Teamsters affiliate to advise rideshare workers

Drivers Union, a Tukwila nonprofit associated with Teamsters Local 117, has inked a $5.4 million, two-year contract with the state of Washington to support drivers who provide ride services for passengers through transportation network companies such as Lyft and Uber.

The Department of Labor & Industries awarded the contract through a competitive bid process, fulfilling a 2022 law passed by the state Legislature to protect the 85,000 drivers in Washington.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, rideshare drivers are entitled to minimum compensation rates, paid sick time, workers’ compensation and protection against retaliation and deactivation. Go to driversunionwa.org.

Pasco appoints interim city manager

The Pasco City Council has appointed Adam Lincoln to serve as interim city manager as it works to find a successor for Dave Zabell, who retired in October.

Lincoln joined the city in 2020 and was the city’s deputy city manager. He previously held leadership roles in the city of Pullman and was an assistant to the Lakewood city manager. He brings experience in local, state and federal government to the post.

He earned a bachelor’s from Western Washington University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Governance and Public Policy.

The city council expects to announce finalists for the city manager post by mid-November and will conduct public meet-and-greet sessions before making a final decision.

CI celebrates 3 new kitchen program graduates

Columbia Industries, a Kennewick mission-based organization committed to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities and other challenges, celebrated its newest class of graduates from its Opportunity Kitchen food service training program.

Three students in the program’s ninth class graduated Oct. 27 at the Richland Federal Building.

Opportunity Kitchen offers a structured path out of underemployment to individuals with disabilities and other barriers. Students in the program spend 12 weeks on a comprehensive curriculum to prepare them for food service, hospitality or catering employment. Upon program completion, graduates work with CI staff to find jobs.

Since its launch in 2019, Opportunity Kitchen has graduated 31 students from the training program.

Benton County adding 10 law enforcement positions

Benton County is expected to spend down its public safety sales tax reserve through investments in new staff, a law enforcement shooting range, training center, new mobile radios, X-ray equipment for the bomb squad, a new crime scene evidence vehicle and more.

The county anticipates the voter-approved Public Safety Sales Tax will generate $20.7 million in the next biennium. It plans to spend nearly $35 billion, with $14 million coming from the fund balance.

The move will reduce the fund balance to $5.4 million.

The county commission has given preliminary approval to spend $7.1 million to add 10 staff positions and other expenditures to the budget.

The public safety sales tax will expire in 2024 unless renewed by voters.

Pasco won’t hire animal control contractor

 The city of Pasco will retain management of the Tri-Cities Animal Control & Shelter instead of hiring a contractor to operate the facility.

Pasco oversees the facility on behalf of itself and the cities of Kennewick and Richland. The city has operated it since July, when it took over from the Benton Franklin Humane Society. The city said it has hired new staff and implemented policies and procedures to protect the animals in its care.

The city ended the previous contact after a police raid found animals starving and living in filthy conditions in November 2021. The former operators also were accused of stealing money left to the facility by an area veteran.

The humane society temporarily operated the facility until the city stepped in.

The move comes as Pasco prepares to break ground on a new animal shelter.

Tri-Cities Animal Control & Shelter has an annual budget of $2 million, divided between the three cities.

Hammer training center observes 25th anniversary

The Volpentest Hammer Federal Training Facility celebrated its 25th anniversary in October.

The 88-acre facility at the Hanford site opened in 1997 and provides hands-on training to Hanford workers.

It is named for the late Sam Volpentest, father of economic development in the Tri-Cities.

The center is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by Hanford Mission Integration Solutions to provide specialized training that allows workers to train in realistic but safe and controlled environments as they prepare to work around Hanford’s well-known radioactive and hazardous conditions.