Pullman City Council held a meeting on Tuesday in collaboration with the ASWSU at Pullman City Hall. Student representatives had a chance to update council members on their work and address concerns voiced by the larger student body.
After brief introductions from the members of ASWSU and the council members, Amina Hussein, ASWSU community affairs director, gave an overview of the ongoing efforts of ASWSU departments. Highlighted were the efforts to improve access to mental health and overdose prevention resources, legislative lobbying to improve access to higher education and a recent “walk audit” done to assess safety infrastructure around campus.
Following Hussein, Sen. Pro Tempore Anusha Bose briefly discussed the efforts of the Senate and highlighted 15 pieces of legislation recently passed. Bose then introduced the Internal Affairs, External Affairs and Engagement Committees who each gave a brief synopsis of their work this semester.
The Engagement Committee highlighted their work tabling on campus as a method of receiving feedback. Through this tabling, they gathered questions from the student body that were then presented to the Council.
The first question inquired about updates surrounding the recently completed downtown construction project and how it will impact students. Mayor Francis Benjamin answered by discussing the four main goals of the project: creating a people-centric space, slowing down traffic and reducing noise, replacing outdated infrastructure and improving accessibility.
“The students should come down and really experience it, there’s a lot of great things,” Francis said. “People are really enjoying being down there.”
Next, a question was raised regarding recent safety concerns in the area and how those can best be addressed. Pullman City Police Chief Jake Opgenorth spoke, reiterating the work of the department, including proactive patrols, and the role students play in reporting criminal activity. He also highlighted the department’s emphasis on community building as opposed to strict enforcement.
“I just encourage that if you ever see anything, always report it,” Opegenorth said. “We hear a lot of things that are concerning, but we never get the report.”
Transit Manager Wayne Thompson answered the next question regarding extended transit hours. Thompson said this was the first he had heard of a request for extended hours, and that it would be noted as they consider what to present in their yearly recommendation package. Thompson also encouraged individuals to share their concerns with the WSU Transit Advisory Group, as their endorsements carry significance.
Concerns regarding the poor road conditions on NE Orchard Drive, a road regularly traveled by students, were addressed by Public Works Director Sean Wells. Wells shared that while improvements on the sidewalks in that area have already been completed and designs for road work are complete, the project is waiting on grant funding to move forward.
General sentiments were shared by both parties about the disconnect between the WSU campus and the wider Pullman community. Discussed solutions included an in-progress joint event calendar, a need for student involvement in downtown events and city committees and continuation of the connection between ASWSU and Pullman City Council.
The agenda and minutes of all Pullman City Council meetings can be found on their website.
ASWSU and the Pullman City Council are expected to hold a joint meeting during spring semester.
