COULEE DAM TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AUDIO TRANSCRIPT March 25, 2026 Audio duration: 7 minutes, 46 seconds TRANSCRIPT NOTE This is a Coulee Municipal Pipeline transcript of the audio supplied by the Town of Coulee Dam. The recording begins in the middle of the action agenda and ends shortly after the Chamber of Commerce presentation begins. It is not a recording of the entire meeting. Speaker identifications and formal actions were checked against the town's adopted meeting minutes. Unclear words and overlapping speech are identified in brackets. [00:00] COUNCILMEMBER: I think so. [00:02] MAYOR BOB POCH: Yeah. [00:03] COUNCILMEMBER: Like everybody knows, don't they? Have a pretty much understanding of just entering an MOU. [00:09] COUNCILMEMBER KEITH ST. JEOR: I'm assuming that's already been discussed with Grand Coulee. [00:12] MAYOR BOB POCH: It is in their hands right now. [Name unclear] has it. I don't know what their situation is going to be with it. [00:24] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: It was drafted by our attorney. [00:26] MAYOR BOB POCH: Yeah. And our police chief, I think, is okay with it. [00:40] COUNCILMEMBER KEITH ST. JEOR: I make a motion that we accept the Interlocal Agreement for Mutual Aid between the Coulee Dam and Grand Coulee police departments. [00:50] COUNCILMEMBER BRIAN QUILL: I'll second. [00:51] MAYOR BOB POCH: Motion made and seconded. Is there any discussion? All those in favor? [00:59] COUNCIL: Aye. [01:00] MAYOR BOB POCH: Motion carries. Thank you. Next on the agenda is Regional Fire Authority, and I hate to do this, but I've got to find a couple of council people that will volunteer to take that on. According to the bylaws, charter that's there, we need to have two elected officials or three elected officials, and with three elected officials it makes it a quorum for the council, so we can't do that. We need two council members and the mayor. I know how you guys feel about doing that stuff, because I feel the same way, but I think it's a necessity for the town to try and get this going. So, do I have any volunteers? [01:50] COUNCILMEMBER BRIAN QUILL: I've already spoke up and volunteered. [01:59] COUNCILMEMBER RON TOULOU: I have the time if needed, if nobody else is getting it. [02:03] MAYOR BOB POCH: Thank you, Ron. I appreciate that. So you are now appointed, both of you. As soon as they come up with a date to start meeting, I will get the information to you. Okay. Next is the coffee-shop franchise. [02:21] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: Yes. So probably most of you have seen it. The building is placed. When we entered this franchise agreement last August, we didn't start collecting rent yet because they had to have a physical location. Once they physically started using the location, that's kind of what we had decided, when the rent would start. They broke ground the first week of March, so I'm suggesting that the rent starts March 1, 2026, but I need official action from the council as to when they want that rent payment to start. [03:03] COUNCILMEMBER KEITH ST. JEOR: The first of April. I hate to backdate something from this meeting back. [03:15] [Brief overlapping discussion. Councilmember Keith St. Jeor moves to begin imposing the franchise fee on April 1, 2026. Councilmember John Adkins seconds.] [03:20] MAYOR BOB POCH: Motion made and seconded to start rent on April 1. Discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor? [03:31] COUNCIL: Aye. [03:31] MAYOR BOB POCH: Motion carries. [03:34] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: Something we're going to have to discuss down the road on this as well, they have a 3 percent increase annually on it, so we'll need to figure out if we want it 3 percent from the August date when they signed it, or 3 percent from the start of when their first rent payment was. That doesn't have to be figured out tonight if you don't want to, but that's just something that's going to have to come up. [03:54] MAYOR BOB POCH: I'd like it to be for April 1, just the beginning of that one. Do we need a motion, or is it the final way? [04:05] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: I'll just make a note in the minutes if that's what the discussion was. [04:08] MAYOR BOB POCH: Okay. Good enough. Next thing is water-main funding. [04:15] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: Our engineer has contacted me, and she's working on applications for funding for water-main replacements. The State Drinking Water Revolving Fund is opening up, and applications are due by the 29th. Some of these are grants, some are loans, some are a grant-loan mix. We don't know until after an offer has been made what we qualify for. She's asking for the council to formally approve her to apply for funding up to $500,000, because that's the maximum we can apply for. She said it probably won't be that much, but she needs to have that covered just to submit the application. Then, once the application has been submitted, if we're chosen, we'll have the opportunity to accept or deny the offer. She just needs an official decision from the council, a motion to allow her to make that application. [05:17] [Councilmember John Adkins moves to authorize the application. Councilmember Keith St. Jeor seconds.] [05:24] MAYOR BOB POCH: Discussion? [05:30] COUNCILMEMBER RON TOULOU: I know we kind of talked about it before, but has anybody reached out to the Tribe as far as utilizing their grant writers for funding for projects like this? [05:44] MAYOR BOB POCH: No, we haven't at this time. [05:46] COUNCILMEMBER RON TOULOU: It would just be my suggestion that somebody contact Matthew Pleasants, because I know there are some funding opportunities out there that the Tribe is looking for towns to co-apply with. The towns would qualify for some things, and the Tribe would also. I know they're interested in using their grant writers to take that on, so that they're paying for those guys. Just a suggestion that somebody might want to reach out to him and see what they have to offer. [06:21] MAYOR BOB POCH: That's Matthew Pleasants? [06:22] COUNCILMEMBER RON TOULOU: Yeah. He's the one that's made contact with [place name unclear]. [06:26] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: I was going to talk with Marissa, too. I know that TD&H does work for the Tribe. She has some good contacts with the Tribe, so I'll talk to her. [06:43] MAYOR BOB POCH: So everybody is okay with that? [06:45] CLERK-TREASURER STEFANI BOWDEN: We had a motion and a second. We didn't vote. [06:47] MAYOR BOB POCH: All those in favor? [06:48] COUNCIL: Aye. [06:49] MAYOR BOB POCH: Thank you. Okay, we're on the discussion agenda. We have the Chamber with us tonight. Your turn. [07:07] CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPRESENTATIVE: So this is just our flyers so far of what we have going on for Festival of America. We actually had a meeting with the mayor and Stefani a little while ago. It's America's 250th. We extended it. Oh, I'm sorry. You guys have to share. [07:39] COUNCILMEMBER: That's all right. [07:44] CHAMBER OF COMMERCE REPRESENTATIVE: First year we did Festival... [Recording ends.]