Funding, personnel holes remain in Cascade Locks

CASCADE LOCKS — What do Breckenridge, Colorado; Big Bear Lake, California; and Cascade Locks have in common? They’re all recognized “Mountain Bike Trail Towns” by the International Mountain Bike Association.

This bit of good news was one highlight from last week’s Cascade Locks City Council meeting. Other topics included a report from the electrical department, the proposed sales tax, and ongoing efforts to find a permanent city administrator.

First, Line Foreman Alan Fox provided a list of improvements needed to the city’s electrical grid, based partly on a 2022 wildfire mitigation plan that has gone largely unfulfilled. The city has about 800 utility poles, which need to be tested and repaired, and there’s no storage site for surplus transformers. The utility department also requires a thorough mapping of all underground cables; without it, it’s sometimes difficult to tell which houses are fed by which transformer when there’s a problem. Finally, the city’s fleet of utility vehicles is aging.

The electric department was without a bucket truck recently, making repairs nearly impossible, and its line truck is more than 20 years old. Mayor Brenda Wood said council should address these issues promptly, either by including the improvements in the upcoming budget or by pulling funds from the reserves budget.

The city then continued to move forward on its plan for a sales tax on prepared food and beverages. Wood advocated for a 7% tax to cover more of the funding gap for emergency services, but the agreement is to ask for 5%. Minor changes were made to the proposal, including clarification on audits of businesses collecting the tax, and defining “restaurants” more specifically.

The tax does not apply to groceries, packaged alcohol, or baked goods. “Prepared food” is food sold for immediate consumption, which includes salads from salad bars, sandwiches, hot prepared foods, and scooped frozen desserts. With the majority of the tax falling on tourists, city leadership hopes to fund emergency services without adding tax pressure to residents, especially because more than half of the emergency services calls are outside the city. The tax is slated to be on the November ballot.

After contracting with Protham to find a new city administrator, council also reviewed a draft recruiting profile. The first draft lists the city administrator’s salary as $90K-$115K, with robust benefits. The vacancy requires a bachelor’s degree and five years’ experience, and the overall job duty is to “oversee all city operations” per the city charter and applicable laws.

Unfortunately, Stevenson is currently seeking a new city administrator as well. The similarly-sized town is offering $116K-$153K, though with a smaller benefit package, and discussion focused on concerns about being competitive. Interim City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman will take the council’s feedback to Prothman for revision of the profile.

In his report, Zimmerman updated council on the city’s ongoing infrastructure projects and needs. The wastewater treatment plant will have new pumps installed, and he’s pursuing USDA Rural Development funds to make necessary upgrades to city hall. He is still looking for an affordable transformer for the city’s substation and reported that Gov. Tina Kotek submitted a federal disaster declaration for the Ruckel Creek slide, which was signed last week.

Lastly, Interim Finance Officer Marianne Bump is working on the city’s 2026-27 budget, but without volunteers for the budget committee, no budget can be passed. Mayor Wood reminded everyone that four people are needed to sit on the budget committee. The meetings are limited and the assignment can be temporary, for this year only. For more information, contact city hall.