Goldendale council moves to meet CDBG requirements after library elevator grant awarded

Goldendale city leaders opened a public hearing on a Community Development Block Grant applied for on behalf of the Goldendale Community Library, and later adopted a grievance procedure required by the CDBG program to keep the city eligible to administer the award. The council was told the library building is a 1915 Carnegie library listed on the National Register of Historic Places and that the city retains ownership while Fort Vancouver Regional Library operates the facility under a 1973 lease.

The hearing clarified that the elevator — a three‑story building feature critical for disabled access — is more than 40 years old and must be replaced. Council members asked about project costs and grant amounts; staff explained the elevator replacement was projected to cost about $200,000 and that the grant amount discussed in the hearing packet was roughly $221,000, with the difference covering administrative and grant‑related fees the city would collect to manage the project. The hearing also included information that adopting a formal block grant grievance procedure is a condition of participation in the CDBG program.

Adoption of the grievance procedure was presented to council as Resolution 754; the resolution text had been prepared by the city attorney and was included in the meeting packet. A motion and second were made, an objection was recorded during the voice vote, and the council proceeded after the vote. City staff stated that the hearing represented one of the final procedural steps for accessing the awarded funds.

The council did not specify a construction timeline or a contractor at the hearing; next steps described by staff include finalizing grant paperwork and moving toward procurement and project scheduling once administrative tasks are complete. The city will collect the stated administrative fees tied to grant management and will publish the grievance procedure as required by CDBG administration.