Kudos to WS City Council for Posting Meetings Minutes

Thank you guys. This makes it much easier for us folks to participate and stay informed. You have promised the draft minutes be posted within 4 working days. What will Jesse have to report on? wink wink.
You have also posted the agendas. No more trips to the post office to wade through the announcements on the wall. Just notice the date on the list, cause they have the previous year up too. SEE THE DIRECT LINKS ON THIS PAGE TO THE RIGHT. For you convenience.

HOW ABOUT POSTING THE PLANNING AND COUNCIL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS TOO, since the agendas often aren't put out until quite late.

We also notice that WILL KEYSER is still listed as the Planning Director. Is this a fact? How about putting the current commissioners on the city website as well?

Postpone the August 9 Hearing on the BZ-Husum Sub-Plan!

We need to have the Klickitat County Commissioners and the planners present an INFORMATIONAL meeting to the public. And do it on the WEST SIDE! We need to slow down the process to get the needed environmental, traffic, economic and water studies done before a change of this magnitude goes through. Let the people help the county and the Husum Community Council achieve a plan that will not go to court and/or be sent back to them. The plan has been more or less continuously under revision or litigation since 1986, apparently. It's time for people to work together on a plan that will stick.

PLEASE CALL AND FAX the Husum Community Council and the Klickitat County Commisioners and request a POSTPONEMENT OF THE AUGUST 9 HEARING in Goldendale.

County Commissioners
Donald G Struck District 1
David Sauter District 2
Ray Thayer District 3

205 S Columbus,MS-CH-4Goldendale, WA 98620
Fax: 509 773-6779 Phone: 509 773-4612
Email: bocc@co.klickitat.wa.us

Husum Community Council:
Jerry Smith, 493-1934. (Chairman).
Bill Anderson, 493-3022.
Billy Gross, 493-4970.
George Mersereau, 493-2590
Jim Fritchey, 493-3175.
Jim Rhodes?

More on White Salmon Town Hall Meetings: Why Didn't Councilors Come?

Anonymous sent this to the editors:

I have been waiting for someone to refute the following: "The problem with more council members showing up as opposed to just Ricky is that you end up (by law I believe) having a council meeting and must adhere to their procedures, of which is what I assume you guys were trying to get away from. So really, in t

he interest of free flowing exchanges of idea, wasn't it best for you that none of the other council members showed up? But again I am not sure what your CONCERNS are, other than not being heard.........that means there are issues you want the council to hear and those issues are what I am trying to get from you."

But no one has. First a town hall meeting as advertised for discussion (no decision making) and is allowable for everyone to attend. Hog wash on all this bull.... from the city attorney about no more than 2 councilors at a time or it is a meeting. No, decision making was not a part of the process. Check with other authorities such as MRSC, and other local attorneys. Do you not believe that this was researched before the meeting was called? Relying on "the attorney's advice" is a remark the council members need to remove from their vocabulary and begin to think for themselves. Perhaps the city could be in better shape than it is, financially, comprehensive plan, (now years out of date) zoning wise, water hookups, (they'll sue, the lawyers that violated the codes in the first place) short plates, variances, and yes, the police situation that is yet to be decided.

Second, special to this remark, "interest of free flowing exchanges of idea, wasn't it best for you that none of the other council members showed up?" The answer is NO. Council members needed to witness honesty, truth and proper exchange of ideas. Third, what a brush off, "Your Concerns- not being heard-- Get from you?" The councilors elected in 2005 have proven to be a huge disappointment! Thanks, Ricky, I believe your point was made with this latest policy, mandate, whatever it is that will happen at 5 p.m. before the formal council meetings. A rather illogical time. Well, it is a set up for failure with poor planning.

Public Apathy, Developer Wins?

In attending last nights meeting with 80 other people stuffed in to the White Salmon Library, I am hard pressed to think there is public apathy around here. The meeting was to address the Klickitat County's proposal for the Husum-BZ Sub-Area Comprehensive Plan which will allow over time, the transition of some 18,000 acres of Resource Land into residential. With almost no public input. A presentation was organized by The Friends of the White Salmon, among others.

After the meeting, I went to a party and engaged in a conversation with a college professor who has spent 4-5 months of the year in the gorge recreating for the past 20 years. On the topic of citizen participation in the development process vs the developers' interests, he flatly intoned that the developers always win. When I pointed out the huge attendance at this meeting he shrugged, "Its always the landed interests of the developers and builders that get on the commissions and councils. It doesn't matter." In the meantime I'm thinking , well with that attitude, they will win. I don't belive that this public is apathetic, just uninformed. And according to the information given at the meeting last night, it isn't by accident.

