HOOD RIVER — Hood River City Council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s Federal Immigration Enforcement Activity Emergency Declaration on Aug. 10.
City Manager Abigail Elder explained that, as currently written, the declaration does not give the city authority to allocate funding to nonprofits or other agencies, except to arrange listening sessions and town halls. The amendment, or Resolution 2026-19, “adds language to the emergency declaration which would authorize the city manager to execute funding agreements,” she said.
The vote came after council moved to provide up to $20,000 each to Gorge Mutual Aid and The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI), to help individuals and families impacted by recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
Following the vote, TDNI Executive Director Janet Hamada and community health worker Graciela Gomez presented The Next Door’s proposed services agreement with the city. Specifically, TDNI will use the funds for informal mental health counseling, potential referrals for next-level care, and community preparedness activities for children, youth, and families.
The council unanimously approved the services agreement.
Hamada said the proposed funding will support a community health worker for seven hours per week for a year to work in the above areas.
“The grant funding for our community health work is really drying up, so this couldn’t come at a better time because we did not get some funding we hoped to get,” Hamada said. “We’re really working on trying to find funding elsewhere.”
“The community lives in fear,” Gomez said. “The fear is real ... The Latino community needs a lot of emotional support.”
“What we’re seeing here really is an emergency situation,” said Council President Gladys Rivera. “We are seeing individuals be killed, we are seeing individuals that are being pulled over and assaulted, we are seeing individuals in Cascade Locks that are pretending to be ICE agents. This situation is unlike anything we have faced before.”
In a follow up email, Elder said that Gorge Mutual Aid, which operates under the umbrella of Gorge Ecumenical Ministries, is expected to present their funding agreement at an upcoming council meeting.
Garbage rate increase
City council also approved Hood River Garbage’s request for a 2.58% average annual rate increase during its August. 10 meeting.
The annual rate increase is based on changes to the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, said Waste Connections District Manager Jim Winterbottom. The most recent July to July comparison saw a 3.04% increase in costs that includes truck and equipment repair, labor, healthcare, and fuel.
“We ask for 85% [of the CPI, or 2.58%] because we know nobody likes a rate increase,” he said. “We try to do everything we can to mitigate expenses to allow us to not ask for a full CPI increase.”
For example, customers with a 65-gallon cart will pay an additional 83-cents per month, or $32.83; those with a 35-gallon trashcan will see a 69-cent monthly increase, or $27.43.
Wasco County Landfill has increased its gate rate and household hazardous waste tax 2.58%, with the landfill being Hood River Garbage’s biggest expense.
“We follow what they do,” he said. “They ask for 85% as well; that’s why we keep ours capped at 85%.”
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