[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6182122,"mediaKeyId","5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104","parentId",5109613,"title","Courts to use commissioners' hearing rooms on Fridays during Hall of Justice outage; cafe pilot to return results later","audioSeconds",350,"startMs",4617000,"endMs",4967000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104&start=4617&end=4967","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104/thumbnail_4617000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6182122/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Courts-to-use-commissioners-hearing-rooms-on-Fridays-during-Hall-of-Justice-outage-cafe-pilot-to-return-results-later","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6182122-c82c6e60c5d7ff343ad917ad8e908e87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153673&Signature=Ut252dOz8lRYCIBTMzmmFmD~UvZ4X23S9urtozoKFXGD-TiqNplbdAhBKMXWtd7piHMYp6rxOVOhVsksz96E1oeiejccIz7sEf47nYgQskSYrcdfmOS-RnYYhjb0HgzIue4tbcblsP1CwXaEWEOMjcyE0gFEu15nrNt5MJwSHYgXsG2vsZFZE3UXdJ9IIaYw49SCDVjZP1iv9nGJp8UwekjIJNIF0VHiUVaFu2g0gcZk5qKNQCU1Hx8Yg47LnySUkXlHwJxZ-ymlcYiMaGO3WG1PMmt8DXTMOGMdSkx1O~BCkAgWs3DWwvxAyxYHOY-JU57n-1xQJdzukwwb-M~nGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cowlitz County Commissioners, Washington","date","2025-06-30T18:49:16Z","article","County staff asked the Board of Commissioners Monday to allow the superior and district courts to use the commissioners' hearing room and the general meeting room on Fridays beginning mid-August while the courts manage operations related to a Hall of Justice power outage and facility work.

\"We're asking that the board allow both superior court and district court the ability to use the commissioner's hearing room, so this room, as well as the general meeting room, for Friday court services,\" Savannah Clement, public services, said at the meeting. She said the request was being presented publicly because the change could affect public access and room availability.

Court staff explained the need is driven by court processing obligations after long holiday weekends and a potential Labor Day power outage; courts would use the spaces for limited dockets such as jail dockets and protection-order hearings. Staff described planned security measures including rented baggage scanners, metal detectors and sheriff's court-security staffing. \"We have the ability to cut that down to one docket,\" a superior-court representative said regarding protection orders, while staff said they would coordinate specific hours and security routing to minimize public disruption.

Separately, staff reported on the Hall of Justice cafe pilot, which opened in April. The cafe's early months showed roughly even cash and card transactions; startup costs included equipment rental and temporary staffing. Staff said they plan a workshop and a pilot evaluation after about six months to discuss whether to continue the program and whether to purchase equipment rather than rent it.

The board did not object to the courts' request; staff said they will return with detailed security plans and a schedule for workshops and vendor presentations related to facility changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Monday Business Meeting - 06.30.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superior and district courts asked to use the commissioners' hearing room and the general meeting room on Fridays while Hall of Justice power and space issues persist; staff also reported the Hall of Justice cafe pilot is operating and staff will return with a pilot evaluation and recommended hours/equipment purchases.","taxTitle","Cowlitz County, Washington","taxId",5122,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6182127,"Sheriff: Longview will lead multijurisdictional RFP for animal control and sheltering; Kalama not yet signed on",93,4317000,4410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104&start=4317&end=4410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104/thumbnail_4317000.jpg","/articles/6182127/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Sheriff-Longview-will-lead-multijurisdictional-RFP-for-animal-control-and-sheltering-Kalama-not-yet-signed-on","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6182127-c08593e16333b08d287a82f9b5c545d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153673&Signature=Uri3mLQcQEhrTUrF5kC7G3rTSWGQjut1q9rUVbUBsqsUGFdED-~RRNkHjmMf8fU9AbSYG7AvRbLkTxupt43TMuhA6SmRdbypM6h0i-Qo5lQgEEyqFbfgo~d8QQAMbwc~b0DnoI3EPLfXt0IWqJUQKCGQybZsG4dcv30yi57VLC0cMIA4XvHKj3pbc1ffT1ddsXAlykOJH~Bq437RclsvqxnTIb8MSpMjG3bWeDxel-tDyG-Omfa1jMNiZq8ZVAeS-AOt-m1N3c89qgdjucggYqYdCS3p0ec08Skt4LvPTsjcdtay6fEcra1cb38-eWRcvuyFhX72ZrRsFzs4grzF5w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County's sheriff told commissioners Monday that the city of Longview will lead a multijurisdictional request for proposals for animal control and animal sheltering services, and that four cities and the county are joining the effort while the city of Kalama had not yet signed on.

