Solar microgrid approved for fire station

CASCADE LOCKS — The Cascade Locks City Council met on May 11 for its sole meeting this month. Its next regularly scheduled meeting falls on Memorial Day and is canceled.

While the city is greatly pleased with its three new budget committee members, two more seats remain vacant and budget season is imminent. Mayor Brenda Wood encouraged residents to apply, and Interim City Administrator Gordon Zimmerman reminded everyone of the upcoming budget meeting schedule, which is May 27 and June 3, with a budget hearing held on June 22.

With no presentations on the docket, the council moved right into action items. They approved the contract to install a solar microgrid at the fire station, and approved the contract for tourism support services. This means hiring Annie Van Domelen as the administrator of tourism support for the city. Her three-year contact was unanimously approved.

Zimmerman’s report was robust as he summarized his handling of city business. He reported lost revenue in the absence of collection of franchise fees for Blue Mountain’s broadband services, and the council agreed to immediately start collecting the fees. Port Commissioner and mountain bike advocate Ted Dodd has approached the city about building a 1.5 mile mountain bike trail on the city’s property just south of the ODOT weigh station, which would connect to a U.S. Forest Service trail. Zimmerman has started the research necessary for the council to make a decision.

As reported earlier, Gorge-wide municipal leaders are looking at a proposal to put a 12 inch underground power cable buried in the Columbia River. Zimmerman told the council to keep an eye on this project to make sure that Cascade Locks has access to this power if it should come to fruition.

He reported on his discussion with city leaders in Yachats, a similarly-sized town with about the same number of restaurants, regarding its Prepared Food and Beverage tax. Yachats residents passed the 5% tax, and it raises around $550,000 a year, with the vast majority of locals pleased with its results and “no perceived decline in the tourist economy.”

Also, the city’s Express Bill Pay option has become problematic, and Zimmerman and staff are recommending abandoning its use. Finally, Zimmerman then explained that city staff are being trained to manage payroll services in-house, which will save the city around $16,900 per year.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Cascade Locks City Council is set for Monday, June 8.

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