City Corner

POMEROY–As summer winds down we would like to take this opportunity to update you on some items that have developed over the last two months. The information provided is as complete a narrative as we can provide.

The first issue is the recent decision by the City to initiate a contract with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) regarding waste disposal services. The previous contract with Naslund Disposal was signed in 1995 and was set to expire. Larrah Charlo of Naslund presented the City Council with the option of signing a contract with WUTC, maintaining Naslund as our provider.

The WUTC mission is to protect the people of Washington by ensuring these services as safe, equitable, available, reliable, and competitively priced. The WUTC will ensure our collector is licensed, permitted, and has the proper insurance. The WUTC must approve any fee increases and will do a thorough investigation of the collector financial records to ensure that any request to increase fees is warranted and reasonable. The WUTC ensures that if the current collector is unable to continue providing this service to our community, they will provide another collector to do so.

After doing months of research into this option, city officials determined that it was the best alternative for our citizens. The cost of waste disposal service this month increased, primarily because rates have not increased since 2016. For example, the charge for a weekly 64-gallon cart, which is what most residents have, went up 11.3% from a previous amount of $18.76. The new weekly rate is $20.88. In return, we will be guaranteed disposal service in the future.

The city continues to navigate the bureaucratic waters in gaining access to the final piece of funding from the state Department of Health (DOH) for the water booster pump station. In June, the city learned that the financial documents for receiving the funding would not be available in August as we were originally told. The reason given was that the contract manager of DOH working with the city was retiring, and a new manager would have to be assigned.

As of August 2, DOH indicated that we should anticipate seeing a funding agreement between now and January 2025. This potentially could be six months after what they originally communicated to us in April. Keller Associates, the engineering firm working on the project for the city, has expressed significant concerns regarding the timeline. If they are not addressed this month, we will pursue other courses of action to encourage accountability.

In other news, more than 80% of the addresses with voluntarily tuned off water meters have chosen to help fund the water availability program. This commitment to maintaining a stable water supply is admirable and appreciated.

The city has completed two grant applications that were due this month. The first is the Community Heart Soul program to facilitate the hiring of a coordinator to facilitate community interaction and events, and to market Pomeroy. The second is through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation. If the application is successful, these funds will be used to make energy efficient upgrades on city buildings. We will be working closely with Pacific Power to obtain incentives as well.

And finally, if you are interested in helping reactivate our Historic Preservation Commission, email me at [email protected] or message me on Facebook.