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 industrial and commercial sites and cited one local business, Soundprecast LLC, whose expansion plans were limited by current well capacity. Stone said, “Installing 1,800 feet of a 12 inches water main along SR 411 would resolve these challenges.” The city requested $550,000; the project team estimated design and permitting would begin immediately if funded, WSDOT permitting would be completed in October 2025, construction would begin in March 2026, and the main would be operational by November 2026.

Cowlitz County Fire District 5: Vic Letso (presentation) requested $50,000 toward a training‑facility pad and prop structure at the district’s training site on Todd Road. Letso said the initial phase would provide a containerized prop structure and that live‑fire training would be part of a later phase. He estimated the project would create short‑term construction work and increase training capacity for the district and partner agencies.

City of Kalama: Adam Smee, Kalama city administrator, requested $500,000 toward a project that would increase the drinking‑water plant’s production capacity by about 50 percent. Smee said the plant, built in 2021 with a 20‑year loan, currently runs one or two 900‑gallons‑per‑minute filters depending on season; adding a third filter would increase capacity to roughly 2,700 gpm. He said the plant serves a 44‑square‑mile water service area that includes substantial outside‑city industrial demand and that the site is constrained by shoreline and reservoir footprint.

Port of Longview: Jennifer Brown, chief administrative and finance officer at the Port of Longview, described a North Rail expansion project that would add about 4,800 feet of new track and make utility and stormwater realignments to support redevelopment of a vacant berth. The port requested $500,000 for 2025 and $500,000 for 2026 to help fund a $4.5 million project. Brown said construction is expected to start this fall and finish in 2026.

City of Longview — Minute Valley Pro Shop: A city representative described planned roof and siding replacement at a municipal golf facility and reported the course had increased enterprise revenues from about $700,000 to $1.8 million after the city took over operations in 2019. The transcript contains inconsistent dollar figures for the request and total project; the application text in the record lists the request and total as “$4,450,000” and “$450,000” respectively. That inconsistency was not resolved on the record and is noted below.

Cowlitz County Fire District 2 — Rose Valley Station: Scott Goldstein, fire chief, described plans to place a roughly 1,200‑square‑foot manufactured home adjacent to Fire Station 4 in Rose Valley to provide sleeping, kitchen and bathroom facilities and enable 24/7 staffing. Goldstein said the station’s existing building lacked sufficient living facilities and that the district recently recruited volunteers who live in the valley. The district initially requested a combination loan and grant but the county finance director recommended and the commissioners approved a $300,000 grant in lieu of loan.

Cowlitz Economic Development Council (EDC): Ted Sprague, EDC president, requested $115,000 per year for three years to support personnel costs for the EDC office. Sprague said state Department of Commerce funding may be cut and that the EDC’s per‑capita funding is substantially lower than peer counties; he asked for a three‑year contract with a 3 percent annual cost‑of‑living adjustment. Commissioners included the three‑year EDC award in the approved total.

Dredge‑materials study: Bill (presentation) and Sam Shogren described a proposed study to analyze the chemical and physical properties of dredged and sediment materials stockpiled around the county and to identify potential beneficial uses (concrete aggregate, glass feedstock, landscape fill, etc.). The project requested $121,000 from interest income in the rural public facilities fund because feasibility studies do not qualify for the main rural project fund. The commissioners approved that separate request in a second motion.

Votes at a glance: Commissioners moved approval of the full slate of rural public‑facilities awards totaling $3,202,003 and called for a vote. Commissioners recorded three affirming votes for that motion on the audio record. A separate motion to fund the beneficial‑use dredge study for $121,000 from interest income passed after a recorded voice vote that included multiple “Aye” responses and at least one expressed opposition on the record.

Next steps: County staff will draft and return contracts reflecting the award amounts and any special conditions; the finance director said applicants will see contract documents before final disbursement. Commissioners and applicants identified permitting, design completion and contractor procurement as the main near‑term milestones for several projects.

Provenance (selected): the rural public facilities agenda was opened by county staff and described as “rural public facility funds applications,” applicants’ presentations and project specifics appear in the record beginning with the Castle Rock presentation, and the two formal motions and recorded votes appear at the end of the item.