Pasco city officials considered spending $28,750 on studies to determine the benefits of consolidating the Tri-Cities and the best spot for building a new bridge across the Columbia River during a city council meeting Monday.
Though the council could not take action at the workshop meeting, most council members seemed open to the idea of exploring options relating to consolidating Richland, Kennewick and Pasco.
"The word 'consolidation' evokes a lot of emotion" in the community, said Councilman Matt Watkins.
Though the idea hasn't been embraced in the past, a new study could provide a new and objective look at the situation, he said.
The consolidation study would cost the city $10,000 a year for the next two years, with the same contribution from Kennewick and Richland.
The proposed two-part study, by the nonprofit William D. Ruckelshaus Center, is expected to cost $140,000, with additional costs shared by the private business sector and port districts. The center is a joint project of Washington State University and the University of Washington.
The center has a history of tackling "thorny" issues, said Pasco City Manager Gary Crutchfield.
Councilwoman Rebecca Francik thought the study ultimately could act as a long-term planning tool for the cities and future projects.
"The fact of the matter is that the Tri-Cities are growing," she said.
Also Monday, the council discussed whether to participate in a study to determine the best location for a new bridge on the Columbia River.
The Benton Franklin Council of Governments is planning to conduct a study for the best location for an additional river crossing.
In the anticipation of future growth, another bridge would be needed to alleviate traffic congestion on the blue bridge over the next 20 years, when the Tri-Cities could add 60,000 to 80,000 residents.
The study to be conducted by the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments would cost $250,000, and about half of that will come from the Washington Department of Transportation.
The Benton-Franklin Council of Governments recommends that Pasco, like Kennewick and Richland, contribute $18,750.
Other contributors would include Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties, four port districts, and the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments.
If Pasco decides not to participate, the other jurisdictions might follow suit.
"They're kind of like the Three Musketeers -- 'All for one and one for all,' " Crutchfield said.
Once the study is completed, the state Department of Transportation would make the final decision on the bridge's location.
The council is expected to make its decision on whether to participate in the two studies at its next regular meeting Sept. 21.
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Franklin County commissioners unanimously approved Wednesday a memorandum of understanding with Benton County that would allow the state to pay for the study.
The cities, counties and fire districts in Benton and Franklin counties have been discussing combining Franklin County's dispatch center and SECOMM, or Southeast Communications Center.
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The 20-year plan, which is revised every five years, acts as a guideline for cities and counties to build projects and allows the governments to compete for state and federal funding for the projects listed in the plan, said Mark Kushner, council of governments transportation director.
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Mid-Columbia officials have made their list of transportation project wants, and now they are asking the public to check it before the proposal becomes a plan.
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The 20-year plan, which is revised every five years, acts as a guideline for cities and counties to build projects and allows the governments to compete for state and federal funding for the projects listed in the plan, said Mark Kushner, council of governments transportation director.
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A shared system likely would mean the majority of local governments would pay more for dispatch and record services, although some other costs, including maintenance and software upgrades, would decrease, according to a consultant's report.
With the proposed Multi-Agency Three Rivers Information and Communications Services, or MATRICS, the two current dispatch centers would operate as a single system, although dispatchers would work from two facilities, said Ernest Pages with e-Gov Consulting of Fairview, Texas.
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Those are chilling words coming from Pasco's new police chief, Bob Metzger.
But it's not the inherent danger his officers face that prompted the remark. Metzger was referring to the added anxiety of using an antiquated radio system that's not part of a regional emergency communications system.
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