Council hears concerns over emergency response

Members of the Cathlamet Town Council heard reports and discussed a variety of issues when they met Monday.

During the public comment time, Tom Merz raised concerns about the health of the Cathlamet Fire Department and its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) division.

Merz, an emergency medical technician and former member of the department, said the number of EMT's has declined, and there are no paramedics in the department even though some reside in the area. This means there are often times when few or no department members respond to calls, and dispatchers have to call ambulances outside the area.

Merz suggested the program needs to be reorganized.

"You have a wonderful group of volunteers," he said. "Don't mess it up."

Former EMT and department member Kay Holland echoed Merz's comments.

"We need our paramedics, our EMT's, our fire department we used to have," she said.

Council Member Wally Wright said he was already looking into the situation and having dicsussions with department officers. He said he had retired from the department after more than 40 years of service but recently returned. He is now a first responder, and he said he and other first responders can take an ambulance to a call and transport a patient.

Merz commented that first responders can't legally administer oxygen or drugs; they can only transport.

Mayor Dale Jacobson thanked Merz for his comments. He said he would discuss them with the department chief.

In other business:

--The council gave the second of three required approvals to their 2016 budgets. The budget shows a $71,000 deficit in the Sewer Operations and Maintenance Fund. Council Members Andy Lea and Dick Swart will meet with staff to resolve the difference in time for the council's December meeting, which will be December 14 instead of December 21 in order to accommodate council members' holiday travel plans.

--Council members received request for a water bill adjustment. Consumption spiked at a Columbia

Street residence in October, 22,861 gallons, without an apparent reason. The property owner requested a one time adjustment of $270.87. Town staff said the calculation according to the town ordinance would be $89.71. The three council members present approved the adjustment as recommended by staff in a 2-1 vote.

--Public Works Superintendent Duncan Cruickshank reported staff had partial success in using compressed air to clean the intake line for the water plant on the Elochoman River. Lea said they had learned from a retired employee that another line may be in the river and could be cleaned out and put in use to increase the plant's production capacity, without a project to install a new line.

"If we can, that would save us a lot of money," Lea said.

--Mayor Jacobson said he is having trouble filling a vacancy on the council. Lea commented that there are also vacancies on the planning commission, and Jacobson said that would be the number two priority.

Jacobson also said he would research the two engineering firms that responded to a request for service proposals and make a recommendation at the December meeting, and he would continue developing a plan to shore up the town dock with a proposal to come in December.

--The council recessed into executive session and upon reconvening, agreed to contract with Futcher Group Certified Public Accountants for services relating to an arbitration proceeding with Wahkiakum PUD. The town and PUD have been unable to reach agreement over application of their water sales contract.