Pullman City Council passed resolutions on buses, approved a security grant and held a public discussion on environmental issues during Tuesday's meeting.

Pullman Transit buses will soon bear the WSU logo thanks to two resolutions approved by the Pullman City Council, Deputy City Clerk Jane Joyce said.

The council also approved the authorization of using a $300,000 federal grant to install of security cameras in public areas around the city, Joyce said. This grant is part of the "Smart Policing Initiative."

In other news, City Council approved the use of hosted a public discussion on the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s (WWTP) Secondary Process Improvements project as required by the State Environmental Review Process (SERP).

Public Works Director Mark Workman presented on the details of the Secondary Process Improvements project.

“I would like to touch on the need for the project, environmental issues, technical aspects and finances,” Workman said. “A major project we have ... is secondary process improvements, and these are being made in order to improve the plant capacity and plant performance and its ability to meet our discharge for these parameters.”

Workman said all federal, state and local environmental processes involving many acts pertaining to the concerns that have been addressed or are in the processes of addressing have been compiled into a document required by the planning agency.

“The city applied for both the Public Works Trust Fund loan and for a State Revolving Fund loan,” he said. “We were ranked high on both funding sources, but because we were ranked so high from the State Revolving Fund loan, the trust loan chose not to fund us. We have been successful in obtaining a $12.5 million loan through the State Revolving Fund.”

The council reviewed the issues that ASWSU forwarded to the board to be discussed at the joint meeting next Tuesday.

“The first issue was a public safety issue,” City Supervisor John Sherman said. “On this one was the Department of Justice grant for the use of video cameras, policing issues relating to WSU students and a discussion of safety. The ASWSU requested that the fire chief give a report.” 

Council member Barney Waldrop suggested adding sexual assault to the discussion of public safety.

Transportation issues were next on the list of the discussion agenda, Sherman said. ASWSU has requested a discussion on different transportation methods, a discussion on the closure of the bus service between Moscow and Pullman and the introduction of zip cars on campus.

Solid waste issues and planning issues have also been requested in the discussion.

Mayor Glenn Johnson announced upcoming events in Pullman.

“The Palouse Basin Water Summit will be held from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 4 at the SEL events center,” Johnson said. “The next regional breakfast meeting will be held Wednesday Oct. 5 at Banyans, where the WSU School of Economic Sciences professor Andrew Cassey will be speaking on what the depression on the dollar means for the Palouse."