Council to plan utility rate increases

At their August 15 meeting, members of the Cathlamet Town Council agreed by consensus to put together a committee to plan increases for water and sewer utility customers.

Council Member Dick Swart raised the issue for discussion.

""Our income is insufficient to meet our costs," he said. "The General Fund had to cover a deficit last year.

"We need to take a hard look at our rate structure."

Swart reminded council members that the town has had two rate studies in recent years.

"Nothing was done when the council was told rates needed to increase," he said. "We're at the point where we'll have another deficit."

Swart suggested the council appoint a committee to propose new rates at the council's September meeting.

Mayor Dale Jacobson asked Swart if he thought the increases need to be immediate or if they could be implemented incrementally.

"We don't have the numbers," he said.

After more discussion, Jacobson said he would appoint the committee which would meet and develop a proposal for the council's next meeting.

In other business at the August 15 meeting, the council awarded a bid to install equipment to connect a second water intake line to Burns Construction of Cathlamet.

Burns bid $24,469.60. Other bidders were Folden Construction of Vancouver, $32,172.40, and OSG Dozing of Olympia, $42,448.20. The town's engineering firm, Gray and Osborne, who designed the project, estimated the cost at $26,039.20.

The town water plant takes water from a perforated line buried under the Elochoman River. The single line in use can't produce enough water to meet the treatment plant's capacity, and the state Department of Health (DOH) has capped the number of connections that can be added to Cathlamet or Puget Island water systems.

The contractor will connect an existing unused line to the treatment plant, and officials hope that the line's additional capacity will ease the DOH restrictions.

Also, the council approved a contract with the Washington State Department of Transportation for striping of Una, Division, River, Columbia, and 3rd Street at a cost of $33,500, or $6,700 for five years.

Public Works Director Duncan Cruickshank said he recognized that the contract wasn't cheap.

"The thing with this is that it will get done," he said.

Council members agreed that striping was necessary as a public safety issue and voted to fund the work.

Finally, the council agreed by consensus to promote Kerrie McNally from "interim clerk/treasurer" to "clerk/treasurer."

"I didn't know if you could handle it [the job], and you've been superlative," Jacobson said.

The council agreed.