Commissioners award $3.2 million for rural public facilities projects; $121,000 approved for dredge‑materials study

Cowlitz County commissioners on an application vote approved $3,202,003 from the county’s rural public facilities fund to support eight local infrastructure projects and separately approved $121,000 from interest income for a regional study on beneficial uses of dredged and sediment materials.

The funding package approved at the hearing covers a mix of water‑system expansions, public safety training and facilities, port rail improvements and community amenities. Kathy McPherson, Cowlitz County finance director, introduced the session and walked commissioners through the list of applications.

Why it matters: the awards target projects county officials said are intended to remove infrastructure bottlenecks that limit business expansion, improve emergency response capabilities in under‑served areas, and support freight and port operations that serve regional employers.

Most prominent requests included a $550,000 ask from the City of Castle Rock to extend 1,800 feet of 12‑inch water main along State Route 411, a $500,000 request from the City of Kalama to expand drinking‑water treatment capacity, $1,000,000 (split $500,000 in 2025 and $500,000 in 2026) toward a $4.5 million Port of Longview North Rail capacity addition, and a $300,000 grant recommended for Cowlitz County Fire District 2 to add on‑site housing at Rose Valley Fire Station.

City of Castle Rock: Tyler Stone, public works senior operator for the City of Castle Rock, said one quadrant of the city lacks public water and that the SR‑411 extension would serve 89 acres inside the city limits, including 63 acres planned for development under the Castle Rock Park master plan. Stone said the extension would provide fire‑flow capacity for existing and proposed…