🗣️A Student Speaks, Councils Decide - Klickitat City Govts Round-up Jan '26

🏛 White Salmon City Council - January 3, 2026 Meeting

The first council meeting of the year focused on swearing in newly elected members, appointing representatives to city committees, and organizing administrative duties.

🫡 Swearing In of New Councilors

• Councilors Morella Mora and Ben Giant were officially sworn in to begin their four-year terms.

📋 Committee Appointments Finalized

• New appointments filled committee vacancies created by former Councilor Jason Hartmann’s departure:
  • Councilor Mora joined the Community Development Committee, Tree Board, and City of White Salmon/Klickitat County Economic Development group.
  • Councilor Giant joined the Parks & Recreation Committee and will act as a liaison to Community Partners.
  • Other reshuffling included Councilor Cohen joining the Finance and Public Safety Committees.

🧑‍⚖️ Mayor Pro Tem Appointment

• The council appointed a Mayor Pro Tem for 2026 (name not specified in minutes) to serve in the mayor's absence.

⚖️ Klickitat District Court Agreement

• A new Interlocal Agreement with Klickitat County was approved, renewing District Court services for White Salmon. Interpreter fees were clarified to be the city’s responsibility, billed at $75/hour plus travel.

📝 Consent Agenda Passed

• The council approved minutes from the December 6 and December 20, 2025 meetings, along with a list of bills totaling $384,567.89 for payment.

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💧 White Salmon City Council - January 17, 2026 Meeting

The second January meeting addressed utility billing appeals and formally expressed support for two school funding measures going before voters in February.

💧 Utility Billing Grievances Granted

1. 118 NW Cherry Street
   • Resident reported a 116,000-gallon usage spike in Nov 2023.
   • Leak detection showed no leak; resident reported no water damage.
   • Council approved a $782.26 adjustment.
2. 913 NE Vine Street
   • Overage occurred in Aug–Sept 2024 (62,000 gallons over typical).
   • Resident unable to find a leak; plumber confirmed no issues.
   • Council approved a $1,837.52 adjustment.

📣 Council Endorses School Bond & Levy

• Council passed Resolution 2026-01-638, supporting:
  • Proposition 1: $77.8 million bond to improve local school facilities.
  • Proposition 2: Renewal of the district’s enrichment levy.
• The council emphasized:
  • Matching state funds: $34 million available if bond passes.
  • Risk of losing $8 million in SCAP dollars if bond fails.
  • Community need for safe, updated school buildings.

📋 Consent Agenda

• Minutes from Jan. 3 meeting and bills totaling $146,938.72 were approved.

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🏛 Goldendale City Council - January 2026 Recap

From sewer projects and dog park donations to a special meeting about city administration roles, here's what happened in January.

📅 January 5, 2026 – Regular City Council Meeting

Public Works & Infrastructure

• Sewer System Focus: Public Works is winterizing operations and preparing for key infrastructure upgrades. They’ve completed preliminary work on the transmission line and will return in the spring to wrap up road projects. A new motor/pump system at the chlorine station is showing cooling issues.
• Darland Street Project: Temporarily paused for winter. Construction will resume in spring.
• Water System Loans: Approved a $12,500 loan payment from the city’s water reserve fund.

Police Department Report

• December Police Activity: 241 calls for service, 10 arrests.
• Community Safety Grant: Still waiting on decisions about their application.

Planning Department Report

• 18 total permits issued in December, valued at $274,000.
• The city is preparing for annexation-related ordinance updates.

Community Contributions & Events

• New Dog Park Donation: Community member Lauren Johnson donated $1,000 for the new off-leash dog area in Ekone Park.
• Christmas Light Contest Winners: Recognized and celebrated.

Notable Council Business

• Approved a proclamation for School Board Appreciation Month.
• Reviewed December financials (revenues up, expenditures consistent with previous years).

📅 January 13, 2026 – Special Council Meeting

Main Agenda: Reorganization of city roles following the departure of City Administrator Larry Bellamy.

