MATTAWA – The overlay projects for Columbia and Ellice Avenues in Mattawa should see the start of work “any time now,” according to City Clerk Robin Newcomb.

At its Sept. 1 meeting, the Mattawa City Council authorized Mayor Scott Hyndman to sign the construction contract with W.M. Winckler. The design and engineering cost was $116,430. The contact with Winckler is worth $396,064.

In other street matters, the city should have a preliminary draft on the Government Road Improvement Project in October, according to City Planner Darryl Piercy. The City’s engineer, Gray & Osborne of Yakima, is waiting for the landscaping design plan from Washington State University.

Piercy told the Council the Washington Grower’s League will have to pay connection fees to the City before it will be guaranteed water hookups for a proposed 144-bed farm worker apartment complex in the Taylor Orchards Plat.

Taylor Orchards is about 23 acres that abut Highway 243 on the west side and Road 24 SW on the south side. Piercy said there should be a meeting soon between the WGL and City departments.

Related to the WGL’s project, a Gray & Osborne study determined that the sewer system in that area will be gravity flow and will not need lift stations.

The Council approved a consent agenda that included the August 18 Council meeting minutes, a payroll of $74,260.29 and claims totaling $1,019,175.57.