\"Longview is taking the lead on this and just in the process of getting all the entities to sign on board and then, work towards issuing an RFP on that,\" the sheriff said in the meeting. He described two distinct sections of the solicitation: animal sheltering and animal control.

The sheriff told commissioners that all participating jurisdictions except Kalama had been involved in preliminary meetings and that staff expected the interlocal agreement (ILA) to be signed by those entities that choose to participate. \"Whoever agrees to sign on, they'll go forward then with a RFP,\" he said.

Commissioners and the sheriff agreed the joint procurement could streamline services across jurisdictions and allow vendors to propose consolidated solutions for sheltering and field enforcement. No final vendor selection or contract award was made during the meeting; Longview will proceed as the lead on the procurement process and bring results to participating jurisdictions for consideration.","The Cowlitz County sheriff said Longview will lead a joint request-for-proposal process among the county and participating cities to identify animal-control and sheltering providers; several cities are signing an interlocal agreement and Calama has not committed, the sheriff said.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6182132,"Commissioners question $125,000 budget for general-fund vehicle replacement as county remains largely self-insured",120,1678000,1798000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104&start=1678&end=1798","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104/thumbnail_1678000.jpg","/articles/6182132/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Commissioners-question-125000-budget-for-general-fund-vehicle-replacement-as-county-remains-largely-self-insured","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6182132-5e6cc85960ad76552cdf0d40a498794c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153673&Signature=hJ0xdB5BGvUndxiBPjvnn76riA6uCOr-Ec1ugL-804U3n0UaF5AjQKOPVGA5wOI9YS3wCrhlFvuTiEBcT~fQ6kOHnDMwf658xzXVvQuv7zj90BwYJxBFvogat~finvvl2FwpSWMRDSIeHnXWyuuqyHigZ2paQZjUCrirMMXcCxS43-5FTcsgRgIeFpA7D0N1vayzXPQJ73TgRWA7q4Q~jDrYtyHkPBj3kGuRzgoDTkgf2~qtFy13vFyWa8eLq9-iqmEXSeUE6tp3Hl8nUPHPuNOIh5CinRmO4ikudzO5xnrSfG7ntdpnlanKN1t~04gGOnvhQ7F7-vwFWjq0TzkyAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioners pressed county finance and public-works staff Monday over whether the $125,000 budgeted for general-fund vehicle replacement and collision repairs is adequate given the sheriff's fleet's size and replacement cost.

\"It seems like an awful light number considering the value of a sheriff's vehicle,\" a commissioner said during the session. Sean Roe, a Public Works presenter, said the line historically covers collision repair costs and that the sheriff's office is the primary user of that fund.

\"Historically, this has been used for collision repair, usually related to the sheriff's office,\" Roe said. He said smaller departments seldom use the fund and that the county has, in prior years, depleted the account and made up the difference from vehicle reserves and internal allocations. Roe described repair examples ranging from $15,000 structural repairs to full vehicle replacement costs.

Staff and commissioners discussed whether commercial collision coverage could be purchased instead of the current self-insured approach; staff said the county's risk pool does not provide comprehensive collision coverage for sheriff vehicles and that the sheriff fleet is classified as high risk. County staff agreed to explore alternatives with the county's insurance broker and to bring a more detailed analysis back to the board.