My conversation with this fellow highlights of one of the problems. He lives here part of the year. If he lived here all of the year he might have more time and energy to get informed and involved. You might feel you have a bigger stake in your community.That is how your concerns get addressed.

White Salmon City Council Institutes Round Table Meeting Before Each Regular Meeting

In a positive move toward encouraging more citizen participation, the city council has decided to hold round table town hall meetings before each city council meeting. The city council meetings are every first and third Wednesday at 6 pm at the fire hall. The town hall meetings will be at 5 pm and last for 45 minutes. They will be set up in a more informal arrangement than the rather intimidating 'public comment' portion of the regular meetings.

This time frame may be problematic for many of the working public, not to mention the councilors themselves and the public hoping to attend the regular meeting who hope to eat supper first. It also may take some time for folks to be aware of this new opportunity. If this forum is less than well attended we hope that the Mayor and the City Council does not interpret this as apathy. Let us believe this is not a set-up and that this is a gesture in good faith.

In another good gesture, the council voted to have the draft minutes of the last meeting up on the city's web page within 4 working days. A meeting attendee requested they post the upcoming agendas as well. This blog is currently posting the upcoming agendas on the link to the right as well as the council's web page.

Gookin Returns to City Council at Least til November

On a 3-0 vote (Mayor Gaddis doesn't vote), Susan Gookin was returned to city council. Gookin has been on the council before and was beat by Timi Keene two years ago. Graciously, Keene voted her in to fill Susan Benedicts term until November. Benedict still had 2 years left. Leana Johnson interviewed valiantly for the position. Hopefully she will file for the general election. Perhaps all of Gookin's volanteer work on the budget committee was in her favor.

So 3 out of 5 positions PLUS the Mayor are up for vote this November!

Note that ALL terms in White Salmon are 4 years. Seems like a long time for this small town.

Bob Landgren (who owns the nursery on the waterfront) has filed for John Mayo's position.
Dave Poucher (retired forester) has filed to run against Mayor Francis Gaddis (business owner Hood River).
Susan Benedict's (now Gookin's) position will be open. Filing closes July 23.
Ricki Marx's (local roofing business owner) position is open and Susan Gookin (Stevenson computer business owner) has filed for it.

Hard to keep up with it all. If anyone has any updated info, please let us know!

Wyers End...New White Salmon Development

Construction has begun on a unique community designed by architect Ross Chapin, a leader in the cottage development movement. Three blocks from the center of town these new homes will have both river and mountain views. You can see photos of the houses being planned at their website:
http://www.smartdevelopment.com/thebuilding_wyers.cfm
the site plan of the development is at:
http://www.smartdevelopment.com/wyers_siteplan.cfm

Interview for City Council Position 3 Seat City Council This Wednesday

And among other things: water moratorium enforcement provisions to be discussed at City Council Meeting.

The agenda is often posted in the library and in the post office by Friday before the next meeting. We hope they can be posted on the city web site some day.

See the link to the RIGHT ON THIS PAGE (White Salmon City Council Upcoming Agenda) to see where the editors have posted a copy to our webpage.

Public Meeting on 20,000 Acre Husum/BZ Corner Rezoning

Proposed Klickitat County Rezoning would affect 20,000 acres and would make possible hundreds of new homes & hotels & destination resorts lining Hwy 141 from the mouth of the WhiteSalmon River to 3 miles north of BZ Corners.

Are you curious about the impact …?
• on traffic
• of hundreds of new wells and septic tanks
• on fish and wildlife
• on fire danger
• on rafting and recreational use

Please join us for an informational meeting sponsored by the
Concerned Citizens group.

When: NEXT WEDNESDAY, July 25, 7 pm
Where: WHITE SALMON LIBRARY

Questions? Contact Beth McCullough (509) 493-2685

White Salmon Art & Wine Fusion, Next Sat., July 21, 5- 9 pm

The third annual White Salmon Art & Wine Fusion takes place on Saturday, July 21, 2007, 5:00-9:00 pm, in downtown White Salmon, and will feature wine tasting from several local wineries, local artists working and selling art, three stages of music, and local, high-quality food and drink vendors. There is no charge for attending. A wine-tasting "passport" is available at the event for $10, and includes a commemorative wineglass, tasting tickets, and entries for local merchant prizes.

