BINGEN — Bingen’s city council met at City Hall on May 20. On the agenda were a budget committee report, plans for the upcoming August election, and discussion of the city’s leak adjustment and code of conduct policies.
Catherine Kiewit, Mayor, White Salmon
Opening comment from Mayor Catherine Kiewit referenced concerns from local law enforcement that the traffic calming measures at the Ash Street corner seem to be resulting in people turning at Lincoln. Though further traffic control was discussed, such as speed bumps or not allowing a right turn, the group chose to rely on education and patrolling to encourage the public to simply slow down.
A report from the budget committee on the city’s 2024 budget revealed good and bad news. The bad news is the city needs additional funding to sustain its current level of services. This came as no surprise to the council as they have been diligently seeking various sources of additional funding. Based on its ongoing record of solid audits, including a required federal audit and accountability audit, however, the city will be allowed a less stringent audit schedule. The council and mayor lauded the budget committee, with Councilor Brittany Spratt saying, “I trust the budget committee,” and getting a firm second from Michael Stahl.
The council next previewed a mailer to be sent explaining its forthcoming property tax increase. The public safety sales tax will cost 10-cents per $100 spent in the city of Bingen. The funds will go towards supporting continued fire and police services in the city. At the same time, the upcoming summer newsletter was discussed. Kiewit suggested an earlier mailing date to get out the news about swim passes. Bingen residents can sign up to get free swim passes at the Hood River Aquatic Center by visiting the website www.whitesalmonvalleypool.org/districtswimpass.
Next on the agenda was the city’s Leak Adjustment Policy. As of now, Bingen has no policy in place, and residents get 100% forgiveness for the extra cost incurred for any water leakage. When a resident’s water use shows a significant increase from the same date last year, a leak is often suspected and identified. Some municipalities give customers a discount on the cost of the leaked water; however, most do not give 100% forgiveness. The city’s Water and Sewer Committee is recommending that customers pay 30% of the difference between the pre-leak and post-leak costs. Though Kiewit expressed reluctance to raise utility costs, citing the number of folks on fixed incomes, she was reminded that the city has assistance in place for those who need it.
Krista Loney, City administrator
City Administrator Krista Loney next provided the council with several more examples of other municipalities’ codes of conduct. The group seemed to favor a simpler version from Florence, Oregon, but asked for additional work done before a draft is seen.
Though many of Bingen’s numerous infrastructure projects remain unseen, such as the E. Steuben waterline replacement and the Oak Street Reservoir replacement, several public-facing projects are coming to fruition. The ribbon-cutting for the DC FastCharger is set for June 5 at 10 a.m. The new bus shelters are scheduled to be delivered on July 14. And the community murals project is slated for June 2-10, with June 6 set as the Youth and Community Paint Day from 3:30-5 p.m.
As a reminder, the Bingen City Council always welcomes and shares public comment. The Aug. 5 election slate has been decided and Bingen City government will see significant changes. The Washington voter information guide shows that Clinton L. Deo and Kelsey Ramsey have filed to run for Kiewit’s mayoral seat; Dale Grinstead-Mayle is running unopposed for Position 3, currently held by Phil Jones; Maya Deo and Eric Shroder will face off for Position 4, currently occupied by Michael Stahl; Erika Almskaar and Quinton Deo are running for Position 5, currently held by Brittany Spratt; and Craig Trummel has filed to run for the seat he currently occupies. The city also has a .01% sales tax on the ballot.
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