CASCADE LOCKS — The Cascade Locks City Council got right to work during its Feb. 23 regular meeting, with a full, seated council and all technology working smoothly. Newly appointed councilors Tom Cramblett and Shirelle Price had been sworn in at the Feb. 9 meeting.
First up was a discussion about hiring a recruitment service to permanently fill the city administrator role. Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to hire Prothman for the task over GMP Consultants. The council favored Prothman for its cost structure, local proximity, and references. The discussion focused on the pros and cons of Stevenson’s similarly timed search for a city administrator, also being conducted by Prothman.
Councilor Tiffany Pruit said the search and hire should “make sure the next city administrator lives in the town,” but Interim City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman reminded the council that they may not legally require residence as part of the hire.
Jake Ross-Bright, Cascade Locks community liaison, then offered a report. His focus has been on illegally parked cars and RVs, though he has also tracked unregistered vacation rentals and trash management.
Ross-Bright initializes enforcement with personal verbal contact, followed by written contact in the form of a letter. If the code infraction is not corrected, he refers the situation to law enforcement, which has been difficult to do, since repeated attempts to contact the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office (HRCSO) have gone unrecognized, he said. Councilor Pete Happy offered to facilitate that contact.
Columbia Gorge News reached out to HRCSO for comment following the meeting. The office enforces state statutes but does not have a role in enforcing city ordinances, said Sergeant Joel Ives.
“When there’s a question about whether a specific vehicle may be in violation of state law, we’re always willing to review the situation and make that determination. In general terms, our enforcement authority applies when a vehicle creates a hazard or otherwise violates state traffic laws,” he said.
“Regarding communication, we understand there may have been some confusion about how to reach us,” he said. “At times, people have tried to contact the assigned Cascade Locks deputy directly. Given recent staffing changes and periods of leave, that approach can sometimes result in messages not being received promptly. The most reliable way to report parking or public safety concerns is through our 24/7 non-emergency dispatch line. If the Cascade Locks deputy is unavailable, another deputy will respond as needed.”
City business and council comment
Zimmerman then updated the council on city business. The city’s part of the 2022-23 audit is complete and has been submitted to auditors, with all funds fully accounted for. The audit company will present its findings to the council in the next month or so. The city continues to move forward on installing a refurbished transformer, a housing study grant, and its Transportation System Plan.
In council comments, Happy recognized the appearance of “chaos” in city administration, but reminded folks that some council business takes place in executive session and cannot be explained publicly. He encouraged residents to have patience, and explained that “we’re moving in a good direction.” He asked folks to give the council “10 weeks” to get settled into an orderly pace of business. Both Mayor Brenda Wood and Pruit advocated for closer oversight of city administration in the future.
The next regular meeting of the Cascade Locks City Council is set for March 9 at 7 p.m.
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