BINGEN — Work on the city’s Periodic Commerce Update continues, it was reported at the July 7 city council meeting. As previously reported, the grant-funded update is a plan showing how the city will monitor primarily environmental compliance while planning for growth. This year, that funding will allow the city to draft the Critical Areas Ordinance using Best Available Science.
Incumbent councilors Craig Trummel and Ryan O’Connor reviewed local concerns for newer council members — about the best science results for tree height and the buffer zones around the city’s waterways. Numerous residents have shown the negative effects an increased buffer zone would have on their ability to build on their own land.
The council’s feeling was to request deviation from that suggestion. City Administrator Krista Loney and the council will continue to work on the periodic update through 2027.
Bingen’s infrastructure improvements continue, starting with the Alder and Cedar sidewalk project. The plans are being reviewed by the Washington Department of Transportation, which takes three to six months. Completion of the East Steuben water lines, sections 2 and 3, is expected by the end of July. The city’s Quiet Zone project expects a preliminary concept coming soon from contractor Gray & Osborne. And Loney and staff continue to pursue grant funds, currently looking for funding to pave streets and generally improve Bingen.
Upcoming retirements
Loney later reported the retirement of two city public works employees, Jay Hicks and Mike Solomon. Both will retire this spring. Loney shared the timeline for replacing both employees, which will occur six months prior to their last date to allow time for incoming hires to shadow them.
One position is listed as Public Works Maintenance Worker, and the other is a combination of that, plus Animal Control Officer. The roles open up in July with an intended start date of Aug. 31.
Protests and public comment
Council faced a full house during the meeting. Dale Grinstead-Mayle, sitting in as Mayor Pro-Tempore for the first time, led the meeting in place of Mayor Kelsey Ramsey, who was out on paternity leave. Though public comment is limited in time by city policy, the council opted to extend the period, so everyone was allowed to speak.
Loney explained that, “Public comment is a forum for residents to share their thoughts and feelings about the goings-on in the city. That being said, Council usually answers questions asked during public comment. Due to threatened litigation, the Council was unable to say anything during last night’s public hearing.” City Attorney Chris Lanz confirmed that, “Litigation has been threatened, so we are not allowed to speak. We can only listen so there’ll be no response.”
The attendees were there to provide public comment regarding the flood damage done to four local businesses in April 2026. This is when GradeWerks Excavating, a city-hired contractor, struck a water main, flooding the downtown streets and several businesses. The excavating company had located the dig based on the city’s outdated water line maps, with the maps showing that their locate mark was five feet away from the main line. They were digging with an auger, and not using the time-consuming “pothole” method, which was not a required part of their contract. Because the outdated maps are to blame, the city’s Risk Management Services Agency is assessing the cost of the damages, and the city’s insurance will presumably pay for the repairs.
The speakers identified two areas of exasperation: the communication about the ongoing insurance claim, and the process expected by the city’s insurance company. Specifically, the insurance company expects businesses to make the repairs and then get reimbursed, but this puts an onerous financial burden on already distressed small businesses.
The four businesses still closed due to the flooding are Chips and Murphy’s Family Watering Hole, both co-owned by Diane and Larry Murphy, plus Mugs, a coffee shop, and Carmen’s Kitchen. The Murphys both urged the city to seek solutions to the problem, as did their supporters and at least one employee, who has been out of work since April due to the flooding. Other downtown business owners confirmed that the closure of those businesses has negatively affected them, namely due to a reduction in foot traffic. Previous mayoral candidate Clinton Deo submitted a written public comment that echoed the group’s sentiments, but in person angrily suggested that a state law provides for replacing the entire council. Another speaker pointed out that the city has little control over an insurance company’s process, and that taxpayers cannot finance the repairs. Everyone agreed that the process has been problematic and asked for increased communication.
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