No formal policy change or appropriation was made at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to return with options, including cost comparisons of purchasing coverage versus continuing the current approach.","County staff told commissioners the $125,000 capital placeholder for general-fund vehicle replacement is historically small but has been used for collision repairs, frequently for sheriff's vehicles; commissioners urged staff to evaluate insurance alternatives and discuss with brokers.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6182137,"County official: state law limits franchise fees to telecom (cable) services; county collects Comcast cable fee",68,1076000,1144000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104&start=1076&end=1144","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104/thumbnail_1076000.jpg","/articles/6182137/Cowlitz-County/Washington/County-official-state-law-limits-franchise-fees-to-telecom-cable-services-county-collects-Comcast-cable-fee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6182137-0e033ecfb923c85217e63bcc21cf1bec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153673&Signature=Rv5Km3WpT4chKxsV4MnyJPnVIbAys3wcMiXRn1~PlouheWl7H4v1oXwXsp2qsiWhfBWebTVQOYEbHJ7q7JS~NzdB8uZrcIHxBdhG1~TD8~OtnWWDepD5fmtGzJMstcOBRahzKqrW7kru5Ja0~MhgG5oWfXjdv0KnQ48f81iuYPGDG88VXC6Exsjwshnq8UTIyhffmQk1wjCcjwqKFoudDtA5paqWOGPuzrSeYkzNOKXcV8Nv7knQu90ghPRR9tE2TyxcYBxb42Soisl0eYx9M8GfAjQ2njMoIFxHNPRkZn4ls3dUEBh63-hDO-W8ECnn8chcvf5JRuia48zZZG4Csg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County staff told the Board of Commissioners Monday that the county's recurring franchise-fee line of revenue consists primarily of Comcast cable franchise payments and that state law constrains which franchise fees counties may collect.

\"Annual franchise fees, the only ones we can collect from is telecoms,\" County Engineer Susan Eugenus said in response to commissioner questions. She described limits on what the county can collect outside of cable franchise fees, noting that fees tied to franchise renewals typically cover advertising and the county's attorney costs rather than an ongoing rent for use of county easements.

Eugenus said the county had reviewed a recent court decision involving King County and a special-purpose district; the ruling altered which franchise-related fees could be awarded in that case. \"There is a more recent court case, that Doug has discussed with us that King County brought against a special per purpose district, where they were awarded particular franchise fees,\" she said, adding the county's current practice only collects telecom franchise fees and limited renewal-related recoverable costs.

Commissioners asked whether the Comcast franchise fee was the only recurring item captured in the licenses and permits line; staff confirmed Comcast was the only current recurring franchise payer in the county's accounts. The discussion also included an offer to schedule a focused Wednesday workshop to review franchise policy, current franchise agreements, and potential changes.

The county did not propose immediate changes to franchise policy at Monday's meeting; staff offered to return with a more detailed franchise discussion and a list of existing franchise agreements.","Cowlitz County's building and public-works staff told commissioners that, under state law as they interpret it, only telecommunications/cable franchise fees may be collected regularly as franchise fees and that other franchise-like charges for use of rights-of-way are not currently captured as ongoing rent revenue.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6182142,"Cowlitz County finance officials say motor-vehicle fuel tax deposits delayed; Cloverdale, other capital projects pushed later in year",3119,752000,3871000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104&start=752&end=3871","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5109613-20f1d78428f2915226e0625ba5f1f104/thumbnail_752000.jpg","/articles/6182142/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Cowlitz-County-finance-officials-say-motor-vehicle-fuel-tax-deposits-delayed-Cloverdale-other-capital-projects-pushed-later-in-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6182142-ae6ff0e49dc4d25d5f8a9e6e42d201ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153673&Signature=oInVgc6nCaoAgXdONTryDzTlvwBX~Dj-Bz8w3n-ewHmcdjbdPDNchDIHbuIhhUDD0hHEVxCy8~dJBLjzVcsQtzVQ4HVMG8cOQq0mLSlDa4LGWZn2CQxN-SnXAFybISq7KWy3OHd9NAbczh7HRyqhyTpyhj4mmNkHMUl6zH~x~5ct9IiDG5KrZuaY12OMJAL2QATDodovX3KNEfJBQeQxgOiMHQ5h24TQw4Kfy9NOJfhZ1G1NhPgBoKndd1oaPmai~8p38NWbX9bfAhEYGqXQZbxFG5D2YaP0uX7h--dOC2Xu9qrdrxTAsKnyDMaJG5QKAC2PuVLxDKcV0koFeIm7-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Cowlitz County finance staff told the Board of Commissioners Monday that deposits of motor-vehicle fuel tax (MVFT) from the state have been inconsistent and roughly half of expected amounts have been received so far this year, reducing near-term revenue for the county's road fund.

