College Place expands utility-discount eligibility and details water, park and downtown projects

College Place City Administrator Mike Riztello delivered a late-January 2025 project update that described recent City Council actions and a slate of infrastructure, park and downtown redevelopment projects planned for 2025–26.

Riztello said the council, at its Jan. 14 meeting, adopted changes to the city’s utility code that expand utility-discount eligibility from households at 125% of the federal poverty level to 150% and extend eligibility to people with disabilities. He also said the council adopted a 2025–2035 strategic plan at its last meeting and that staff are moving forward on multiple grant-funded studies and construction contracts.

The utility-discount change takes effect for customers who complete screening through Blue Mountain Action Council, Riztello said. "They do all the screening. They also do the screening for a lot of our utility partners such as Pacific Power [and] Cascade Natural Gas," he said, calling the agency "a one-stop shop for everyone." Residents seeking the discount can contact Blue Mountain Action Council online or by phone; Riztello noted the group’s office is on Second Avenue near the Marcus Whitman Hotel.

Riztello described several near-term and ongoing capital…