GOLDENDALE — The April 1 Klickitat County Commissioners meeting was relatively quiet. Planning Director Scott Edelman said the planning commission would have a recommendation on the county’s critical areas ordinance after their April 21 meeting, and discussed continuing work on the solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) ordinance.
“The project advisory committee had our second meeting on March 26,” said Edelman. “It’s going much slower than we had hoped, but for all good reasons. This isn’t a rubber stamp committee; this is a committee that digs in, and is very intelligent in looking at it, so this is going to take longer than expected.”
Economic Development Interim Director Richard Foster said recent events on the national political scene have not trickled down, but rather numbed, the economy:
“Reductions to the strategic reserve fund, elimination of state support for Washington small business development centers, elimination of the small business training programs, reductions to the small business resilience network program, reductions to tourism programs, reductions in regional manufacturing and pre-development programs and many others.”
Nevertheless, Foster said, that would not stop him and others from doing everything they could to boost economic prosperity.
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
• A lease with CGRA Hangars, LLC at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport.
• The appointment of Commissioner Ron Ihrig to the Klickitat-Skamania Developmental Disability Advisory Board.
• Adoption of the December 2024 update to the Klickitat County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
• Authorization to hire four temporary Full-time Flagger/Laborers in the Public Works Department for Goldendale, Glenwood and White Salmon.
• Closing the petty cash fund of the Adult Probation.
• A public meeting on April 15, 2025, for BLA 2024-17 Roth & Bensel.
• Waiver of the Dallesport Community Center rental fees for the White Salmon Library.
• A local agency A&E professional services consultant agreement for on-call architectural services.
• A local agency professional services consultant agreement for energy auditor services.
• Final project acceptance and release of retainage for the Pioneer Center HVAC replacement project 2024.
• Purchase of Cell Vital monitoring system for the Department of Corrections; purchase of Vivid pill counter for the Department of Corrections.
• A contract with Maul Foster & Alongi forwork on the Integrated Planning Grant.
• A letter of support for the Mid-Columbia Fisheries’ grant application for Restoring Snyder Creek.
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