Council

The Cathlamet town council took action in a special meeting Monday to discuss and act on a variety of issues.

Council members Bill Talbott, David Goodroe, Wally Wright and Steve McNicholas--Bob Rendler was excused--agreed after long discussion that the remodeling of City Hall should include a complete cement floor on the lower level in the project and bid specifications being developed. The work would be part of an overall project to strengthen the structure's walls, floors and foundation.

Critics of the proposal said that without a set plan for who will occupy the lower level, a tenant might want have to tear up the floor to install new plumbing lines. The town could just tear out the floor and leave it unfinished until there are tenants, they said.

Supporters of a new floor said the unfinished floor would inhibit use of the lower level. "You have no usable space with a dirt floor on the lower level," said Council Member David Goodroe.

Goodroe reported that the Wahkiakum School District has requested a substantial payment in response to the town's request to relocate a planned road leading to the town's new wastewater treatment plant site.

Last month, town engineers said the planned road right-of-way is located on steep ground and would be very expensive to build. A road higher on the hill would be much more economical, they said, and Goodroe took that proposal to last month's meeting of the Wahkiakum School District board of directors.

After he made the proposal, Goodroe said, the board went into executive session. They later responded with a proposal to allow the new alignment in exchange for the town reducing the district's sewer and water bills 25 percent for a period of years.

"That would cost the town $208,000," Goodroe said. "We're better off trying to get the money (for the costly road alignment) out of a granting agency than getting the school district to do the right thing."

He added that he felt the offer was a negotiating ploy that should be rejected.

"I feel betrayed," said Wright. "We already paid the school district a very good price for the land we bought."

Mayor Dick Swart reported that new offers from state and federal funding agencies could help finance the new wastewater treatment plant.

The cost of the plant is estimated at $11-16 million, and consultants reported earlier this year it would likely be necessary to have $100 sewer rates to pay the expense.

Now, Swart said, funders have changed their proposals, and the rate would be closer to $60 per month.

The council authorized their consultants to prepare a loan application for the project.

The council will have a special meeting next Monday, 7 p.m., in the Cathlamet Fire Hall meeting room to go over proposed budgets for 2010.