By Nan Noteboom
For Columbia Gorge News
BINGEN — The Feb. 17 Bingen City Council meeting started with a brief executive session, followed by public comment in support of ending the city’s XPress BillPay service.
Up next on the agenda was discussion of the sidewalks outside the Society Hotel. One of the conditions of the hotel’s Conditional Use Permit was to install sidewalks. After an initial estimate, federal funding guidelines complicated and delayed that plan, creating additional cost.
City Administrator Krista Loney proposed a compromise in which the city uses $50,000 of federal transportation grant funds to alleviate part of the updated cost. The Society Hotel will pay around two thirds of the cost, with the city using grant funds to supplement. The council supported this solution, and approved a Development Agreement with the Society Hotel. Sidewalk construction is slated to begin later this year.
The council held the first public hearing for the Phelps Short Plat. The proposal, a simple one by all definitions, divides a single lot into two 5,000 square foot lots. The property is on the corner of Cherry and Humboldt streets. County Planner Mandy Hertel had already given preliminary approval, as did the council.
The City of Bingen has received a $10,000 grant from the Department of Commerce for a periodic update centered on environmental protection, organic materials management, and emergency and transitional housing. Loney will lead the council through the updates in the following months.
The city’s contract XPress BillPay service was then discussed. As previously reported, the city pays $1,128 per year in order to provide the option to pay online, costing around $65 per customer. Loney reached out to those using it for feedback. Though the service was popular with users, most understood the need for economy. The council voted unanimously to end the contract.
Loney then asked the council for direction regarding her tenacious pursuit of grant funds for the city. She plans to pursue grant opportunities for road signage, road improvement, and sidewalk repair and construction. The skatepark needs drainage repair, estimated at $225,000. A grant is available for the work, though it requires a 40% match from the city; funds from the Real Estate Excise Tax could be used for the city’s $50,000 contribution.
Loney reminded the council that most city funds must be used in specific ways, such as for capital improvements only.
The council then discussed the city’s time capsule project. At Bingen’s centennial celebration, a previous time capsule was unearthed, revealing its entire contents turned to dust, which the city has in its possession. The council intends to bury a new, sturdier time capsule intended to last for another 100 years. Loney has ordered a “6-inch by 24-inch tubular stainless steel time capsule with sealant, dessicant, and the associated supplies” for the city. She suggested, and the council agreed, that the city send out postcards inviting Bingen residents to submit ideas for what to include in the time capsule. The filled time capsule will be planted on Bingen’s 102nd birthday, Saturday, April 18, at Daubenspeck Park.
Bingen has several other upcoming spring events. On the weekend of April 10-12, Bingen and White Salmon will collaborate on a city-wide garage sale. Two weeks later, on April 24-25, Bingen will hold its annual Community Clean-up days. Details will be released in the coming months.
The next Bingen City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3.
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