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NEWPORT — The City of Newport is receiving all the funds that were stolen in a cybercrime earlier this year.
City officials discovered in February that $336,588 in funds was stolen in what they described as a sophisticated online scam.
Mayor Keith Campbell announced at a Newport City Council meeting in April that the city’s insurer, the Association of Washington Cities’ Risk Management Service Agency, would cover at least $252,441. In a final update about the cybercrime, Campbell said at the council’s Monday, June 1 meeting that RMSA was also covering the remaining $84,147.
“Through quite a bit of paperwork and other ways of verifying trainings and so forth, we were able to fulfill our obligation there,” Campbell said at the meeting.
The Liberty Lake Police Department was conducting investigations into the crime, staff and city policies and procedures. LLPD officials informed the city early on that after staff transferred the funds to a fraudulent account, the funds disappeared. There have been no further updates from LLPD or other law enforcement since, Campbell said Tuesday, June 2. He declined to comment on the staff involved in the case.
The city is currently working on new policies regarding cybersecurity, Campbell said.
“The city’s elated that we’re able to be made whole again, that none of the taxpayer money was lost in the long run,” Campbell said.
At the same meeting, city administrator Abby Gribi informed the council that city crews were undergoing preparation work for this summer’s road maintenance project, which involves sweeping roads and checking city supplies.
TIB representatives are soon to meet with the city to discuss the project, as well as ways to address the severely damaged Seventh Street. Additionally, the city is hosting a public hearing about the Transportation Improvement Plan Monday, July 6.
“They’re going to start blasting the clean chip here, I think this week,” Gribi said at the meeting. “And so, we’ll start getting that as well.”
Later in the meeting, the council unanimously approved two funding agreements.
The first was with TIB for $266,000 in grant funding toward the road maintenance project, matched by $14,000 in local funds.
The second was with the state Public Works Board for $30,000 in grant funding toward riverbank stabilization engineering and design, matched by a five-year $30,000 loan with a 0.53% interest rate. This agreement is part of phase one of the wastewater treatment plant improvement project, Gribi said, adding that the riverbank was “very much” being eroded.
“It’s more than just the bank stabilization,” Gribi said. “It is getting it to a point where we can have driving access around that third clarifier.”
Council member Nathan Weathers expressed concerns regarding the cost. The city has yet to fully repay two loans: a Washington State Department of Ecology loan and a U.S. Department of Agriculture bond, both of which funded improvements to the wastewater treatment plant.
“We know it’s going to be a long-term thing,” council member Nathan Longly said. “We can get rid of it, understanding that we have lots of infrastructure that needs updated and fixed.”
In other business, the council updated the city accounting clerk job description to include a salary range, $4,946–$5,587.
Newly hired city clerk-treasurer Theresa Schoener was formerly the accounting clerk, leaving an opening.
The Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce president updated the council on a recent member survey and upcoming folder program for tourists and new residents.
Audience member Bill Prater returned to discuss the lack of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant parking spots in Newport. He pointed out that the city was not ADA-compliant, hindering disabled residents like him from accessing key locations downtown.
“We are looking at where we can put them and how we can do it and the cost,” Campbell said. The city is requesting a workshop with the state Department of Transportation within the next three or four council meetings.
