Local News

The Cathlamet Town Council held first readings of two ordinances affecting water line connections and sewer rates when it met last Monday night.
Ordinance 492 amends an existing ordinance to allow an authorized representative of a homeowner to turn water off or on; previously, only a town worker was authorized. This allows someone doing emergency work on plumbing to do the work. The ordinance also requires that the homeowner be responsible for any damage that may occur, and it requires installation of a stop cock and back flow prevention device on new connections.
Ordinance 493 would increase sewer rates $5 per month to allow the town to build a reserve that could be used as the local match for a federal grant to rebuild the sewer system. The proposed increase would generate about $500,000 in three years, said Councilmember David Goodroe.
The ordinances should have second and third readings and be up for final adoption when the council meets May 21.

In other business:
--Puget Island resident Craig Brown presented the council a letter asking for improvements to parking signs on Main Street.
There are not enough signs, and they're poorly placed to notify drivers of parking zones and hours, he said.
Swart said the comments would be taken under advisement.
--The council declined to consider an ordinance proposed earlier this year to prohibit long term moorage on public waters, outside the Elochoman Slough Marina, on waters under jurisdiction of the town.
The council had tabled the ordinance in March when a man, Dr. Robert Rich of Long Beach and Puget Island, alleged that City Attorney Bill Faubion had proposed the ordinance just to harass him.
Swart said he had investigated the allegations and concluded there was no impropriety.
"The facts, as I could discover, didn't agree with his (Rich's) beliefs," Swart said. "The concern addressed in the ordinance goes back a year to citizen complaints about squatters and boats dumping human wastes."
Councilman John Hannah moved to take the ordinance off the table, but there was no second from or Councilmembers Goodroe, Bill Talbot, Danielle Erickson; Councilmember Wally Wright arrived later and wasn't there when the issue was addressed.
--The council passed a resolution setting a fee schedule for the municipal swimming pool this summer.
There were no increases in rates, Swart said. The resolution spells out ages for children, ages 4-17 years, adults, ages 18-54, and senior citizens, 55 years and up.
It also sets a rate so that patrons can pay once to attend both afternoon sessions on weekdays when the afternoons are split by a 30 minute break to allow water purification and also give staff a break.
--Cathlamet resident Dean Snyder presented the mayor a bottle containing cloudy water which he said he collected from a faucet in his house the previous week. Swart said the sample would be tested for contamination. He said there had been flushing and other testing of water mains during the week that may have stirred up sediment.
--Planning commission members Fred Johnson and Chris Doumit reported that the planning commission was looking into parking issues.
They suggested that the council consider an offer from the Bank of the Pacific for the sale of a vacant lot at the corner of Main and Butler streets for a public parking lot.
The council met in executive session after the regular meeting to discuss the issue.
--The council had been asked to consider renaming Second and Third streets in the vicinity of the Elochoman Slough Marina. The E-9-1-1 emergency dispatching system is confusing them with South Second and South Third, which are up the hill by the schools.
Swart and council members considered having a public process to suggest new names, but Faubion and Fred Johnson, deputy chiefs in the fire department, suggested trying to see if the E-9-1-1 system can be adjusted to give correct details.