Pasco's city manager is the new guy in town, but he's making changes happen

Pasco's new city manager had a long first month. Dave Zabell, who started Aug. 26, commuted from Yakima each day until he and his wife closed on a house near the Columbia River a few weeks ago.

He also drove regularly to Lynnwood to visit his ailing father, who died Sept. 21.

Zabell has been catching up with meetings since then, and is fully devoting his time to the city, he said.

Pasco's downtown already has changed since Zabell came from Fife, where he had been city manager since 2011.

The city is making progress on demolition to make way for an eventual Lewis Street overpass. It agreed in April to pay Ray Poland and Sons of Kennewick $445,018 to complete the first part of the job.

Much of a two-block area is gone between Lewis and Clark streets between Second Avenue and Tacoma Street. The city still needs more than $30 million, much of it from the state and federal governments, to complete the Lewis Street overpass project, which includes making Lewis and Clark streets one way.

The city council is expected to vote Monday to eventually double funding for the Downtown Pasco Development Authority, which seeks to revitalize downtown. The organization's director said it needs $120,000 in 2016 -- up from $60,000 now -- to help it hire a sales and marketing director and move toward being self-sufficient.

It's tough to judge anyone's job performance in such a short amount of time, but Zabell is off to a great start, said downtown authority executive director Michael Goins. He praised Zabell for making sure the city helped pay for last month's Fiery Foods Festival and attending the event.

"I think his energy will be great for downtown," Goins said. "I feel all our city officials support downtown, and Dave has made efforts early on to make sure that he has been present."

Zabell talked with others interested in downtown's future, including some who offered opposing views.

Felix Vargas Jr., who expressed his concerns about Hispanic residents' lack of access to the four city manager finalists in June, said he is pleased with Zabell's interaction with the downtown community so far.

Zabell met with Vargas and 20 representatives from downtown businesses Oct. 8, Vargas said. Vargas, a retired diplomat and Army colonel, and others say they are dismayed about plans to build a new Union Gospel Mission men's shelter downtown. They worry not only about homeless people who stay and get treatment at the mission, but people the shelter rejects -- who Vargas said end up on the doorsteps of downtown businesses.

Zabell asked the business owners, who want the new shelter to be built elsewhere, to come up with an outline of short- and medium-term plans, which they will discuss at a follow-up meeting, Vargas said.

"The meeting was very constructive in the sense that he brought in a fresh perspective and willingness to work with all the citizens in the community," Vargas said. "He's no stranger to working on complex city issues."

The city shows no sign of slowing down on its longstanding annexation battle since Zabell took over, already proceeding.

Property owners voluntarily asked the city to take in 6.2 acres east of Chiawana High School, where between nine and 11 residential lots could be developed.

Preparations also are under way for more annexations of what's left of the "doughnut hole."

The unincorporated area actually is two smaller holes surrounded by west Pasco because of an annexation that went into effect last year.

The city council also recently voted to establish a policy for extending sewer service outside the city limits, in exchange for requiring county residents to sign away the right to challenge future annexations.

Continuing to annex the doughnut hole in an orderly fashion was one of the 17 goals the council set for the next two years at its April retreat.

"I don't see a change in that goal on the part of city council," Zabell said. "Working on council goals is my job."

Another goal is to find a smaller facility to replace Pasco's senior center on North Seventh Avenue.

The 23,000-square-foot center is larger than Kennewick's and Richland's senior facilities combined and has seen declining usage.

Progress has been made on the senior center issue, but "not that I can discuss," Zabell said.

Work is coming along on the Road 68 corridor, where workers are wrapping up a project to put in new concrete medians and turn lanes on Road 68 and Burden Boulevard.

Design of two right-turn lanes from Road 68 south is moving forward, with the city looking to start construction next year.

Zabell is pleased to be moving from introductory meetings into working meetings, he said.

"In government and business, it's all about relationships when it comes down to it," he said. "I'm looking forward to the productive part."

Zabell emphasized how he was detail-oriented when the city council interviewed him to replace the retiring Gary Crutchfield, Mayor Matt Watkins said. That has been reflected in his willingness to meet with people on a number of issues.

Zabell and Crutchfield, who was city manager for 30 years before retiring in June, have different strengths and weaknesses, Watkins said. But, on balance, the mayor has been pleased.

"I think he's fulfilled what was advertised, and we appreciate it, so far," he said.

-- Geoff Folsom: 509-582-1543; gfolsom@tricityherald.com; Twitter: @GeoffFolsom

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 10:27 PM with the headline "Pasco's city manager is the new guy in town, but he's making changes happen."