Brewster council takes outdoor volleyball court under advisement

BREWSTER – A standing-room-only crowd filled the meeting room last Wednesday, June 14, as the city council listened to a proposal for a new volleyball court, swore in a new police officer, heard a recycling update and discussed the upcoming Fourth of July parade among other agenda items.

Former Brewster graduate and community supporter, Karl Word, proposed a dual outdoor volleyball court styled after the court recently installed at Don Morse Park in Chelan. The Brewster court would be located adjacent to the Karl Goehry Memorial Basketball Court on the east side of South Seventh Street across from the high school.

The court would be named the Gary Knowlton Memorial Volleyball Court in honor of Brewster native, elementary teacher and Manson Pool lifeguard, Gary Knowlton, who was killed tragically in a hit-and-run accident near Chelan on June 16, 2016.

Word also spearheaded the Goehry basketball court project in 2013.

With support from Brewster varsity volleyball coach, Marcy Boesel, assistant coach, Alisia Foyle, and several Lady Bears varsity players, Word presented his design drawing together with cost estimates for the project, with and without a fence enclosure.

Council members debated the cost and necessity for a fence enclosure for the outdoor courts citing previous problems with cat contamination of sand-covered areas. An earlier outdoor camping area in the RV park had to be abandoned when feline urine and fecal deposits rendered the sandy camping sites unusable.

Council member John Housden said that in earlier discussions with Word, the Parks and Recreation Committee “agreed in principle” with the volleyball court proposal pending resolution of several conditions. At Housden’s recommendation, council agreed to “authorize mayor Art Smyth to proceed” while outstanding issues are addressed.

Council also voted to follow the same vendor format as that used last year for the Fourth of July celebration in Columbia Cove Park.

Director of Public Works, Lee Webster, advised council that Okanogan County Department of Public Works hauled off the city’s cardboard recycling bin citing misuse of the service and lack of funds to make extra pickups.

Webster said the county provides the service through a grant that covers residential recycling. While the county has issues with “frequent contamination and misuse,” according to a notice posted at the recycle site near Swamp Creek west of Bridge Street North, Webster said another factor was the amount of cardboard

“The volume of cardboard the city of Brewster provides required an extra trip a week down here, and they basically ran out of money.” Webster said.

Webster is exploring other options for cardboard processing while the county takes the matter under further review.

Webster also advised council that, thanks to help from volunteers like Manny Hurtado, the city has received enough responses to its income survey of city residential water users to validate the results for low income funding eligibility. As of April, only 99 responses had been received of the minimum 159 needed to validate the survey so community volunteers played a key role in closing the gap.

Brewster pool manager, Shan Miller reported that the pool attracted more swimmers on opening day this summer than any previous opening since she has been involved with it. Miller announced some changes at the pool this year, including a daily general admission fee of three dollars for all ages. Miller said the large opening day turnout is evidence that “we must be doing something right.”