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FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2023
VOL. 132, NO. 6
A wave of spending plans Serving the Lower Columbia Region since 1891
Clatskanie, Rainier adopt operating budgets JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.
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he Clatskanie and Rainier City Councils have adopted balanced operating budgets for the new fiscal year ahead that begins July 1. The Clatskanie city budget is $8.7 million. The Rainier city budget is $18.9 million. To find out the impact of the cities spending plans, The Chief reached out to Clatskanie City Manager Greg Hinkelman and Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen. Hinkelman said the new $8,732,188 budget is down $1.2 million. “The reason for the reduction is we do not have a Small Cities Allotment grant,” Hinkelman said. This is the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) grant to small cities for street work. And we don’t have a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). This was the grant for the engineering and design of the new sewer plant, nor any more American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grants coming in.” Hinkelman said the city has almost exhausted the CDBG grant for the engineering and design for the new sewer plant. “We of course were awarded $10 million for construction,” he said. “We have only spent a small portion of that for the environmental assessment. I continue my quest for $6 million more to do the significant soil preparation work for the site.” The Clatskanie General Fund Budget is $1,774,041, which Hinkelman said has increased from last year
due to a moderate increase in the budget for the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office contract to conduct law enforcement services for Clatskanie. “The sheriff’s office has just completed collective bargaining negotiations and the cost of labor has risen substantially and so too has operating supplies such as fuel,” Hinkleman said. While the Clatskanie budget does not include any layoffs, service reductions, or additions, Hinkelman said it will be a challenging spending plan. “We are in ok shape, but inflation and supply-chain issues continue to plague us and everyone else,” he said. Fee increase Local residents will see the impact of inflation in their sewer and water bills with a 3% rate hike. “The reason for this is to keep up with inflation but more specifically, not lose as much ground to inflation so we can continue with the level of service we have,” Hinkelman said. “Our priority, especially with the Capital improvement projects, is to continue our investment in the sanitary sewer system. We have a big project to refurbish one of the big lift stations. We are investing over the last couple of years and will continue for the next few more to make our sewer distribution system and upgraded as possible prior to the new plant being built.” According to Hinkelman, the remaining Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget is modest. The remaining projects include:
rooms ($6000) • Work on a float control for the Clatskanie Woods lift station ($8,000) • Continued camera work on the sewer lines ($10,000)
In his Budget Message, Hinkelman outlined the next funding challenge for the city, stating that into this fiscal year, the architectural and mechanical drawings for the city’s new wastewater treatment plant will be complete by the end of June. “If all goes well, we can look at publishing an RFP (Request For Proposal) for the plant construction perhaps as early as August,” he said. “This timetable will be significantly affected by whether we get the additional $6 million for soil preparation or not. And as a reminder, should we not get the $6 million from the State or the Federal government, our two options are not to build the plant and return the money allotted, or we finance the $6 million which would be paid back as a surcharge on everyone’s sewer bill. This could run as high as $35 per month for 20 years.” Hinkleman said as of June 15, he was waiting to see if the Oregon Legislature will approve Clatskanie’s request for additional state funding for the wastewater treatment plant.
gensen said the city council approved the $18,940,505 million city budget June 5. “It’s a two-year budget instead of a one-year budget,” Jorgensen said. “Last year’s budget was $14.4 million. At first, it would appear that this budget is much lower than the last one, but that’s because the beginning fund balances are only used once in the two-year period. It’s very much a conservative, status quo budget.”
Jorgensen said the approach taken for the Rainier city budget was “very fiscally conservative.” “It was compiled amid the
See BUDGET Page A7
Rainier budget In Rainier, City Administrator Scott Jor-
• Phase two of the replacement of certain streetlights for $12,000 (approximately 6) • Door locks for the park rest-
Metro Creative Connection
Clatskanie Pool set to open for the season WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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Jeremy C. Ruark / Country Media, Inc.
Lifeguards are staffed at the Clatskanie Pool each summer to ensure public safety.
he Clatskanie Swimming Pool will be opening soon, giving the people of Clatskanie the perfect way to cool off this summer. The pool is slated to open June 26 and is located at 346 NE 5th Street. This summer will be the pool’s second year fully operational since the COVID pandemic hit. “Last year was the first year since discovering the catastrophic pool leak in 2018 and then COVID that we had a fully operational swimming pool with a full lesson and open swim schedule, as well as a full lifeguard staff,” said Parks & Recreation Administrator Cyndi Warren. The pool has had its fair share of challenges over the past five years. Warren said that some of the biggest challenges were the barriers with the renovation and COVID interruptions with staffing. Training lifeguards and finding a permanent pool manager have been an issue. In the interim,
Warren has taken on managing the pool. The renovations include resurfacing the deck, resurfacing and repainting the pool, and replacing the old tile gutter system with a stainless steel gutter system. The wading pool was replaced with a splash pad, and multiple pool piping issues were addressed, including failures, potential failures, and existing leaks. Warren said that this year, if all goes according to plan, they will have a lifeguard staff of 20, with at least one assistant manager and the interim pool manager. Some of the programs the pool and Parks and Rec have to offer are: Programs: • Water exercise and lap swim. • Swim lessons from infants to teenagers • Open Swims • Movie in the Park (which is
See POOL Page A7
Clatskanie Food Hub enjoys exciting start Obituaries ................. A3 Opinions ................... A4 Classified Ads ......... A5 Legals ....................... A5 Crossword ............... A6 Sports ....................... A8 Graduation ............... A8
Contact The Chief Phone: 503-397-0116 Fax: 503-397-4093 chiefnews@countrymedia.net 1805 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051
WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
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he Clatskanie Food Hub has officially opened, and people in Clatskanie now have access to locally sourced food and products year-round. A “vegtable cutting ceremony” was held at the Clatskanie Food Hub on June 8 to symbolize the grand opening of the new local grocery store. The food hub is a branch of the non-profit Clatskanie Food Market. More than 30 people awaited the market’s doors opening, and the ceremony preceded a night of celebration and festivities. Brandon Schilling and Jasmine Lillich, the driving forces behind the project, welcomed the waiting shoppers into the newly finished space. When asked how she was feeling following the grand opening, Lillich said she was “exhausted, and exhilarated.” “[We’re] so happy that so many people have showed up so far, and yeah, just encouraging everybody else to show up because we have a whole walk-in full of food,” Lillich said. On opening day, shoppers had
access to various locally supplied meats, vegetables, bread, beverages, and natural personal-use products like soaps and deodorants, among others. Shoppers explored the walkin market component of the store before exploring the rest of the food hub space, which includes a large classroom and kitchen space. The opening weekend was a resounding success, according to Lillich. The store sold $6,300 of local food to about 242 customers in their first four days after opening. The food hub runs on a consignment model that sees the product producers take 80 percent of the proceeds while the food hub receives 20 percent to support operating costs. Lillich said they have already filled some wholesale orders as well. “We were able to supply a couple wholesale vegetable orders for Colvins, Flowers N Fluff, and Chef Courts food truck early this week,” Lillich said. What’s in store In the coming weeks and months, Lillich said they would
See HUB Page A7
Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.
Brandon Schilling, Candy Uskoski, and Jasmine Lillich performing the vegetable cutting.