Olson to be honored at Kennewick council meeting

Outgoing Kennewick City Councilman Bob Olson is to be honored at the Dec. 15 council meeting.

Olson, 83, took office in 1988 after serving on the city’s board of adjustment for nine years. He lost to Matt Boehnke last month in Olson’s bid for an eighth term.

He has been involved in numerous transportation-related boards and projects, including the Edison Street-Highway 240 interchange, the extension of Steptoe Street and widening Columbia Center Boulevard.

Kennewick officials also credit Olson with helping get improvements at Vista Field and Columbia Park, lowering river levees, a new convention center, water and wastewater treatment plant improvements, downtown improvements, the Southridge sports complex and a new police station.

He was chairman of the Regional Surface Transportation Program Committee, which oversaw millions of dollars for area transportation projects. He also was involved with the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, the Benton-Franklin-Walla Walla Good Roads and Transportation and the state’s Transportation Improvement Board.

The meeting is at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 210 W. Sixth Ave.

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Olson to be honored at Kennewick council meeting."