By Dispatch Squatch in Bingen — 09 Oct 2025

🧾 Tax Plans, Tree Rules & Bike Shares: Sept 2025 Klickitat City Govt Round-Up

September city council updates: new housing tools, fire partnerships, public safety tax planning, e-bike programs, and fall event prep. Catch up on what Bingen, White Salmon, and Goldendale leaders tackled last month.

🏛️ Bingen City Council – September 2025 Recap

Highlights from September 2 & 16, 2025 meetings

📅 September 2, 2025 – Budget, Infrastructure & Safety Sales Tax

💧 Wastewater Upgrades Progress
The city’s long-planned treatment plant improvements moved closer to bidding, with engineers from Gray & Osborne presenting revised cost estimates and scope refinements. Council also reviewed plans for a new Return Activated Sludge (RAS) pump and authorized the project to proceed under the city’s new small works policy.

🚰 East Steuben Waterline Project Advances
Council approved the East Steuben waterline project to go to bid for Sections 2 and 3, aligning it with roadwork and utility upgrades near the Bingen Point area.

🚽 Franklin Sewer Extension Proposal
Staff introduced a new plan to extend sewer service along East Franklin Street to reach homes currently on septic. Council discussed potential grants to support low-income hook-ups, and will revisit costs and timeline this fall.

🧾 Budget Amendment & Sales Tax Ordinances
Two public hearings were held:

Ordinance 2025-10-777 amended the city budget to reflect updated revenues and project costs.
Ordinance 2025-11-778 created the new Public Safety Sales Tax fund, in anticipation of revenue from the voter-approved tax starting in January 2026.

📝 Franchise Agreement
Council reviewed the expired Northwest Natural Gas franchise agreement, which provides terms for pipeline use of city right-of-way. No major changes were proposed, but staff flagged some outdated language for revision.

📅 September 16, 2025 – Critical Areas, Sales Tax Uses & More

🛡️ Public Safety Sales Tax: How Will It Be Used?
Council began discussions on how to allocate funds from the upcoming Public Safety Sales Tax. Early ideas included:

Additional officer hours from BWSPD
Funding for fire equipment or staffing support
Emergency preparedness planning in conjunction with White Salmon

No formal plan was adopted yet, but council voiced support for a transparent framework before funds begin arriving in 2026.

🌿 Critical Areas Ordinance – Second Hearing
A second public hearing was held on the city’s Critical Areas Ordinance update, with staff reporting on feedback from WA State Dept. of Ecology, WDFW, and local stakeholders. The new version modernizes environmental protections while streamlining permit review. Adoption is expected in October.

📈 USDA Grant Reports & Fiscal Health
Council reviewed quarterly USDA grant reporting and the August Treasurer’s Report, which reflected strong revenue performance, particularly from water and sewer fees. City investments continue to earn better returns since the CD strategy shift in August.

🔧 Treatment Plant Review Continued
Council held a follow-up discussion on treatment plant upgrades, this time focused on coordination with contractors, potential change orders, and impacts on staffing at the facility.

👮 BWSPD Update
Bingen’s police representative gave a brief update on regional call volume, response times, and community engagement initiatives. No major incidents were reported.

🏛️ Goldendale City Council – September 2025 Recap

Highlights from September 2 & 15, 2025 meetings

📅 September 2, 2025 – Land Use, Infrastructure & Pride Event Debrief

🏳️‍🌈 Goldendale Pride Wrap-Up
Councilmembers opened the meeting by thanking organizers and city staff for supporting a successful Goldendale Pride event.

The event was described as “respectful, well-run, and family-friendly.”
Council praised the diversity of attendees and emphasized that Goldendale continues to support safe and welcoming spaces for all residents.

🏗️ Planning Commission Update & Land Use Discussion
City staff reported on the Planning Commission’s work reviewing pending short plat applications and the need to update local codes to match recent state-level housing law changes.
Council expressed a desire to remain proactive—especially as interest in housing development increases—and to avoid bottlenecks in the review process.

🚧 Broadway & Collins Painting Project
The Public Works Department shared updates on the long-delayed crosswalk and curb painting project.

Miscommunication with WSDOT had stalled the project.
Council directed staff to complete the job as soon as possible, even if it requires bypassing certain state approvals for locally maintained stretches.

🚒 Emergency Management & Wildfire Coordination
Council debriefed the city’s participation in mutual aid efforts during the August wildfires.

Goldendale’s staff supported emergency traffic control in Lyle and Appleton.
Officials began discussing how the city might pursue FEMA reimbursements for staff time and equipment use.

