Town Council declines to move forward on school sidewalk project

On Monday, the Town Council convened a one hour special meeting to discuss the funding of the Cathlamet 3rd Street sidewalk project and whether the Town could afford moving forward with the project with the available funds. The Town’s total match under the current grant is $21,600 with $138,400 otherwise anticipated from the original grant request, for a total budget of $160,000.

A lot has changed since the beginning of this sidewalk project which started in May of 2022. Since the start of this project, there are new federal regulations. Robert Klug, PE, Engineer for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) says, “there were many items which complicate the project from what was originally conceived.” Klug mentioned management of storm water runoff and tire dust. Klug said there are ecological studies that show that dust from tires goes into the Columbia River and causes fish to die. Klug also brought up the issue that the sidewalk may not be actually on the school property and would need to be researched. The cost for the sidewalk could reach up to $600,000.

Council members discussed that the Town could move forward with the project and look for other funding under a “pay as you go” proposition, but after much discussion with the deadline for the project quickly approaching on June 17, the three Town Council voted to stop the sidewalk project from moving forward. Council member Hendrickson brought up the point too that “we are using all of our Town’s matching funds of $21,600 for this project and what if the town had an emergency and we needed these funds? Going forward with so many unknowns, the lack of acquiring new funding and the cost of the new federal regulations requirements would cost our Town too much money.”

Mayor Olson mentioned in an email dated on May 24, 2024 to Klug (WSDOT) “Thank for your proposal regarding a potential path forward for the South 3 rd Street Safe School sidewalk project. We will confer with the Town Council and our jurisdictional partners, including the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Government (CWCOG), the School District and the County. Although it is a great disappointment not to be able to proceed with a previously green-lighted grant submitted nearly four years ago, my preference is to keep this moving ahead for the sake of our community and school children who need a safer street to arrive and depart throughout the year.”