Kelso City Council meeting recap

During Kelso’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 17, Public Works manager Devin Mackin took the stand to share the department achievements for 2025. Public Works added seven new employees to assist with long-term stability in water, sewage, and traffic. Within the Parks Division, staff maintained eight parks and over 50 acres of land, with 43 percent of labor dedicated to mowing and landscaping. A highlight for the city was the reopening of the Catlin Rotary Spray Park after it had been inactive for several years. Public Works also supported various events and festivities, including wrapping a tree in purple lights during Domestic Violence Awareness (DVA) month and maintaining athletic fields used by youth programs for baseball, soccer, and other sports.

In other reports, the Traffic Division completed 322 crosswalk paintings, covering approximately 66 miles of roadway. They also responded to 60 service requests and logged 1,100 hours maintaining city-owned facilities. Street and drainage crews carried out extensive maintenance work, drastically expanded street sweeping efforts, and cleaned over 1,000 catch basins. The crews also cleared drainage ditches and maintained stormwater structures.

Water Treatment produced a staggering 634 million gallons of fresh drinking water, as well as managed 80 miles of water mains and 60 miles of sewer lines. The water-treatment system experienced 12 breaks, which is consistent with last year and represents a drastic decrease compared to the last decade.

The Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority provided updates to its pretreatment policy. The facility treated approximately 3.2 billion gallons of wastewater in 2025. The updated policy revises pollution discharge standards based on recent studies, specifically regarding biological oxygen demand, ammonia, and suspended solids. It also proposes new screening for water-cleaning microbes and clarifies enforcement authority. This means the agency can now issue violations directly while communicating with local jurisdictions. Adoption of this policy was deferred, pending ordinance approval at a future meeting.

Later in the Tuesday, March 17 meeting, Council approved the consent agenda and authorized $2,474,690.03 in expenditures. A construction contract for the reconstruction of a pump station was reviewed. The project consists of upgrading pumps, control systems, and internal piping. Council awarded the contract to DeWitt Construction for $395,323.86, a number which was below the engineer’s estimate.

Finally, Council reviewed a renegotiated agreement for animal sheltering services after some partners withdrew. The revised contract reduces overall costs compared to past agreements and continues the partnership with the Humane Society. Proposed code changes include implementing a Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program for stray cats. Council Member Lisa Alexander noted that stray cats have been spraying on residents' property, including her own. The proposal also eliminates the previous 72-hour holding requirement; instead, untagged cats will be sterilized and returned to their original location.

Some council members raised concerns that cats may continue to spray or damage property even after being neutered. Additional changes include increasing animal licensing fees and lowering redemption fees to make it easier for owners to reclaim lost pets. While the council discussed the ethics of releasing animals back into residential habitats, a staff member from the Humane Society noted that TNR is statistically the most effective and cost-efficient method for managing stray populations. Council seemed to agree, but the final agreement was postponed for future consideration. The next session of Kelso City Council will be held on Tuesday, April 7 at 6 p.m.