🏞️ Klickitat County Community Government Round-up - June 2025
White Salmon advances new housing options and park protections. Bingen refines banner policy and expands water bill relief. Goldendale prioritizes mental health funding and prepares for a major motocross event. Catch up on what your city governments are doing across the county.
June 2025 News from White Salmon, Bingen, and Goldendale
🌆 White Salmon City Council
- 🏳️🌈 Pride Proclamation Issued at both June meetings.
- 💸 Mid-Year Budget Amended: Ordinance 2025-06-1181 amended the city’s 2025 budget to reflect updated revenue projections and expenses. Notable revenue increases came from sales taxes, permits, and utility taxes. The budget now includes funding for:
- A new splash pad at MCI Park
- Staff training and technology upgrades
- Continued investments in parks, planning, and public works
- 🚭 Smoking Ban Enacted: Council passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping in Daubenspeck Park.
- 🛣️ Transportation Plan Approved: Council passed Resolution 2025-005, adopting the city’s 6-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This plan is required for grant eligibility and long-term capital planning.
- 👔 Administrative Role Flexibility: Ordinance 2025-06-1182 revised the municipal code to allow the mayor discretion on whether or not to fill the City Administrator position.
- The change reflects a shift toward a department head–driven model and offers structural flexibility for small-city governance.
- 🎉 Community Events & Engagement: Council reviewed plans for the Franklin Street Fest, upcoming newsletters, and the Consumer Confidence Report for city water.
📂 Agendas and minutes available here:
👉 White Salmon City Council Archives
🧱 White Salmon Planning Commission
- 🏘️ Unit Lot Subdivision Ordinance Passed: After several workshops, the Commission held a public hearing and voted on June 25 to recommend the ordinance. It enables fee-simple ownership of townhomes and duplexes, simplifying infill development options.
- 📋 2025 Work Plan Adopted: Priorities include evaluating shared utilities, considering annexation policies, and updating commission bylaws.
📂 Planning Commission materials available here:
👉 White Salmon Planning Commission Archives
🌳 White Salmon Tree Board
- 🗺️ Tree Walk & Festival Planning: Members discussed creating a heritage tree walking map to be featured during the 2026 Wildflower Festival.
- 🌿 New Members Welcomed: Councilmember Morella Mora and staffer Rowan Fairfield joined the board; new citizen members were proposed.
- 🌱 Inspiration from Seattle: The group reviewed urban tree walk models and brainstormed routes in White Salmon.
📂 Tree Board agendas and updates:
👉 White Salmon Tree Board Page
🏘️ Bingen City Council
- 🚭 Parks Smoking Ban Codified: A new ordinance, coordinating with White Salmon, formally bans smoking and vaping in city parks.
- 💦 Leak Adjustment Policy Expanded: Residents can now request payment plans for water bills caused by leaks.
- 🧵 Banner Policy Reviewed: Discussions ongoing about how to manage the city’s new overhead and light pole signage infrastructure.
- Council discussed a draft banner policy governing the new overhead signage poles at Oak and Steuben. Questions arose about safety, liability, permitted uses (such as community events vs. commercial advertising), and banner dimensions. Mayor Catherine Kiewit emphasized the need for clear criteria, especially as interest from local organizations grows. The discussion will continue in future meetings.
- 🌿 Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) Compliance Planning
Administrator Krista Loney reported that Bingen missed its required CAO update in 2023. The city is now preparing to update the ordinance to remain eligible for funding from Washington State agencies. A grant from the Department of Commerce is expected to support this work beginning in July.- A Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) is a local law required by Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) that regulates development in and around environmentally sensitive areas. It ensures that cities and counties protect natural resources and public safety while allowing for responsible growth.
- 🌆 Tourism and Community Engagement
At the June 3 meeting, Tammara Tippel of the Mount Adams Chamber of Commerce presented on regional promotion efforts funded by Bingen’s lodging tax. Highlights included:- A full-page ad in Washington Magazine
- New maps for visitors
- A community cleanup event that diverted 10,000+ pounds of waste and recyclable materials
- Mayor Kiewit also presented a wayfinding map designed by local artist Tomi Lahdesmaki for the Amtrak kiosk, part of a USDA grant project to support economic development.
- 💻 Administrative & Infrastructure Updates
Administrator Loney provided extensive updates:- The city has fully transitioned to First Interstate Bank.
- Staff are preparing to replace a flow meter at Underwood Fruit, which is outdated and producing unreliable readings.
- The city issued fire hazard cleanup notices to 23 property owners. Ten non-compliant properties will be addressed by city crews, with costs billed back to owners.
- 🚧 SR-14 Roundabout Project: WSDOT officially put the long-anticipated roundabout out to bid; construction expected to start in 2025.
- 🖼️ Community Projects and Public Safety Outreach:
- The city is planning a youth mural painting event on June 7 as part of WAGAP's community engagement programming.
- Mayor Kiewit also previewed language for an upcoming public safety sales tax mailer, designed to educate residents ahead of a local vote.
📂 City Council documents posted here:
👉 City of Bingen Agenda Center
🏛️ Goldendale City Council
- 💰 Financial Approvals: Council approved vouchers and budget adjustments for the second half of June.
- 📜 Resolution Updates: Administrative changes to city fee schedules were passed.
- 🧠 Health & Safety Focus:
- Applied for opioid abatement grant funding.
- Approved new contracts for mental health crisis services.
- 🏁 Washougal MX Coordination: Council approved a county partnership for event traffic control ahead of the July 19 motocross event.
- 🗳️ Regional Representation: Stevenson Administrator Wesley Wootten was appointed to represent both Stevenson and North Bonneville on the Mid Columbia Economic Development District board.
📂 Council materials available at:
👉 City of Goldendale Agendas & Minutes
📅 Upcoming Meetings
- White Salmon & Bingen Councils: 1st & 3rd Wednesdays/Tuesdays
- Goldendale City Council: 1st & 3rd Mondays
- Planning Commissions: Dates vary by city
- Klickitat County BOCC: Every Tuesday