Council supports WSVSD bond and levy package

WHITE SALMON — A resolution in support of the White Salmon Valley School District’s (WSVSD’s) bond and levy package, set to appear on February’s special election ballot, was the main point of discussion for city councilors during their Jan. 7 meeting.

But before WSVSD Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn and Board Chair Peter Harkema could begin fielding questions about the $77.8 million one-campus plan (see related story on A1, the second in a three-part series), councilors had to be sworn in.

Councilor Doug Rainbolt, elected to take Jason Hartmann’s former seat, had already completed the honorifics, so Councilor Morella Mora renewed her oath, soon to be followed by Councilor Ben Giant, who voters also chose but was absent last Wednesday to celebrate a birth in the family. Councilor David Lindley was then selected as the new Mayor Pro Tempore, and then attention fell on Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents killed an unarmed citizen, Renee Good, just hours prior.

“That incident was almost immediately framed as self-defense against a domestic terrorist, though reporting and footage from the scene raised serious questions about that characterization,” said Keethler, emphasizing that her remarks came from a non-partisan place. “History shows democracies are not undermined all at once, but gradually, often through stories that are told about events like this and about who is afforded protection.”

During their end-of-meeting reports, several others acknowledged how disturbing the killing was, with Rainbolt stressing that council must serve as “a beacon” in these situations. Further, Mora referenced the United States’ actions in Venezuela, her home country, warning about the historical “consequences and fallacy of intervention under the promise of liberation” when resources are at stake.

Turning back to the school district, each councilor expressed support for both ballot measures; however, Rainbolt worried about the tax burden, particularly on those facing hardship. Polkinghorn noted that there are exemptions available for seniors and disabled citizens, but he recognized the weight of WSVSD’s proposal.

“There’s no shying away from the fact that we’re making a big ask,” Polkinghorn said. “We haven’t made major investments in our facilities. We’re spending a lot of our resources maintaining old facilities that are falling apart. So the cost-benefit of modernizing facilities, realizing some cost savings with efficiencies, seems to outweigh that.”

Councilor Patty Fink was most on the fence. Between Rheingarten Park and Whitson Elementary, WSVSD is a large landowner in the downtown area, and the city’s lack of sizable properties makes an appeal to affordable housing developers more difficult, as City Planner Rowan Fairfield explained during council’s Nov. 19 meeting.

Polkinghorn reported that WSVSD hadn’t determined what future use the Whitson building or lot will serve, and won’t start that process for several years, which concerned Fink. Routinely hearing from residents about aging infrastructure, she also worried that voters would lose any appetite for additional funding measures that the city wants to pursue, though none have been formalized, if WSVSD’s package passes.

“As a citizen of this community, I will be voting in support of the levy and the bond. But I do feel like I have a job here as a city councilor,” she said. “I just don’t think I have all the information I need to answer those questions.”

Polkinghorn did note that the district is open to having a collaborative discussion about the Whitson lot and recognizes the need for more affordable housing, which ultimately benefits WSVSD, too.

“The fact that we contemplate putting a new tax on ourselves to benefit others is a pretty marvelous thing, right? It’s about the future, and as I look to the future of the city, I think this is a key part of it,” said Lindley in closing. “Schools are the bedrock of our community.”

Council approved the resolution in support of WSVSD’s ballot measures in a 3-1 vote, with Fink abstaining.

Lastly, the Bingen-White Salmon Police Department published a policy outlining its use of unmanned aerial systems after council accepted a donation from Radcomp Technologies to purchase a drone on behalf of the department during their Nov. 5 meeting last year. Keethler noted that the city is also working on an FAQ page to address any related concerns in plain language.

The next city council meeting is on Jan. 21, beginning at 6 p.m. in the White Salmon Fire Hall.