Council authorizes termination of sleep-center lease; resident warns of gaps for disabled people

The Moses Lake City Council voted to authorize the city manager to terminate the sleep-center property lease with the owner and to pay the final buyout balance on that lease. The motion was made during the council meeting and approved after an aye vote.

The action follows recent closure of the sleep center, which a resident said has left some residents without emergency shelter. Joseph Moriarty, a Moses Lake resident speaking during Citizens Communications, said he has engaged people who relied on the shelter and described at least one disabled person who lacked an immediate alternative. "Is there any kind of emergency place? And, actually, there's not," Moriarty said, adding that one woman who had been brought to the sleep center stayed in a park and occasionally slept in an alley after the center closed.

Why it matters: the lease termination is a formal municipal decision that ends the city's contractual relationship with the shelter property owner and requires a final buyout payment. City officials did not present accompanying new shelter options at the meeting; a resident asked to be informed about follow-up resources and requested staff coordination with local providers.

Council action and next steps: Council authorization directs the city manager to complete the lease termination and pay the buyout balance. The transcript records the motion and the mayor's call for the vote; no roll-call vote totals or dissenting votes are recorded in the public transcript. During public comment, Joseph Moriarty asked for information and coordination with local service providers (he referenced a caseworker with Renew) to address people who "slip through the gap." The council did not make a separate formal direction at the time to open a new emergency shelter or to allocate funds for interim services.

Context and community impact: Moriarty told the council that some individuals who had used the sleep center include disabled people and one person in her mid-60s who faced a 7-to-12-day gap in services after the shelter closed. He asked for staff follow-up and said he hoped to work with "Liz and some other options regarding resources for those that just kinda slip through the gap." The transcript does not record any staff reply detailing immediate alternatives or a timeline for follow-up.

What was not decided: The council did not vote on funding or create a new shelter program at the meeting. The action was limited to terminating the lease and paying the buyout; any further shelter planning would require separate council direction or staff action.