Cowlitz County awards $3.20 million for local infrastructure projects; OKs $121,000 dredge‑use study

Cowlitz County commissioners approved $3,202,003 in rural public facilities awards and separately approved a $121,000 study of beneficial uses for dredged sediment during a public meeting where municipal and district officials presented project proposals.

The funding decision moves forward water‑system and public‑safety projects across the county, including a requested $550,000 for a Castle Rock water‑main extension, $50,000 toward a fire‑training facility for Cowlitz County Fire District 5, a $500,000 contribution to the City of Kalama’s water treatment plant expansion, and $500,000 for Port of Longview rail capacity work in 2025 (with a recommended second $500,000 disbursement in 2026). The board also approved a $300,000 grant to Cowlitz County Fire District 2 for the Rose Valley station upgrade and included a three‑year, $115,000‑per‑year personnel contract for the Cowlitz Economic Development Council in the award package.

Why it matters: commissioners and applicants said the awards target capacity gaps that limit industrial growth, emergency response readiness and long‑term community development. County staff recommended taking the package as a group because the total requested roughly matched available rural public facility funds for the year; the dredge‑materials feasibility study was recommended to be funded from interest income rather than the Rural Public Facilities Fund.

Key allocations and project summaries - Castle Rock, SR‑411 water main extension (request: $550,000). Tyler Stone, public works senior operator for the City of Castle Rock, said the 1,800‑foot, 12‑inch extension would serve about 89 acres inside city limits (63 acres planned for development), provide required fire flow and enable businesses such as Sound Precast to expand. The city’s engineer gave an opinion of probable cost of $959,000; Castle Rock said in‑house labor could reduce that and the city requested $550,000. The project…