The Goldendale City Council on second reading adopted Ordinance 15-49, establishing the city's fiscal-year 2026 budget, and moved on to other business including an ordinance to set fees at the Goldendale Municipal Airport and a consultant contract to update the city's critical areas ordinance.

The council voted to adopt Ordinance 15-49 during its second reading after no changes were made to the draft. The motion to adopt was moved and seconded and passed with council members recording affirming votes; the minute record shows the motion carried.

The council also reviewed Ordinance 15-50, which establishes rates and charges for the Goldendale Municipal Airport. Members discussed the ordinance's effective-date language and noted a stray reference to a missing "section 4" in the draft. Councilors approved the ordinance with a conditional motion: staff and the city attorney will confirm whether a required section is absent (in which case the item will be tabled) or whether the reference is clerical and can be corrected without returning the item to council.

Council authorized a professional services agreement with Fawcett Northwest to assist the city in updating its critical areas ordinance. The agreement shown in the meeting materials is set to take effect on 12/01/2025 and run through 12/31/2026, with compensation not to exceed $20,509. "This agreement shall take effect on 12/01/2025 through 12/31/2026 with the compensation rate not to exceed $20,509," the mayor (unnamed) read during the discussion.

All three items were advanced by motion and recorded as passed in the meeting minutes; the meeting record includes at least one recorded "Aye" vote for each motion, and each item was carried forward for implementation or clerical follow-up by staff.

What happens next: City staff will confirm the airport ordinance's section references with the city attorney and proceed with either a clerical correction or return the ordinance to a future meeting if a substantive section is missing. Fawcett Northwest is authorized to begin work following contract execution and the budget will take effect as adopted.