Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning And Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears parks-plan progress, delays on Darling Street and a push to revisit urban growth boundary
Summary
City staff briefed the council that Darling Street work is paused over storm-drain supply delays, the comprehensive parks plan is near completion with engineering underway for accessibility improvements at Econy Park, and councilmembers asked public works to reexamine the urban growth boundary.
City Administrator Sandy Wells told the council the Darling Street project is on hold because of supply-chain delays for storm-drain materials. Wells also announced a councilwide budget workshop planned for Tuesday the 14th at 6:00 p.m. (start around 6:15 p.m.) and said she would email and place printed packets in council boxes before the workshop.
Sandy Wells reported that the comprehensive parks plan is nearly complete and that the city holds a Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) planning grant for engineering work at Econy Park. An engineer is preparing design and cost estimates for four items, including a shaded picnic area and accessible paths to the gazebo to address handicap accessibility that arose during public input. Wells said having engineered plans will help the city pursue future grants and corporate funding for construction.
Councilmember Steve Johnston urged the council to reexamine the city's urban growth boundary (UGB) and annexation prospects, saying nearby developments and service provision argue for updated mapping and discussion. Johnston asked public works to bring forward maps showing the current boundary, potential target areas and service implications. The council discussed prior limits tied to available land within the current urban growth area and noted that water, sewer and road service availability and the county planning department's rules will affect annexation feasibility. Councilmembers said they would raise the topic with Klickitat County planning staff during an upcoming meeting.
Councilmember Dale Wheeler reminded councilmembers that the parks plan and engineered items are intended to position the city competitively for grants and recommended wrapping up the parks plan before November so staff can begin grant applications for early 2026 funding cycles.
Ending: Staff will circulate the budget-workshop packet, continue engineering work paid through the RCO planning grant and bring updated UGB maps and county-coordination notes to council or public-works staff for further discussion.
