Town Council Report

Civility and cooperation guided the May 6th Town Council meeting on Monday night. Councilperson Stowe joined on Zoom while the rest of the council and the mayor worked together in person. The first order on the agenda was to vote April as Fair Housing Month. The proclamation was approved by all. Duncan Cruickshank presented the latest project from Wahkiakum Health and Human Services. Due to Wahkiakum county being considered a medically underserved area, the health department was able to secure a kiosk for Covid-19 and Flu Testing. The machine will be located outside the Community Center entrance and available for use in a couple of weeks. Additional testing and supplies could be available soon including Naloxone, pregnancy tests and over-the-counter products. An independent lab will be responsible for picking up tests and reporting the results to the individual. The Department of Health has partnered with Long View International Technology Solutions to offer the fully-automated kiosk.

Chamber of Commerce Director, Ryan Murillo and Past President, Richard Erickson, brought planning ideas for an entrance archway into Cathlamet. 3 years ago, the Chamber voted to pay for a monument sign but struggled to find a suitable location. A gateway arch was voted on and approved by the town council. Designs were presented and voted on this week. The ballpark figure for the project is $250,000 but the Chamber is working on receiving grants to pay for the project.

Port 1 Manager, Todd Souvenir, brought up the idea of a property swap with the town. Currently, plans are in place to put up a metal shed for the fire department to use for storage. The port would like to use the area for future food trucks during events, including the weekly Marina Street Fair. The town and the port will explore possibilities for future plans.

The Town is considering harvesting timber to pay for the continuation of the Waterfront Park project. A bid was awarded to Burns Construction to fill and excavate the former lagoon.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.