Council tables issue for DOE input

OTHELLO — The Othello City Council tabled the discussion on providing water to a golf course in exchange for the landowner’s pending water rights Monday.

Developer Keith Graham offered the city his application to the state Department of Ecology (DOE) for the rights to use 725 acre-feet of water in exchange for the city supplying roughly 190 acre-feet of water back to a pending development outside of city limits.

Graham and co-developer Doug Buck previously informed the council they are planning to expand the Othello Golf Course from nine holes to 18 and build approximately 350 homes surrounding the course. To do this, they need water. They are offering the city roughly 535 acre-feet of water, beyond their need for the development, in exchange for taking over the water rights application.

The offer is an effort to shorten the water rights permitting process for the developers. Graham’s application was entered with the DOE 12 years ago and Othello Administrator Ehman Sheldon noted the DOE could deliver a decision within 12 to 18 months.

“We believe if we turn it from private to municipal, it will expedite it,” said Mayor Shannon McKay.

Council member Everett Cole asked to stall the decision until they could hear from a DOE representative on the water rights application status. City Attorney James Whitaker said the state could provide a spokesperson in two weeks, for the next meeting Sept. 11.

McKay advised the council they should make a decision once they have heard from the DOE.

Three versions of an agreement to be approved by the council were mentioned by Whitaker, but the council voted to table the discussion 4-3 before talking about their options.

Further council discussion on the topic was stopped by Whitaker, who told the council they could not talk about a tabled issue after voting in favor of it. A group of people left the meeting and McKay thanked them for taking time to attend and offer testimony on the issue.