BINGEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
January 2, 2007
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Prigel at 7:00 p.m. Council members present: Terry Trantow, Tim Hearn, Laura Mann, Sandi Dickey and Betty Barnes. Clerk Jan Brending and Attorney Tad Connors were present. Audience: Ruth Winner.
Approval of Minutes – December 19, 2006
Corrections to the minutes of the December 19 city council meeting were noted as follows:
Page 2, 18th paragraph, last sentence should read as follows: “ He said he does not think it serves a purpose for the museum and there shouldn’t be any problem with them replacing it.”
Laura Mann moved to approve the minutes of the December 19 council meeting as amended. Betty Barnes seconded the motion and it was unanimously passed.
Garbage Service – Discussion of City Ordinance and State Requirements
Brian Prigel provided an overview of garbage service in the city. He said under the state covered tariff there are portions of Bingen that is served by Bingen Garbage Service and other portions that are served by Tri-County (Allied Waste). He said that if the city were to establish a contract for garbage service it would provide for local oversight versus state oversight. Prigel said the city can only go out to bid for garbage service after it gives the two garbage companies seven years notice.
Tim Hearn said he believes it is important to start the clock so that the city can have more control if it desires in the future.
Brian Prigel said he agrees that giving the two companies official notices is in the best interest of the city. He said he does worry that the city will forget that it has given notice and the time will go by.
Jan Brending said she maintains files for both “Garbage Service” and “Bingen Garbage Service” and would make sure the letter is placed in the files so that future staff will have a reference.
Laura Mann asked why the city can’t sign a contract now.
Brian Prigel said the city could if both companies would agree but they haven’t in the past.
Tim Hearn moved to send letters to Bingen Garbage Service and Allied Waste stating that the City of Bingen intends to put garbage service out to bid 7 years from the date of the letter. Sandi Dickey seconded the motion and it was passed unanimously.
Jan Brending stated that copies of the letters will be sent to the state Utilities and Transportation Commission.
2007 Goals and Priorities – Discussion and Establishment of Goals and Priorities
Jan Brending said she has prepared a memorandum outlining existing projects for 2007 and proposed projects that might be undertaken during 2007. She said existing projects include park and recreation planning, water planning, the Depot Street/Maple Street sewer project, the Maple Street reconstruction project, bio-solids storage area upgrade, street striping, Duratherm crosswalk replacement, Jefferson Street bridge approaches, surplus of manufactured homes, self-publication of Bingen Municipal Code, update of personnel and travel policies, city inventory, updating the sign ordinance, renewing the Charter Communications franchise, replacement of the city’s financial and utility software and providing information to the council and public regarding the development of a railroad quiet zone. Brending noting these projects are in addition to daily work that staff must do in addition to other items that may come in including land use applications.
Brending said staff expects to provide recommendations regarding several public works projects including the cleaning of the Dry Creek culvert that runs under Highway 14, repairing a sewer line located on Humboldt Street west of Walnut, and conducting an infiltration and inflow study on the sewer system.
Betty Barnes said that she wants to highlight the need to get the electrical outlets in the tree wells repaired.
Brending noted there are several ordinances the city staff and council have discussed updating over the past several years including the dog ordinance, the sewer and water ordinances, the city’s land use ordinances and comprehensive plan, and the city’s business license ordinance. She said the city has most recently discussed the need to update the city’s dog ordinance. Brending said the city is faced with a state mandate to updates its critical area ordinance. She said she is not sure of the specific date but believes that work needs to be at the minimum started in 2007 and the update may need to be completed in 2007. Brending said the city has discussed numerous changes to the zoning ordinance and has been adopting changes to the ordinance over the last 7 years. She said ideally the city would undertake a review of the comprehensive plan and then update the zoning ordinance and critical areas ordinances based on changes to the plan. Brending said review and update of all three documents is a significant undertaking for the city. She said she would like to develop a memorandum detailing what would be involved and what are the minimum requirements for updating the critical areas ordinance and present it to the council at a future date.
Brending said the water/sewer committees of each city will begin looking at the city’s interlocal agreements regarding water and sewer. She said that as proposed changes are developed to the agreements, changes to the water and sewer ordinances will also likely be proposed. Brending said changes to the city’s water ordinances will also likely be proposed as an outcome of the water planning.
The city council agreed to make upgrading the dog ordinance a priority. It was agreed to hold a work session looking at other city ordinances and determining what needs to be included in Bingen’s ordinance.
Laura Mann noted that she feels the city may need to be tougher on dogs running at large which is a change in her position from the previous meeting.
Tad Connors noted that he has heard that the FCC has passed a rule related to regulation of cable television that will have some affect on the city’s franchise with Charter Communications.
Old Business
Gorge Heritage Museum
Ruth Winner said the museum board is in the process of considering
installing a “floating” floor in the basement using a product similar to Pergo.
She said the floor will be paid for by the Historical Society. Winner noted that
if the floor had been maintained it would have been in better shape. She said
some painting has been done along with some free plumbing. Winner said things
should be completed in the near future and awaits the time when the city can
address the ADA issue.
Mayor’s Update and Council Member Comments
Eagles
Tim Hearn said he has talked to Tad Connors about whether or not the city
has the ability to make a business cleanup its facilities if the city determines
it is an eyesore. Hearn said Connors said not likely but that it could possibly
be done politically. Hearn said he is concerned about the appearance of the
Eagles and would like to do something about it.
Brian Prigel said he is not sure that anything can be done through regulations. He said that aesthetics are difficult to address but there may be other ways to force a change. Prigel said the business community could get together and make suggestions and offer assistance. He said that he believes the business community can go further in achieving change than the city can.
Laura Mann noted that the Bingen Superette has recently cleaned up its appearance.
Jan Brending noted that in the downtown revitalization plan there drawings that showed how the Eagles building could look if some minor changes were made. She said she agrees that the suggestions for painting and modifications would better come from the community and local businesses. Brending said she believes that someone offered to paint the building during a past “Community Pride Week”. She suggested contacting the Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce.
Tim Hearn said he will meet with the Eagles to see if they will paint the building.
Flags
Betty Barnes said state statutes require the city to fly the United States
and Washington state flags. She noted that a president passed away and there is
a presidential order to fly the flag at half-mast. Barnes said that citizens
also determine whether or not the city is open for business by whether the flag
is being flown at city hall. She said the city has no written policy about
flying the flags and suggested it might be appropriate to have a resolution or
policy.
Jan Brending said state law also requires that the POW/MIA flag be flown on certain days. She said that she has always honored any orders from the governor or the President regarding flying flags at half-mast. Brending said she could develop a resolution that would state the city will fly the appropriate flags.
City council members agreed that a resolution would be appropriate.
Jan Brending said she will present a resolution at the next council meeting.
White Salmon Water Rights
Tim Hearn asked if anything has happened with the White Salmon water rights
issue.
Jan Brending said White Salmon has taken no action since the October 12 meeting in Yakima. She said she believes they have been waiting until they could a hire a “special projects” engineer which they recently hired Mike Wellman to fill that role. Brending said Bingen took action at a recent meeting to go into full water planning and to submit applications to the Klickitat County Conservancy Board to add White Salmon’s wells to Bingen’s water rights.
Klickitat County EDA Grants
Brian Prigel said that the presentations for grants will be made to the
board on January 11 at 6:00 pm in Goldendale. He said he will ask David Spratt
to attend to make the presentation for the city.
Brian Prigel said that if anyone is interested in serving on the EDA board, the current representative would be glad to give up his position.
Stonecliff Development
Brian Prigel noted that the Stonecliff Development property is up for sale
again at a price of $2.25 million.
Park Well Status
Brian Prigel reported the Park Well is still not online as several water
samples were needed to clear it with the Department of Health.
Dog Impound Facilities
Brian Prigel said that if impound facilities were found it is possible that
the city has an employee who is skilled with dogs and would be willing to take
on additional duties related to impounding dogs.
Vouchers
Vouchers audited and certified as required by RCW 42.24.080 and expense
reimbursement claims certified as required by RCW 42.24.090 as of this date
December 30, 2006. The council by unanimous vote does approve for payment the
following list: warrants 8098 through 8123 totaling 8,846.11; manual warrants
501055 totaling $15,161.50, and payroll warrants 6812 through 6824 totaling
$11,935.51 for a total of $35,943.12: Current - $7,617.70; Street - $1,506.09;
Community Development - $14.69; Building Construction - $81,97; Water –
$3,157.50; Sewer - $801.29; Treatment Plant - $3,357.58; Dallesport Treatment
Plant - $4,244.80; Dallesport Billing Trust Fund - $15,161.50.
Vouchers audited and certified as required by RCW 42.24.080 and expense reimbursement claims certified as required by RCW 42.24.090 as of this date January 2, 2007. The council by unanimous vote does approve for payment the following list: warrants 8124 through 8128 totaling 1,073.98; and payroll warrants 6825 through 6826 totaling $7,877.80 for a total of $8,951.78: Current - $3,849.89; Street - $749.26; Water – $880.36; Sewer - $612.01; Treatment Plant - $1537.09; Dallesport Treatment Plant – 1323.17.
The council adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Jan Brending
Brian Prigel
City Clerk
Mayor