Council discusses clinic fund,solar heating for pool

, 2009

The Cathlamet town council delayed a decision on a $50,000 contribution to the Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic and acted on other business at their May meeting on Monday.

In other business, the council amended its 2009 budget, heard a presentation on a solar water heating for the Julia Butler Hansen Municpal Swimming Pool and acted on other matters.

Wholesaler Michael Fitzgerald of "ecosystems solar" of Damascus, Ore., displayed the solar water heating panels he sells to distributors in the region. He showed how volunteers could easily install them on a room and connect them to the pool's water circulating system. A few warm days should allow them to bring the pool up to temperature, and with a proper cover, the pool should need minimal auxiliary heat to keep the water at temperature, he said.

After discussion, Mayor Dick Swart named Councilmember Wally Wright, who had arranged Fitzgerald's visit, to head a committee to bring pricing and other details to the council's June 15 meeting for possible action.

The council passed several amendments to the 2009 budget to account for unexpected revenues and expenditures such as water main construction to be financed through federal economic stimulus money.

The council and consulting Engineer Ken Alexander of Gray and Osborne, Inc., discussed options for the town to pursue regarding financing a new waste water treatment plant.

At an April meeting, councilmembers seemed reluctant to accept a federal grant, for it appeared that the sewer fees would have to go as high as $100 per month to cover construction costs, and council members felt customers would rebel at that rate.

Alexander suggested the council calculate what they felt would be the highest publicly acceptable rate and use that to calculate their federal loan needs.

Council members said they would schedule a workshop to discuss rates and the ramifications of trying to get by with simply lining the existing sewer lagoons.

Council members showed continued support for a suggestion that the town contribute $50,000 for the continued operation of the Wahkiakum Family Practice Clinic. However, council members noted that Wahkiakum County Commissioners, who own the clinic, are asking the Cowlitz Family Health Center to take it over, so they said they would wait to formally act on the funding until they know what's going on with county proposals.

Assistant Fire Chief Fred Johnson presented a suggested fee schedule that would increase rates charged for Cathlamet ambulance service. The current base rate would increase from $715.46 to $1,100 under the proposal. Johnson said the Cathlamet Fire Department would present a final proposed rate schedule a the council's June 15 meeting.

The council also approved Mayor Swart's proposed appointments to the new board of directors of the Cathlamet Blanche Bradley Public Library. They are Toni Hardy, Jan Dees, Nancy Reed, Carrie Kennedy and Stephanie Leitz.