MATTAWA — Wahluke School District Superintendent Robert Eckert has been instructed by the Wahluke School Board to work on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) or lease with the Wahluke Enrichment Organization (WEO) to allow it to farm a piece of farmland owned by the school district. The decision was made during a regular board meeting on Feb. 11.

The topic of who was going to farm the field for the 2020 growing season was first brought up at a board meeting on Dec. 10, 2019. At the time, there was some concern that renting the land to the WEO could be viewed as a conflict of interest since school board member Seth Weeks was also the vice president of the non-profit. In January, Weeks resigned his position with the WEO, resolving the situation.

But the question of who is going to farm the field still needed to be answered. During the Feb. 11 board meeting, Hans Groenke, president of the WEO, asked the school board to grant the WEO a three-year lease on the property.

Over the past few years, the school district has had a hard time finding farmers willing to farm the field because of a farm circle that is “a piece of garbage to deal with,” according to school board chair Lorraine Jenne.

Last year, the WEO farmed the piece of ground in question and felt like it wasn't given a chance to really see the benefit from their labors. They put in approximately $3,000 into the electrical side of the circle, according to Groenke. Groenke also mentioned that the school district's irrigation pump failed and the district used the pump to keep the school grounds watered. He would like to see the WEO get a fair shot at farming the land.

The WEO is a non-profit group that helps promote youth activities in Mattawa. Over the past several years, the group has donated money to youth sports and the Amazing Warrior Shake, resurfaced two softball fields and planted a pumpkin patch. It is in the planning process of building an 80-by-100-foot building that will be donated to the school district upon completion. In return, the WEO will get first rights to use the building for its youth sports programs if the school district isn't using the building.

“We want another shot to get some money in the bank to fund youth sports,” Groenke said. “It was a big help last year. It could have been a bigger help. I think we've done enough work on it to get it through the year.”

The WEO is asking for a three-year lease on the property. One of the questions that came up during the meeting was if the district was planning to do any building in that field during the next three years and if a three-year agreement was realistic. The field has been earmarked for future expansion of the district. Eckert said that the district will be taking the next three years to decide what it is building and where it will build.

During the meeting, there was a question of who pays for the water for the field. School board member Maybeline Pantaleon said that she had found that the city of Mattawa had billed the school district $4,617 for water for the field. Eckert said that while the bill is being sent to the district, the WEO had actually paid the bill.

While the WEO paid for the water last year, the people who had previously farmed the field had not. There was some talk during the meeting that the school district should try to collect that money. No decisions were made on whether the district will proceed in that direction.

The board did instruct Eckert to come to an agreement with the WEO for the use of the field. Weeks said that the agreement needs to be on the agenda for the next meeting as farming season is quickly approaching. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Wahluke School District agendas are posted on its website prior to each meeting.

Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at rpinkerton@suntribunenews.com.