Town of Cathlamet Council meeting

During the Town of Cathlamet Council meeting on October 21, Wahkiakum County Sheriff John Mason presented his report for the quarter based on the past year’s calls for service, specifically addressing Town activity. If there is a call placed as 911, no matter what, the Sheriff’s Department is going to respond. Based on his report, we live in a very safe community. Thank you to all in the Sheriff’s Department.

The Mayor was absent for this meeting.

There was regular business to approve an amendment to the cultural resources portion of the Waterfront Park grant; the level of detail requested exceeded the scope of the original contract. The Council approved the expenditure with one No vote.

The two right-of-way permits were unanimously approved. One will be October 28 - November 8 near Messinger Hill Dr. The other will be October 28 - November 4 near Second, Third, and River St.

There were two resolutions pertaining to abatement of nuisance, both were approved by the Town Council.

In other business, there was a very fluid conversation about a myriad of subjects and ideas regarding the 2025 budget workshop. Sarah Clarke, Town Clerk-Treasurer requested that the Council approve a few items before they could move forward on a more in-depth budget process: the Clerk-Treasurer will change her pay class from 11 to 10 so that the Deputy Clerk can change her pay class from 4 to 6 to save some salary expense and allow for more support; this was approved. The Council did not approve an increase in the librarian’s hours from 80 to 130. The Town Council did approve a sewer rate increase of $15.00 (on average) for 2025 and a water rate increase of $6.46 (on average.) This is not a reflection of the proposed Consolidation, but an attempt to start catching up with the cost of services.

This is the second meeting I have attended that during the staff reports/discussion the Librarian was not addressed; the Librarian was sensitive to the late hour and did not want to keep people longer than needed. However, it should be noted that the Library is doing great things for our county. Did you know that anyone in Wahkiakum County can join the library for free? The library offers all kinds of services such cell phone and computer technology help, assistance with employment applications, housing, bill paying, and healthcare. They can also help with printing, faxing, and scanning of legal documents. Don’t forget the Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role playing games. It is my opinion that the librarian’s monthly report should take center stage at the next Town Council meeting and anyone that loves the library should attend to support this resource.

Public Works Superintendent Jason Tibbitt has seriously hit the ground running! He has set up the Erickson Park bathroom to automatically unlock at 8 a.m. and lock at 8 p.m. He is addressing and attempting to fix all the mechanical issues with the pool and is encouraging public works staff to get the proper training to manage the water and sewer plants 24/7 with support from outside agencies to test the Town’s water within the state’s mandate. Welcome and thank you Jason and crew.

The Town project manager, Jacquelyn Gribble, also deserves kudos. She’s becoming known as the “Grant Queen” for her work in seeking funding for the pool, the water system, timber harvest, and five possible future grants for funding that the Town has never accessed.

Although the Consolidation is weighing heavily on our future, know that there are great people on the staff of the PUD and the Town of Cathlamet who are working hard for you. Also know that you need to work just as hard to know what’s what. I am dedicated to keeping you informed and I attend the meetings that matter to all of us. I hope what I write matters to you, and that you will write, attend, and help our community.