🏛️ Klickitat County Budget Workshop – Oct. 2, 2025 (Goldendale)

🔥 Commissioners vs. Sheriff Songer

Sheriff Songer publicly pushed back on $136,020 cut from his 2025 budget, arguing it would create dangerous understaffing and risk to public safety.
The workshop turned contentious when commissioners and the sheriff clashed over priorities, funding line items, and accountability. Columbia Gorge News

📊 Broader County Budget Context

Earlier in September, the county auditor characterized the draft 2026 budget as a mixed bag: stable in some areas, strained in others. Columbia Gorge News
In public discussions leading up to Oct. 2, Sheriff Songer had already begun a visible campaign to restore funds, emphasizing how cuts would impact law enforcement capacity. Facebook

📅 September 15, 2025 – Animal Code, Utility Revenue & Community Events

🐕 Animal Code Workshop Begins
Council revisited the city’s animal control ordinance, with a focus on leash laws, noise complaints, and definitions of nuisance behavior.

A proposed tiered fine structure for repeat violations was discussed.
Councilmembers debated how to balance enforcement with education, especially for newer residents unaware of city policies.

💧 Utility Rate Trends
The city treasurer presented revenue and expense data for water and sewer funds, noting:

Revenues are steady, but rising material and labor costs may require a modest rate adjustment in 2026.
Council requested a comparative analysis with similar-sized cities before any vote.

🎃 Event Planning: Fall & Winter
Councilmembers discussed planning for upcoming Halloween and holiday events, including:

A downtown trick-or-treat route
Potential partnership with local businesses for light displays
They also reflected on the successes of summer festivals, expressing interest in building a formal community event committee.

📬 Code Enforcement Complaints
Staff shared a growing number of public complaints about overgrown yards, RV parking, and unpermitted structures.

Council discussed next steps for updating code enforcement procedures, including possibly contracting out inspections for faster response times.

🏛️ White Salmon City Council – September 2025 Recap

Highlights from September 17 & 24, 2025 meetings

📅 September 17, 2025 – Budget Adjustments, Housing Tools & Fire Authority MOU

🏗️ Honoring a Local Public Works Veteran
The city began by honoring Ross Lambert’s retirement after 30 years in Public Works. Mayor Keethler and staff shared stories from his career (including tales of street sweeper hijinks), thanking him and his wife Sue for their contributions to city life.

🏊 White Salmon Valley Pool District Update
Commissioners from the White Salmon Valley Metropolitan Pool District presented a funding update:

$5.7M raised of the $8.4M goal
Construction planned for 2026, pool opening in 2027
Council praised the project’s progress and pledged continued support

🎉 El Grito & Hispanic Heritage Month
Councilmember Ben Giant led a reflection on the recent El Grito Festival, hosted by WAGAP. He shared historical context and celebrated Mexico’s first female president leading the 2025 independence cry. Council acknowledged the importance of inclusive public celebrations and thanked city staff for their support.

🧾 $613K in Budget Amendments Approved
Council adopted Ordinance 2025-09-1182, amending the budget to reflect:

Prior grant and loan revenues (housing rehab, FMAG wildfire reimbursement, trail grant)
State audit costs (~$23K)
Reclassification of staff roles
Finance Director Jennifer Niel emphasized that despite these changes, the general fund remains healthy and above the city’s reserve targets.

🏘️ New Unit Lot Subdivision Code Passed
Council adopted Ordinance 2025-05-1180, creating a new path to fee-simple homeownership for small housing units, supporting the city’s Housing Action Plan.

Applies city standards to the parent lot, while allowing flexibility on individual unit lots
Permits ADUs, stacked dwellings, and smaller parcels
Revisions addressed tree protections, critical areas, and plat recording per SB 5559
Councilmembers praised the clarity of the new code and the planning commission’s thorough review.

🔥 MOU with West Klickitat RFA Finalized
Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the regional fire authority, clarifying the fire chief’s role in reviewing development applications.

Introduced a $75/hour fire review fee
Formalized transfer of authority from former city fire chief
Council emphasized the need for continued collaboration and public communication on fire safety roles.

📦 Public Comments & Council Reports

Residents raised concerns about quiet zone enforcement and utility surcharges
Mayor confirmed plans to demolish the old youth center
Councilmembers highlighted Tree Board work, upcoming DNR meetings, and recycling issues
Mayor previewed the upcoming Council Retreat (early October) to align goals, budget, and staff capacity

📅 September 24, 2025 – E-Bike Lending Library Grant Application

🚲 Climate Grant Proposal: E-Bike Lending Library
The Council held a special meeting to approve a grant application in partnership with Forth Mobility, City of Bingen, and Gorge Aspirations:

The program would offer 20–30 e-bikes for 1-month checkouts
Three hubs: Downtown White Salmon, Downtown Bingen, Skyline Hospital
Includes helmets, locks, training, bilingual materials, and community rides
Serves low-income and overburdened residents in Klickitat County
No cost to the city; funded by the Washington State Climate Commitment Act

Councilmembers raised questions about:

Charging infrastructure (handled via removable batteries and a local operations hire)
Potential long-term ownership options for users
Community engagement and language access, which the program fully supports

The application passed unanimously (5–0).

📂 Future Meetings:

Bingen: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays at 6:30 PM
White Salmon: Next City Council meeting – October 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM
Goldendale: 1st & 3rd Mondays at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers