BINGEN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
May 2, 2006
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Prigel at 7:00 p.m. Council members present: Terry Trantow, Betty Barnes, Tim Hearn and Laura Mann. Council members absent: Randy Anderson. Clerk Jan Brending and Attorney Tad Connors were present. Audience: Ruth Winner, Wil Schuemann, Bruce Brending
Public Comment
Wil Schuemann, Bingen
Wil Schuemann provided information to the City of Bingen (see memorandum dated
May 2, 2006) regarding the ownership of Dry Creek.
Brian Prigel said it has been awhile since he has looked at the documents regarding ownership of Dry Creek.
Tad Connors said there are certainly some legal issues related to the ownership of Dry Creek. He said the transfer of ownership from the city to Kimbro might have been unconstitutional at the time.
Wil Schuemann said that in his discussion with Bonnie Kimbro she stated that Tom Kimbro had always wanted to dedicate the property back to the city for a park.
Brian Prigel said he will contact Bonnie Kimbro about the property.
Jan Brending said she believes there is renewed interest in the property by a variety of individuals.
Ruth Winner, Gorge Heritage Museum
Ruth Winner said that the remaining items have been ordered for the flume
project in Daubenspeck Park. She said they will be installed as they come in.
Laura Mann said she recently learned that the flume was used in a Disney movie.
Approval of Minutes – April 18, 2006
The following corrections were noted to the April 18, 2006 minutes:
Page 3, 10th paragraph should read as follows: “Betty Barnes asked if Wil Schuemann still intends to cover the cost of the proposed land exchange.”
Page 3, 14th paragraph, 1st sentence should read as follows: “Brian Prigel said the city has dealt with tenants of property it has purchased in several ways.”
Page 4, 1st paragraph, add the following sentence at the end: “Brandon Walter raised the issue of maintenance.”
Page 4, 8th paragraph, 1st sentence should read as follows: “Laura Mann said she is not for turning the benches around but would prefer to see backless benches purchased and used to replace the benches where there are concerns.”
Page 5, 5th paragraph should read as follows: “The city council reviewed the police committee recommendations for amendments to the interlocal agreement for law enforcement services.”
Laura Mann moved to approve the minutes of the April 18, 2006 city council meeting as amended. Terry Trantow seconded the motion and it was unanimously passed.
Downtown Benches – Discussion
Information was provided to the city council regarding the cost of backless
benches. The cost for each bench is approximately $588. (See memorandum dated
April 28, 2006 – “Backless Benches”.)
Terry Trantow said he thinks that the purchase of 4 backless benches at the cost of approximately $2,352 is too expensive.
Betty Barnes suggested that the city test the possibility of turning the benches around in their original place. She said this would show whether it works or not.
Brian Prigel said the concern with turning the benches around in place is that individuals will need to step into the landscaping or the street to sit on the benches.
Laura Mann said she feels it is an issue that should be tabled. She said she has not personally heard comments about the benches and feels that replacing them is not a necessary expense.
Betty Barnes said that she did a survey of the business two years ago and that all of them expressed concerns. She said there are different business owners now. Barnes said the council can decide. She said she thinks people aren’t saying anything because they believe the city council doesn’t care.
Tim Hearn said he does not see anything wrong with the benches the way they are.
Brian Prigel said he has also never had anyone complain to him about the benches. Terry Trantow said he also had not heard complaints.
Laura Mann moved to table action on the benches until someone comes to city council and complains. Tim Hearn seconded the motion. The motion carried 3 to 1 with the following vote: Anderson – Absent, Barnes – Nay, Hearn – Aye, Mann – Aye, Trantow – Aye.
Graffiti – Discussion
Jan Brending provided information to the city council provided through the
Municipal Research Services Center web site (see memorandum dated April 28, 2006
– “Graffiti Information”). She said she included three different ordinances that
cities have adopted regarding the removal of graffiti. Brending said some of the
larger cities have ordinances that require property owners to immediately remove
graffiti.
Tim Hearn said that if Bingen were to adopt an ordinance it should be simple and require property owners to remove the graffiti within 24 hours.
City council members and staff discussed graffiti abatement.
Bruce Brending said that graffiti usually occurs in cycles. He said property owners should document the incident and then remove or paint over the graffiti as soon as possible. Brending said that in some cases the police department itself has covered up the graffiti. He said that at the present time the department is not seeing the volume of graffiti the two cities saw approximately four years ago.
Jan Brending said that she could provide information about graffiti abatement in the upcoming June newsletter.
Bruce Brending said he could work with The Enterprise to get some information out there also.
The city council agreed to provide public information through the upcoming newsletter and through the local newspaper.
Treasurer’s Report – March 2006
Jan Brending presented the budget report for March 2006.
Laura Mann moved to accept the March 2006 treasurer’s report. Betty Barnes seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.
Old Business – Banner Review
Jan Brending said that the banner that was hung showed that the length was a
little too long. She said Melanie Denton will shorten the design to fit the
banner poles.
Brian Prigel said that the banner poles that have been knocked off or bent will be replaced. He suggested hanging the banners on the poles that have not had problems and shorten the poles sometime in the future.
Old Business – Humboldt Street Property Leases
Jan Brending said the city council has been provided copies of the leases
for the properties on West Humboldt.
Tad Connors said that Marge Solee returned the security deposits she was holding to the two tenants.
The city council discussed establishing new leases for each of the existing tenants. The city council agreed that the city will pay for utilities and garbage service and require a security deposit of $500 providing for a 1 year lease at $600 per month.
Mayor’s Update and Council Member Comments
Joint Police Committee Meeting
Tim Hearn said that the meeting went well. He said there were no arguments
about the proposed amendments to the interlocal agreement and there were no
contentious issues.
Tad Connors said White Salmon has a proposed ordinance that address the structure of the civil service commission.
Jan Brending said it is her understanding that additional discussion will need to take place about the options to strengthen the role of the Bingen mayor in the selection of a police chief.
4th of July Planning Meeting
Jan Brending said a planning meeting has been scheduled for the 4th
of July Celebration at Bingen Point. She said the meeting will be held on
Monday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the White Salmon Fire Hall.
Steuben Street Crosswalks
Jan Brending said a meeting is being scheduled with representatives of the
manufacturing company and the installation company to discuss the condition of
the “Duratherm” crosswalks on Steuben.
Wastewater Plant Operator
Brian Prigel said the city has a trainee, Daniel Drier, working in the
wastewater plant operator position with a goal to hire the individual at the end
of his training in October. He said Daniel Drier is obtaining training through
the city and attending college courses.
Broughton Flume – Dedication Ceremony
Terry Trantow suggested that a dedication ceremony take place for the
Broughton Flume project.
Ruth Winner suggested holding the ceremony on Memorial Day. She noted that a flag has been donated by the Boy Scouts.
Brian Prigel suggested that Ruth Winner organize the dedication ceremony and let the city council know when it will be. It was agreed that Memorial Day weekend would not be the best time.
Betty Barnes asked if Ruth Winner would be willing to organize the ceremony.
Ruth Winner agreed to organize the ceremony.
Highway 14 Sewer Project
Jan Brending said she attended the preconstruction meeting for the Highway
14 sewer project. She said White Salmon is only constructing Phase 1 and 2 of
the project at this time. Brending said the project will only go to McDonalds.
She said the contractor will be required to keep access open to all businesses
and properties. Brending said that for this phase no night work will be
conducted. She said that night work will be part of the Phase 3 project which
require some utility work just east of McDonalds. Brending said that it is not
known if Phase 3 will be done because of a shortfall of funds.
Dangerous Dog Designations
Betty Barnes asked what is happening with the “dangerous dog designation”
ordinance.
Tad Connors said that in the previous discussion it was noted that the city needs someone to act as a hearing examiner for appeals of designating “dangerous dogs”. He said that the ordinance has just been sitting around. Connors said he did contact Hood River and they might be interested in acting as the hearing examiner. He said he is not sure Bingen should move forward without involving the city of White Salmon. Connors said it would be easier for the police department to have the same process in each town.
Brian Prigel asked if there is a need for the ordinance.
Tad Connors said yes. He said that without it he cannot pursue dangerous dog designations.
Tim Hearn said it is his opinion that police officers should not be handling dogs and cats. He said they are not trained for that duty. Hearn suggested the city go after Klickitat County EDA funding for building an impound shelter.
Brian Prigel said he knows that Hood River County has broken ground for a dog pound. He said it might be possible for the city to contract with Hood River County.
Jan Brending said that the issue could go to the Police Committees of both towns.
Tad Connors said he would like to see the ordinance adopted.
Appeals Board – Abatement of Dangerous Buildings
Betty Barnes noted that the city had previously tabled dealing with the
abatement of dangerous buildings because the city did not have a Board of
Appeals. She said the contract with Hood River County calls for establishing
such a board.
Jan Brending said she will place a notice in the newspaper that the city is establishing the board and seeking letters of interest.
Letter of Appreciation
Terry Trantow said he thought it would be appropriate to send a letter of
appreciation to Marge Solee. The city council agreed.
Letter to Editor
Betty Barnes said she intends to write a letter to the editor thanking
everyone for their hard work in cleaning up the town and with the flume. She
said this includes the public works department. Barnes noted that a couple of
businesses donated a gift certificate to the public works department for their
cleanup efforts.
Yard and Garden Debris Disposal
Tim Hearn said he talked with a White Salmon city council member about brush
and yard/garden debris disposal. He said they would like to involve the City of
Goldendale and Klickitat County in the discussion.
Building Painting Requirements
Tim Hearn asked if the city has a requirement to address a building that
needs painting. Brian Prigel said the city has no such requirement.
Parks Committee
Tim Hearn said he would like to establish a parks committee and he would
like to serve on it.
Brian Prigel said the city had previously expressed a desire to establish a long-term plan for the park. He said he thinks a committee is a good idea and that it would help to get more interest from the public.
It was agreed to establish a parks committee with Tim Hearn serving on the committee and adding members from the public.
Gorge Heritage Museum
Ruth Winner said she does not want to see any delays on the repair of the
basement wall and hopes that things can be stepped up. She suggested that the
city crew could start digging out the basement wall so that contractors could
easier see the wall. Winner said utility locates will need to be requested. She
said that she also feels the chimney needs to be removed. Winner said it is
illegal and is not used. She said that the removal will get it out of the way so
that the construction of the basement wall can be a clean process.
Brian Prigel said he feels the city council needs to make a decision about the chimney as the building is owned by the city and is a historical building.
Terry Trantow said he does not see any problem in removing the chimney. He said that he can call for a locate.
Ruth Winner again suggested that a 3-foot section of the basement wall be exposed.
Brian Prigel said the small works roster bid that is currently out for repair of the basement walls notes that the first phase is exploratory. He said the bid is developed in way that allows the city flexibility in addressing excavation of the wall and repair of the wall.
Brian Prigel asked council members what they thought about the chimney. Tim Hearn and Laura Mann agreed that the chimney should come down.
Brian Prigel noted that the roof will need to be patched.
Betty Barnes said she does not believe the chimney adds to the historical structure.
Ruth Winner said the museum would like to reuse the bricks from the chimney possibly for a fund raiser. She said the museum is letting the public know that the building is being worked on. Winner said museum will be using the month of August for fundraising to address ADA access. She said the museum is accepting cash and in-kind donations.
Brian Prigel said he would like a letter from the museum board requesting that the chimney be removed, stating that there are no planned uses for the chimney, no historical significance, and it would assist in providing ADA access and allow for a future addition to the building.
Tribal Property
Laura Mann asked if the city could contact the Yakama Nation again about the
property located at Humboldt and Pine. She said the property is getting in bad
shape again.
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 May
2, 2006. The council by unanimous vote does approve for payment the following
list: warrants 7513 through 7536 totaling $67,928.05; manual warrants 7510
through 7512 totaling $186,863.96; and payroll warrants 6577 through 6586
totaling $13,769.45 for a total of $268,561.46: Current - $56,526.78; Street -
$2,980.49; Community Development Fund - $185,394.86; Water - $2,727.06; Sewer -
$1,180.72; Treatment Plant - $3,191.57; Dallesport Treatment Plant - $4,973.54;
Water Construction and Maintenance - $11,111.44; Sewer Construction and
Maintenance - $475.00.
At 8:45 p.m. the Council adjourned.
Jan Brending
Brian Prigel
City Clerk
Mayor