During an Oct. 16 meeting, White Salmon’s City Council discussed next year’s budget, how to more effectively resolve utility billing grievances, approved a contract with Bingen to treat Everybody’s Brewing wastewater and learned about a failed grant application.
During an Oct. 16 meeting, White Salmon’s City Council discussed next year’s budget, how to more effectively resolve utility billing grievances, approved a contract with Bingen to treat Everybody’s Brewing wastewater and learned about a failed grant application.
WHITE SALMON — With Mayor Marla Keethler and Councilor Patty Fink absent, White Salmon’s City Council convened on Oct. 16 where Clerk Treasurer Stephanie Porter introduced nearly every agenda item, beginning with the 2025 budget.
White Salmon’s budget has several different parts: Funds for street repairs, water infrastructure, wastewater collection and current expenses, the largest fund bankrolled with 80% of the city’s property tax revenue. By her latest estimate, Porter anticipated the current expenses (or general) fund, which finances basic services like human resources and park maintenance, to run a $238,073 deficit next year, but she explained it wasn’t necessarily a cause for concern.
“It’s important to remember that the expenditures that we budget for are not always spent in their entirety,” said Porter, since the budget typically reflects the maximum cost of any given project. Inversely, Porter only includes revenue the city is guaranteed to receive, not other potential sources like grants, which could help offset the difference along with other sources.
“We tend to err on the side of caution,” said Porter. As with most small towns, maintaining a 24/7 police force will consume the biggest portion of White Salmon’s 2025 current expenses fund, followed by finance (18%) and planning services (12%).
To keep up with operational costs, White Salmon aims to implement a 1% property tax increase next year. Residents can comment on the proposed tax increase and budget during a public hearing held in the council’s chambers on Nov. 6, then at another budget hearing on Nov. 20. City council must adopt a budget by the end of the calendar year.
Afterward, councilors heard Porter’s resolution to establish a dedicated committee for resolving utility billing grievances, crafted with the help of White Salmon’s legal team. This summer, city council approved several leak forgiveness applications, often feeling like the process was arbitrary and out of their depth.
Under this resolution, city council would only have to approve utility disputes over $500, with the committee handling all other matters independently. White Salmon’s code wouldn’t change and Mayor Keethler would appoint three people to serve, but councilors stressed the procedure would still be difficult to navigate and whether anyone would step up.
“I feel bad, tongue in cheek, recruiting people to have to do that in our stead,” said Councilor David Lindley. “It felt like we were making it up on the fly, to be honest.” He suggested laying out clearer criteria and guidelines for the new committee.
“I just worry about our ability to recruit three new members and give them, like David mentioned, a rather unenviable task,” said Jason Hartmann, mayor pro tempore.
In the event of an exorbitant dispute, councilors also wanted to close all possibilities of relitigating the issue, rather than simply approving the Grievance Committee’s decision like the resolution intends. As such, council voted 4-0 to table the resolution until city staff can make the necessary amendments.
Porter then announced the City of Bingen approved a service contract, which has been in the works for months, with Everybody’s Brewing to process the restaurant’s wastewater. Under the two-year agreement, Bingen’s Wastewater Treatment Plan will handle up to 5,500 gallons of discharge from Everybody’s Brewing daily. Council passed the agreement in a 4-0 vote.
Lastly, City Administrator Troy Rayburn informed council the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office denied their $750,000 grant application, money that would’ve been used to renovate the tennis and pickleball courts at Rheingarten Park. Rayburn noted that White Salmon came in seventh out of 22 applicants in the region.
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