served, and supplies are limited: 100 doses for adults and 30 for kids. The state Health Department recommends a flu shot every year for everyone six months and older. It matters most for young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with long-term health conditions. Questions go to Public Health at 509-962-7515.
Local Events
The Ellensburg Public Library has storytime this morning at 10:15 and again at 11:15, with regular and bilingual sessions.
At the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center, there's beginning line dancing at 1 this afternoon and table tennis at 2. Call 509-962-7242 for details.
And up in Cle Elum, the Eagles have cribbage at 6 tonight and dance lessons at 6:30.
Looking ahead to tomorrow: the Active Aging Seniors resource fair runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hal Holmes Community Center, 209 North Ruby Street. More than 35 businesses and agencies will be there to share what's available for seniors and their families. It's free, with light refreshments and door prizes. Also tomorrow, Sua Vietnamese Coffee and Tea at 300 North Main holds its official grand opening.
And on Thursday, the CWU museum opens a student-curated exhibit called "For the Love of the Game," looking back at 100 years of baseball and softball at Central, including the 1968 team that played in the NAIA World Series. The open house is 5:30 to 7:30 Thursday evening, free and open to everyone.
Road Updates
The alley between 3rd and 4th Avenues, from Sampson to Anderson, should stay closed about another week while city crews replace the sewer main. On weekends through early December, Utilities One is running new communication lines in alleys between 5th Avenue and Capitol, from Ruby to Wenas. And this Saturday, October 24th, 15th Avenue will be closed between Okanogan and Columbia from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m. for a Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue training burn. Okanogan and Columbia stay open as the detour.
While you're raking, the city asks you to keep leaves out of the street, the gutter and the storm drains. Leaves clog the drains, cause flooding and wash pollution into our streams. Put them in your yard waste bin, or take them to the county transfer station at 2603 West Green Avenue, open Monday through Saturday from 8 to 4.
SPORTS
Wildcat football has won five straight. Central outlasted Texas A&M-Kingsville 52 to 49 in a shootout last Saturday, and the Wildcats are 5-2 overall and a perfect 5-0 in the Lone Star Conference. They come home this Saturday to face 20th-ranked UT Permian Basin. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Tomlinson Stadium.
Wildcat volleyball swept its trip to Alaska and has now won nine in a row. Central rallied to beat Alaska Fairbanks in five sets last Thursday, then beat Alaska Anchorage in four on Saturday night. The Wildcats are 13-4, 9-2 in the GNAC, and still unbeaten at home. They're back at Nicholson Pavilion this week, hosting Saint Martin's this Thursday at 7 p.m. and Western Oregon this Saturday at 1.
Women's soccer beat Montana State Billings 2 to 1 last Saturday. The Wildcats are 4-7-4 on the season and 4-4-2 in conference, and they're on the road this week, at Saint Martin's this Thursday at 12:30 and at Western Oregon this Saturday at 7 p.m.
And the women's cross country team is ranked 26th in the country. That's the first time it's been in the national top 30 since 2015. The Wildcats run next at the Tyson Invitational in Spokane this Friday.
WEATHER
The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 67 degrees with a low tonight of 38 degrees. There are areas of frost this morning, so give the windshield a few extra minutes. The forecasted high today in Ellensburg is 68 degrees with a low tonight of 38 degrees. Mostly sunny once the frost burns off, with calm winds, and partly cloudy overnight. The sunset is at 6:05 p.m. No rain in the forecast and no weather alerts. Tomorrow looks about the same, mostly sunny and 69. A change comes at the end of the week: Friday turns breezy with a high of 57, Friday night drops to about 29, and there's a chance of showers over the weekend.
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH AT THE FISH OPEN TABLE?
The FISH Open Table lunch today is a BLT, served with potato salad and fruit. The senior lunch is open to all seniors age 60-plus from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table at 204 North Main Street, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Upper County Senior Center in Cle Elum, which has its own menu. If you're new, they can sign you up when you arrive. The community lunch for anyone needing a hot meal is from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Ellensburg Open Table.
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