Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments Jan. 22 meeting recap

During its first meeting of 2026, the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (CWCOG) moved to approve the recommendations "as presented for the 2026 calendar year" for the 2026 Board Officer and Committee Elections. The recommendations for the Executive Committee are as follows: Mike Karnofski (City of Kelso) as chair; Troy Stariha (Port of Kalama) as vice chair; Paul Helenberg (City of Castle Rock) as Past Chair; and Steve Ferrell (Cowlitz County), Lee tischer (Wahkiakum County), Patti Bowen (Longview School District), and Bob Wile (Port of Woodland) as At-Large Members. The Finance Committee recommendations are as follows: Bruce Pollock (Cowlitz PUD), Scott Westlund (Kelso School District), and Rachelle Burch (Housing Opportunities) as At Large Members. The nominating committee's recommendations were approved unanimously.

The board then moved to adopt Resolution 26-02 2026 for the Unified Planning Work Program Amendment (UPWP). As part of this amendment, changes to Sub-Task 2.9 Special Planning Studies and Projects would take place, including adding a Kalama Internal Transit Feasibility Study Project in the amount of $115,607 and removal of a Pedestrian and Bicycle Counters Project in the amount of $25,000. The Sub-Task 2.9 special Planning Studies and Projects are part of the State Fiscal Year 2026 Unified Planning Work Program. According to the meeting agenda, public notice was provided "per the CWCOG Public Participation Plan" and "no comments were received." Adding the feasibility study project and removing the pedestrian and bicycle counters project would bring a net increase of $90,607 to the 2026 UPWP budget, making the new total $1,220,460. The adoption of Resolution 26-02 2026 was approved unanimously.

The Board then moved to approve Resolution 26-03 regarding the National Highway Freight Program Regional Priority List. According to the meeting's packet, a federal-aid program was established in 2015 "to improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway Freight Network." Projects "on a public roadway, freight rail, or intermodal freight projects providing a clear benefit to freight transportation" are eligible for the priority list. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), which are for urbanized areas (population over 50,000), and Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPO), which are for rural and non-metropolitan areas, "work with their local agencies to develop a list of regional priority freight projects short list for National Highway Freight Program funding consideration." These submitted projects "must be eligible for National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) funding" and the project sponsor "must ensure a project is ready for delivery between 2027-2032, documented in an adopted transportation or development plan, and includes the required non-federal match." With a total of $67.8 million available, "about $11.3 million per year is available statewide for local projects pending state legislature direction and federal reauthorization." The CWCOG Metropolitan Planning Area Regional Priority List project would be Phase 1 of the Rose Way Freight Corridor Extension. The project is also known as "Howard/Rose Way Industrial Bypass) With Port of Woodland acting as sponsor, the project "will extend Rose Way from its current southern terminus to the intersection with Caples Road." Improvements would include "sidewalks, sewer, stormwater, drainage, natural gas, electricity fiber optics landscaping, lighting, and stub outs designed to support future commercial and industrial development of adjacent portals." The total project cost would be $9,515,200, with the NHFP request being $1,500,000 for construction and a non-federal match of $8,015,200. The adoption of Resolution 26-03 was approved unanimously.

A presentation was then made by The Columbia-Willamette Workforce Collaborative's Miriam Halliday regarding the "state of the workforce." Workforce Southwest Washington, a partner of the Columbia-Willamette Workforce Collaborative, prepared a slideshow presentation titled, "State of the Workforce 2026." The slideshow presented themes such as regional populations, a labor force snapshot, population and workforce trends, top industries for Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, high-demand occupations, strategic goals, wages and economic reality, key workforce challenges, and CTE (Career and Technical Education) programming supporting youth.

Following the brief executive director and executive committee reports, the meeting was adjourned until Thursday, Feb. 26, at noon at the Port of Longview.