Safety, budget focus of council meeting

CASCADE LOCKS — Cascade Locks City Council met on June 8 for an unusually short meeting; the biggest happenings came during Interim City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman’s report.

Fire Chief John Logan has requested that the city hire Paul Martin as a temporary replacement for a fire fighter/EMT on leave for the month of June. The council approved the hire. Martin was previously employed by the city in the role, so a smooth transition is expected.

As reported previously, Port Commissioner Ted Dodd has approached the city about building a mountain bike connector trail through the 26 acres of city-owned land south of the weigh station. The donated land is currently undeveloped. The Northwest Trails Association is willing to build the trail but not to maintain it afterward.

According to Zimmerman, the city does not have the resources to maintain it. Negotiations will continue as the trail would be a welcome addition to the city’s amenities.

With the governor’s approval to use federal emergency funds to address the Ruckel Creek slide, and collaboration from Oregon’s Department of Transportation, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, repairs are slated to be completed in less than three months.

Vacant committee seats continue to provide opportunities for Cascade Locks residents to become involved in city leadership. Norman Bourque, a recent appointment to the tourism committee, resigned, leaving that group with three vacant seats. The budget committee, which holds meetings at a specific time of year, has two open seats. The planning committee also has a single open seat. The application for these committees is available on the city’s website.

In council comments, safety was a focus, agreeing that police presence is valued and effective. One area targeted for more enforcement was parked cars in bike lanes. The council also briefly discussed its own 5% pending Food and Beverage Sales Tax, slated to be on the November ballot, in order to fund fire and EMT services.

Councilor Tiffany Pruit said that “rumor has it that the county is also trying to do a 5% food and beverage tax,” but Zimmerman assured the council that it could not be “stacked” on top of the city’s own food and beverage tax.

This November, three council seats and the mayoral seat are up for grabs. Mayor Wood, Shirelle Price, Pete Happy, and Courtnee Keilman are all up for re-election, Keilman and Price after filling vacated seats and Happy after serving the past four years.

The Cascade Locks City Council’s next meeting is set for Monday, June 22 at 7 p.m.