\"The state is having system issues. So they've been depositing roughly half of our motor vehicle fuel tax revenue,\" Susie, finance manager, said during the board's budget review. She added, \"So we should see a large increase in that revenue stream once those issues have been corrected.\"

County budget documents presented at the meeting show the road fund was budgeted for $15,700,000 in taxes; about $8.8 million had been collected at the time of the presentation. Intergovernmental revenues were budgeted at $20.3 million, with roughly $2.0 million received; staff said a large share of that line is grant reimbursements tied to capital projects.

The board heard that several planned capital projects have slipped. County Engineer Susan Eugenus said the Cloverdale project was originally scheduled to start in April but was delayed; the county expected to award and execute the contract in the coming week. Staff also identified Tower Road Bridal and Dyke Road as projects pushed into future years or contingent on permits.

Staff emphasized that the county's beginning unreserved road fund balance—about $17.3 million—is largely earmarked for projects and match requirements, including ARPA funds used previously to match grants. \"Her plan does spend all those funds down to a nice balance at the end of the year,\" one presenter said, while noting projects often encounter delays that push spending into later months.

Multiple road-related contract actions were reported on the agenda. Public Works staff said WSDOT-required corrections produced a $753.23 contract deduct on the Delamita Road culvert replacement supplemental agreement; the county planned to execute a contract award for countywide striping (All Stripes) and a South Cloverdale Road improvements contract that had been awarded on June 3. A separate bid award for rock material delivery to the headquarters landfill was listed to Veil Stordahl & Sons, and a countywide delineator project bid award went to Pavement Surface Controls, paid with Highway Safety Improvement Program grants.

Staff told commissioners they expect many road fund expense lines to ramp up in late summer and fall—chip-seal aggregate and oil purchases, quarterly ER&R internal charges, and overlay programs were cited as large near-term lines. Given the timing of property tax receipts (first-half in April, second-half in October) and delayed receipts from the state, staff said the county typically maintains a $7–9 million year-end target balance for cash-flow purposes.

The board did not take a final vote on new appropriations during the presentation; staff said they plan a more detailed update in a July workshop to reconcile project timing, FEMA small-project receipts, and the six-year plan once design and contracting steps advance.","County finance staff told the Board of Commissioners that state deposit errors have cut motor-vehicle fuel tax receipts roughly in half so far this year, and that several road capital projects including Cloverdale have been delayed into later quarters, increasing reliance on fund balances and grant reimbursements.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Courts to use commissioners' hearing rooms on Fridays during Hall of Justice outage; cafe pilot to return results later

Sheriff: Longview will lead multijurisdictional RFP for animal control and sheltering; Kalama not yet signed on

Commissioners question $125,000 budget for general-fund vehicle replacement as county remains largely self-insured

County official: state law limits franchise fees to telecom (cable) services; county collects Comcast cable fee

Cowlitz County finance officials say motor-vehicle fuel tax deposits delayed; Cloverdale, other capital projects pushed later in year