Key Decision

• The council approved moving to a mayor-led administrative model, where the mayor will act as the city’s chief administrative officer, with the city clerk continuing to serve as city treasurer and handle financial duties.
• Mayor Dave Jones assured the council he would take on added responsibilities and that staff are equipped to manage the transition.

Council Member Discussion

• Some council members noted concerns about the workload and asked about long-term plans, but the vote passed 5-1.
• Several expressed thanks to Bellamy for his service.

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🏛 Bingen City Council - January 2026

📅 January 6, 2026

Council organization & onboarding

• Swore in Councilor Erika Ramsey (Position 5) for the new term.
• Held a new-councilor workshop covering payroll paperwork, OPMA/Public Records Act training requirements, and department introductions.
• Grinstead-Mayle appointed Mayor Pro Tem for 2026.

Administration & interlocal business

• Approved an updated Interlocal Agreement with West District Court.
  • City costs are based on a rolling three-year usage average.
  • Council noted increased traffic stops are driving higher utilization (and citation revenue).
• Adopted the 2026 salary schedule, including a 4% COLA tied to the collective bargaining agreement.

Critical Areas Ordinance - decision point

• After a public hearing, council adopted Ordinance 2026-01-781.
• Chose to retain existing creek buffers:
  • Dry Creek: 50 feet
  • Jewett Creek: 100 feet
• Removed unused SPTH200 language rather than expand buffers, citing concerns about buildability.
• Public comment reiterated worries that larger buffers would further constrain housing and development.

Finance housekeeping

• Approved October and November 2025 treasurer’s reports.
• Closed an old Riverview Bank account, completing the transition to First Interstate after confirming no remaining auto-payments.

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📅 January 20, 2026

Public comment

One of the most striking moments of the meeting came during public comment, when a Columbia High School student stepped forward to speak. He delivered a prepared statement about immigration, describing how national enforcement debates are affecting classmates and families locally. He spoke about fear and uncertainty in the school community and asked city leaders to acknowledge those impacts and communicate clearly and compassionately. Council members thanked him for speaking and later discussed the importance of thoughtful public messaging around ICE-related concerns.

Police activity

• Bingen-White Salmon Police reported 196 total calls (78 Bingen / 118 White Salmon).
• Traffic enforcement continues to make up a large share of activity.

School bond & levy presentation (Feb. 10 election)

• Columbia High leadership outlined:
  • A replacement levy (lower than the current rate).
  • A $77 million bond focused on safety, aging facilities, and long-term consolidation.
• Emphasized deteriorating conditions at existing schools and the need for phased construction.

Contracts & compliance

• Approved a new jail housing interlocal agreement with Klickitat County.
  • 2026 estimated cost to Bingen: ~$52,000.
  • Council acknowledged the county’s cost shift and limited local alternatives.
• Approved an on-call contract with Bell Design to assist with land division and boundary issues.
• Awarded a $4,000 contract to FacetNW for Year 1 work on the next Critical Areas periodic update (ahead of the 2027 cycle).
• Certified Q4 USDA reports for the Oak Street Reservoir project.

Access & governance

• Adopted a Language Access Plan to meet Title VI requirements.
  • Spanish identified as the only language meeting the service threshold.
  • Council requested removing potentially misleading signage language from the plan.

Property & planning

• Approved Boundary Line Adjustment BLA-2026-001 at 311 W. Lincoln to resolve an encroachment and enable a future sale.

Staff & mayor updates

• Staff flagged upcoming work on:
  • Budget amendments,
  • Quiet zone notice of intent,
  • Short plat review,
  • Interlocal coordination with White Salmon.
• Mayor Ramsey shared she has been doing ride-alongs with Public Works and treatment plant staff and is exploring more consistent city social media updates.

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📅 How to Attend Upcoming Meetings

🟦 Bingen
1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 7 PM (Zoom available)
cityofbingen.com

🟩 White Salmon
1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 6 PM
whitesalmonwa.gov

🟥 Goldendale
1st & 3rd Mondays at 6 PM
cityofgoldendale.com