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Residents urge action on water affordability, downtown parking and ADA access
Summary
During public comment residents raised concerns about rising water bills, trucks blocking Main Street sidewalks and downtown outdoor dining blocking ADA passage; staff said the city has no plans to sell water to data centers and will follow up on ADA permit practices.
Several residents used the public-comment period to raise quality-of-life concerns for Goldendale. Larry Parker described two large pickup trucks parked on opposite sides of Main Street that narrowed the travel lane and partially blocked the sidewalk, and asked the council to consider signage or other measures to prevent oversized vehicles from obstructing downtown pedestrian routes.
Ken McKeown, a long-time resident, questioned claims that Community Days was the "100th," urged council attention to water rates that many seniors find unaffordable and warned of increased fire danger from dry yards. "Nobody can afford the water anyway," McKeown said, adding that even with a senior discount his bill was difficult to pay. The mayor replied there were no plans to sell the city's water to data centers and staff noted RCAC and other resources could provide support for revisiting rate studies. Councilors directed staff to follow up on parking enforcement, ADA access for temporary outdoor dining, and to consider options for further rate-study review.
