GOLDENDALE — Sheriff Bob Songer’s department update at the Klickitat County Commissioners meeting on March 25 came with a few surprises.
“Based on the fact that the two county commissioners at the time, Lori Zoller and Jake Anderson, claimed the employees of the jail and sheriff were negligent in Ivan Howtopat’s suicide in the Klickitat County Jail on May 20, 2023,” he said, “I am requesting a Public Records Disclosure of the investigation and findings of Ivan Howtopat’s suicide that was conducted by an outside agency, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office.
“I am also requesting a Public Records Disclosure of the survey and findings conducted on the Klickitat County Jail by Jail Commander Jose Briones of the Island County Sheriff’s Office during 2023 and 2024,” Songer added.
Citing concern for the safety of citizens and deputies, Songer requested the county reinstate $382,020 previously cut from the sheriff’s 2025 budget, funds he said would go toward two deputy replacement positions.
Songer’s update began by noting the sheriff’s office received 3,134 calls for service in the county between Jan. 1 and March 20. Some 1,757 of the calls were inside cities, while unincorporated areas called 1,377 times. Deputies also served 272 civil papers during the same time period.
It concluded with safety tips that he plans to include in all future reports, and they’re worth repeating:
• Be aware of mailbox theft. We recommend locking mailboxes to dissuade outsiders from accessing your mailbox.
• Fraud is on the increase. If you receive a call and they want you to say “yes” to their questions, just say “Bye-bye.”
• Also ignore the text about toll fees. Do not respond.
Zac Kennedy of the county’s lobbying firm Potts & Associates then brought bad news from Olympia.
“The budgets are out,” he said. “It is going to be ugly.” Kennedy noted that a special legislative session, either right after the current time-limited session or later in the summer, is likely coming to address the budget issues.
He also reported leaders weren’t accepting any new amendments to bills that had passed one of the legislative chambers and gone to the next. Any amendments added in the other chamber would require the two competing versions to go to a conference committee and probably die in that committee.
On a more positive note, Kathy Fitzpatrick and Emily Reed reported on public transportation services, highlighting how agencies on both sides of the Columbia have worked together to coordinate seamless transfers between territories. As a result, county residents can catch a bus in Goldendale or White Salmon and get all the way to Portland or Vancouver. Most of the vehicles are wheelchair-ready, dogs and bicycles are welcome, and an unlimited pass on the system is available for the low price of just $40 a year.
Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved:
• A behavioral health testing services agreement with Abbott Labs.
• An adult probation laboratory services agreement with Cordant Health Solutions.
• An interlocal agreement with the City of Goldendale for the distribution of Surface Transportation Program funding.
• An interlocal agreement with the City of Bingen for the distribution of Surface Transportation Program funding.
• A public meeting on April 15, 2025, for the approval of a boundary line adjustment for Logeais/Rickman.
• A second amendment to the senior transportation services agreement with the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington.
• A fifth amendment to the nutrition services agreement with the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington.
• Awarding a bid for liquid asphalt purchases in 2025.
• Awarding a bid for an annual striping contract.
• Advertising to fill a vacant payroll analyst position in Goldendale in the Auditor’s Office.
• A professional services agreement with the City of The Dalles and Precision Approach Engineering, Inc. from March 1, 2025, through March 1, 2030.
• Approval for Right Systems to segment the network to secure the election system.
• An interlocal agreement with the City of Goldendale for District Court Services.
• A third amendment to the Klickitat County Health Department 2025-2027 consolidated contract.
• A temporary credit card increase for the adult probation department.
• Contract and contract bonds for the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport Business Park phase 2 project.
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