Council drops wind project --for now

By a 2-1 vote, the Cathlamet Town Council decided Monday to drop research into a proposal to study the potential of wind generation on town property on Bradley Mountain.

In other business, the council authorized members of the Cathlamet Fire Department to buy a wildland fire fighting truck from a California firm; the council passed resolutions needed to secure funds for construction projects set to start this summer, and they decided not to rush ahead with clearing slash and stumps at the waste water treatment plant site.

The council met in a session continued from their regular meeting June 15. Absent were Councilmembers David Goodroe and Steve McNicholas.

With the short-handed council, the votes of Councilmembers Bob Rendler and William Talbott were enough to pass a motion to decline to pay $9,000 for an anemometer to gather wind speed data. Councilmember Wally Wright voted to purchase the device.

"There are too many unanswered questions," Rendler said. He pointed out that when McNicholas first reported on the project, there would be no charge for the device; now things have changed, and the council is asked to pay over $9,000 for it. Talbott agreed.

Wright said the potential benefits of the wind project to the town make the expense worthwhile.

"If we don't get the anemometer, we won't have verifiable data that will allow us to go look for finances for the project," he said.

Mayor Dick Swart, who only votes to break a tie, didn't support the expenditure.

"Wind generation is very complex," he said. "It will be a long term commitment, and it will cost a lot of money. The numbers keep shifting. Bulling ahead is not wise."

After his comments, he asked for votes, and the motion passed 2-1.

At the council's earlier meeting, firemen had reported having no bids for wildland fire truck they wanted to purchase. They did, however, have bids for the bed and equipment they wanted for the truck.

The council authorized firemen to attend an auction last Thursday to bid on a truck that would meet their needs, but they weren't the successful bidder.

Monday, Assistant Chief Bill Faubion reported finding a similar vehicle, which is equipped, is for sale in Auburn, Calif. He recommended the town buy the vehicle, whose cost would slightly exceed the town's budgeted amount, but the firefighter's association will pay the difference, he said.

The council authorized the purchase.

Mayor Swart reported that a proposal to burn slash and stumps as part of a fire fighter training exercise was too complex to accomplish.

Instead, he will develop a plan and cost estimates to present to the council at its July 20 meeting.