Council setsbudget, tax hike

The Cathlamet town council gave preliminary approval to its 2010 budget, including a 1 percent property tax increase and acted on other business at its October 19 meeting.

The council held the first reading of its proposed budget; second and final reading will come next month.

No citizens rose to comment on the budget during the public hearing, but several citizens used the public comment period to ask the council to continue funding the municipal library. The citizens also suggested Mayor Dick Swart ask county government to support the library, for many patrons live in the county, outside city limits.

The 1 percent tax increase is the maximum allowed under state law, council members said. It will increase the town property tax levy $664.06, for a total levy of $67,070.35. The increase is done through ordinance, so another reading and final vote will occur at the council's November 16 meeting.

In other business:

--The council approved a suggested floor plan for the Town Hall. Officials suggested adding a break room, employee rest room and public rest rooms on the south side of the old fire truck bays, adjacent to the city office. Further discussion led to the suggestion that the employee rest room and break room be elevated to negate need for stairs. The public rest rooms will be at street level.

The council approved the concepts and voted to call for bids on the overall project, which is a structural upgrade to the city hall. Bidders will be asked to provide prices for four-inch and six inch concrete floors for the rest of the lower level.

--The council also accepted the bid of Halme Excavating for street and waterline improvements along Columbia Street and SR 4.

Halme was low bidder at $320,420.11. Next low of the nine bidders was NW Construction and General Contracting, $334,426.91.

Ken Alexander, consulting engineer for the project, said the bid award must be approved by the US Department of Agriculture before the contractor can go to work.