🌄 April 2025 Community Government Recap
Highlights from Stevenson & Skamania County Meetings
From sewer reform and housing discussions, to community conflict and capital investments, here's what happened in local government this month.
🏛️ Stevenson City Council
📅 April 17, 2025
A divided public comment session dominated this month's meeting after Councilmember Lucy Lauser’s Trans Day of Visibility protest drew both support and criticism. Residents voiced strong opinions, and Lauser delivered a prepared statement defending the protest as a call for civil rights.
Council Business:
- Reviewed a draft sewer ordinance that clarifies connection requirements and offers new financial flexibility.
- Approved personnel policy updates, fire department pay adjustments, and vouchers for city expenses.
📄 Read the full City Council recap →
🏙 Stevenson Planning Commission
📅 April 14, 2025
Commissioners held a detailed workshop on the proposed sewer and pretreatment ordinance currently before City Council. The discussion focused on how to balance housing growth, septic infrastructure, and development costs.
Key Takeaways:
- Three classes of properties were defined based on sewer proximity.
- The draft ordinance includes 7-year phased timelines, low-income incentives, and new lot design standards.
- Public comment encouraged a greater focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) in planning decisions.
📄 View the Planning Commission summary →
🧾 Skamania County Board of Commissioners
📅 April 28–29, 2025
April 28:
- Interviewed Dan LeSieur for the Planning Commission. LeSieur spoke about fairness in land use and emphasized preserving Skamania’s rural character.
April 29:
- Accepted a public apology from Friends of the Columbia Gorge for past social media comments critical of county planning staff.
- Approved:
- $1.05 million property purchase in Stevenson
- 2 new ADA vans for Senior Services
- Behavioral health contract amendments
- Heard updates on affordable housing planning, youth forestry programs, and fire season preparation.
📄 Full Board of Commissioners recap →
🗓 Upcoming
Don’t miss the public hearing on the sewer ordinance!
🕕 Thursday, May 15th at 6pm – Stevenson City Council Chambers & Zoom
📬 Have questions or public comments?
Reach out: cityhall@ci.stevenson.wa.us or publiccomments@co.skamania.wa.us
Thanks for staying informed and active in our community.