Council revises pool fees

May 24, 2007

The Cathlamet Town Council revised swimming pool admission fees, approved a variety of requests and denied a couple of others at the council’s monthly meeting May 21.

At the request of pool manager Lynette Ledgerwood, the council amended its resolution to set swimming pool fees, which had been passed earlier this year.

Ledgerwood said the changes were minor and would have been included in the earlier revision if she had seen the resolution before it had been passed.

Changes include addition of a $4 adult fee for two afternoon sessions; limitations of lesson class sizes to six per teacher for levels 1-6 and four students to a teacher for preschool age students. Lesson fees will be $25 for the first child in a family, $22 for the second, and $13 for third and following children. Senior citizens, age 55 and up, qualify for a $70 season pass, the same as a pass for children. Pool rental rates were also increased and adjusted to cover the cost of having a sufficient number of life guards on duty, and private lesson rates were adjusted.

The council rejected a request from members of the Pioneer Community Center Association for a waiver of a $500 building permit fee.

Association spokesperson Dale Dutcher said the fee seemed high and came after work had been done. He added he is new to the organization, which is refurbishing and operating the Pioneer Church as a community center, and there are arrangements from the past about which he is unaware.

Councilmember Wally Wright said part of the cost of the permit reflected $34,000 in work done by Five Rivers Construction; Dutcher said he was unaware of those fees and could see how the permit had come to cost so much.

“Even with that,” he added, “the church hasn’t cost the city or the council anything . . . It is an asset for the city; I hope I can talk you out of the $500 permit.”

Town Attorney Bill Faubion commented that the town, as a municipal government, can’t give away free permits, which amounts to a gift of public funds.

After more discussion, Mayor Dick Swart acknowledged that the town apparently hasn’t followed its policies about inspections, which had been delayed to accommodate the association’s ability to fund restoration work.

“We need to get everybody on track,” he said.

Dutcher said he was satisfied with the council’s explanation and position.

In other business,

—The council authorized Mayor Swart to hire Hampstur Corp. surveyors to survey a parcel of ground, location undisclosed, which could be subject to a sale this week.

—Town Planning Commmissioner Fred Johnson said the board will hold a public meeting on proposed updates to the town comprehensive plan on June 6 with a goal of submitting the revised plan to the council on June 18.

—Mayor Swart reported that the contractor on the Greenwood Hill reservoir restoration is making good progress. Workers have removed old interior coating and were sandblasting the inside of the tank this week; they have cleaned the exterior and put on a coat of primer paint.