Cowlitz County commissioners approved several public‑works contract supplements and moved forward on federal funding for a road improvement project, then certified two property-tax levies for 2026.

County Engineer Susan Eugeneus outlined a set of consulting and construction‑phase supplements. The board approved a supplemental agreement to the county's on‑call geotechnical contract (extending capacity and effectively doubling the not-to-exceed from $300,000 to $600,000 to cover emergency response and additional task orders) and a $100,000 supplement to the engineer's contract with OTEC Incorporated for construction‑phase services on the Allender Road bridge replacement, extending the term through December 2027. Eugeneus also presented a local‑agency federal‑aid prospectus for Coal Creek Road improvements covering Milepost 1.44 to 2; project design and construction were estimated at $3,600,000, with preliminary engineering and right‑of‑way phases estimated at just under $500,000.

Each supplement and the Coal Creek prospectus was moved, seconded and approved; votes were recorded as in favor. The chair noted routine contract updates at year‑end for public‑works vendors and explained that many public‑works items are extensions or added funds on continuing projects.

After the contract approvals, Finance Director Cathy Funk Baxter presented two separate resolutions to certify the 2026 levies. Baxter said both the general fund levy and the road levy carried a 0% increase over last year but did include amounts for new construction and the administrative refund levy. The general fund levy was presented as $21,000,002.74 including a refund levy of $79,020; the road levy amount was presented as $14,692,870 including a refund amount of $51,028. The board opened the public hearing, heard no public testimony and voted to certify both levies.

Next steps: construction contracts for Allender Road will be presented for award in a forthcoming meeting and staff will proceed with obligations for the Coal Creek preliminary engineering phase once federal funding is finalized.