Council finishes budgets, workson other issues

The Cathlamet Town Council passed budgets for 2008, updated the library board and acted on other business when it met Monday.

Budget action took over an hour as Assistant Fire Chiefs Fred Johnson and Bill Faubion, also city attorney, reviewed department accounts.

Two years ago, the Cathlamet Fire Department managed its own accounts, but they have now been merged with town accounts at the request of the Washington State Auditor.

This year, the town adopted a new accounting system, complicating the process.

At Johnson's request, the council agreed to extend a loan to the fire department for costs related to construction and equipping of the new fire hall. Johnson said the department should be able to pay the balance, approximately $13,000, by the end of June.

The council also agreed that fire department funds would be managed out of a cumulative reserve fund, not the general fund, so that accumulated money could carry over from year to year.

The council has received the resignation of long-time librarian Noreen Holten.

The council approved ratification of library board members and defined their terms: Jerry Ledtke, one year; Joyce Orr, two years; Hilary Baker, three years; Mike McAvoy, four years, and William Schwarze, five years. McAvoy is chair.

McAvoy said the board will hold a party to honor Holten on January 9. They'll also advertise for a librarian to replace her on a temporary basis.

Citizen Dean Snyder restated his claim for labor and materials for repairing landscape in front of his house on the hill above town.

Snyder maintains a contractor excavated topsoil and deposited it elsewhere last year while working on town sewer and storm drains. The land is now barren and messy, Snyder said, and the council has ignored his proposal that the town obtain fill from state fish hatcheries to replace the lost topsoil.

Councilmember David Goodroe said he would look into the matter.

The council approved a short plat for developer Todd Nicholson for land adjoining his Marina Estates development along Elochoman Slough.

The town has no short plat ordinance, and the council affirmed a recommendation from the town planning commission, which recommended approval based on conditions originally applied to the Marina Estates development.

Councilmember Danielle Erickson commented that the town needed to develop the short plat ordinance because she didn't know what the previous conditions were, and thus the process was very loose.

The council handled much other business and went into executive session with attorney Faubion to discuss its potential litigation, a personnel issue, and its negotiations with the Wahkiakum School District for purchase of a site for a new waste water treatment plant.