Mayor outlines legislative priorities, Phase IIA water open house and service changes; trustee voices concern over library plan
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Summary
Mayor Marla Keethler told the council about state‑level outreach on road funding, announced a Feb. 24 open house for Phase IIA water work with expected traffic impacts, confirmed a vehicle licensing fee effective date, and relayed a trustee’s warning about proposed changes to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library strategic plan.
Mayor Marla Keethler used the Jan. 21 White Salmon City Council meeting to summarize recent legislative outreach and several city updates.
Keethler and Councilmember Doug Rainbolt reported attending City Action Days in Olympia, where they met with Sen. Paul Harris and Sen. Curtis King to press the city’s legislative priorities. Keethler said one priority is securing funding to restart the State Route 141 washout project; she also credited support for a $1 million grant for the Bluff Trail and noted continuing coordination on the Bingen underpass.
Keethler announced a community open house for the Phase IIA water infrastructure project on Feb. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m., warning the public that construction starting in spring could create traffic delays along State Route 14 and north toward Trout Lake. She said contractor mobilization is expected in mid‑February, with construction anticipated to begin in March and conclude by July.
On finance, Keethler said the Department of Licensing confirmed the effective date of a Transportation Benefit District vehicle licensing fee as Sept. 1, 2023, ensuring the city receives the full intended duration of revenue.
Keethler also addressed disruption to recycling service and the change to Monday collection on an A–D week cycle, acknowledging resident frustration and saying the city expects service to stabilize in February 2026.
On a regional governance matter, Keethler shared a summarized statement from Fort Vancouver Regional Library Trustee Mary Williams. Williams warned that efforts to remove or weaken language addressing equity and intellectual freedom from the system’s strategic plan “undermine the mission, values, and public responsibility of the library system,” and urged community engagement ahead of the trustees’ Jan. 26 meeting.
Keethler encouraged residents to attend the Phase IIA open house and to follow trustee materials on FVRL.org for more information on the library strategic plan discussion. The mayor did not request council action on these items at the Jan. 21 meeting.