Trout Lake Festival Of The Arts Next Weekend, Sat. July 21 & Sun. July 22

The 12th Annual Trout Lake Festival of the Arts presents a weekend of art and music in beautiful Trout Lake Valley located beneath Mt. Adams. Forty-five artists will be jury selected to display fine art in the rustic barn, outdoors, or garden setting. In addition to the art, visitors enjoy continuous live music, outstanding variety of foods, local brews and wine. The Festival anticipates 2500 to 3000 visitors. 10 am - 6 pm Saturday 10 am - 4 pm Sunday

Don't Forget WS Town Hall Tonight

6:30 PM, WHITE SALMON GRANGE HALL

Ricki Marx WS City Councilor called this meeting to fascilitate a dialog.

How to give yourself a Blogger Name on this blog

It might not be obvious, but below the comment box that pops up when you go to write a comment you have several choices on how to sign your self. If you check 'other' you can give yourself a pseudo-name like 'CitizenJane' or whatever. To the editors and readers its still annonymous. So when your comment is posted, that name appears in the comment header so its easier to see who is saying what.

And remember that you need to refresh the entire blog page if you have it bookmarked (hit the F5 button or click the White Salmon, Wa title) or you might be viewing a nonupdated page and missing all the new stuff! Also, hit the title of the post that you are following, and all the comments show up below.

Of course you also start your own topic by sending it to whitesalmon2007@yahoo.com. The editors are pledging to keep people anonymous if they want. We just want dialog and information, for the good and bad. We want this to be a community blog. Hope that helps.

Blog shows ignorance of the community

... from the Enterprise.. letter to the editor:
Regarding the "White Salmon Blog" web site, I would like to quote Oscar Wilde: "There is so much to be said in favor of modern journalism. By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, it keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community." - Roger Holen, White Salmon

Area Population Growth, Energy Consumption, Environment. Any Common Ground?

There is lot of new construction, land rezoning, plus public service infrastructure upgrades and additions in our area. Once predominant industries and business have closed or are leaving the area, replaced by entirely new industries and businesses.

The pace of these changes will only increase as the population grows and the numbers of affluent individuals continue to relocate to our communities. Residents born and raised here have been forced to deal with enormous changes, both economic and cultural. We all realize the values of new residents can dramatically clash with the values and norms of our long-established residents. A person's affluence, religion, education and upbringing strongly influence how they view their neighborhoods, politics and the world.

That said, I'd like to start a conversation on finding some common ground to prepare for this growth in terms of energy efficiency and independence, greater opportunities for small, home-grown businesses and reduction of future infrastructure expenses and taxes.

We’ve all heard the cliché “penny wise and pound foolish”. I’d like to look at making a few changes to our zoning, land use, and construction regulations to prepare us for the future. Clear and unemotionally investigation of the small decisions we make today that can create a large economic and environmental difference down the road.

If you are interested in contributing to this thread, I have only two requests:
1). No interjection of any religious beliefs into this process.
2). Abstain from ridiculing the opinions, viewpoints and ideas of others and no “bad-mouthing”.

I’d like to find solutions--not demons.
...this posting was email'd to whitesalmon2007@yahoo.com by "ShadowGirl"

Columbia Gorge Future Forum...save the date...

The Columbia Gorge Future Forum is a one-day event on October 29, 2007 at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to stimulate regional discussion about the future of the Gorge in 2027. Please see the details below or visit the website at http://www.gorgecommission.org/futureforum.cfm. This Gorge experience reaches across city, county, state and tribal borders in an effort to approach the future of this magnificent area in an integrated way. A keynote speaker and expert panelists will spark an interactive dialogue about how Gorge citizens and stakeholders influence the next twenty years. The Future Forum is sponsored by a partnership of organizations and businesses with an active stake in the future of the Columbia Gorge. The event will be attended by 150 community members and leaders.

Attend This Event To:
Directly participate in guiding the future of the Scenic Area
Discover opportunities for Gorge communities to work together as a region
Learn how key trends from beyond the Gorge impact our lives.
Identify regional goals for quality of life, environment and the economy
Provide input for the Gorge Commission Indicators Project, which will evaluate how effectively the Scenic Act has been implemented and guide future decision-making.

Become a Sponsor Today!
Depending upon the level of support, there are a variety of benefits available to sponsors:
Dedicated session with keynote speaker Rick Smyre for your high-level employees (presentation or interactive work session)
Name recognition on:
materials advertising the event (event website, registration brochure, storefront flyers) Sponsors who have pledged support by July 30 will have their name on the registration brochure.
materials at the event (signage, attendees’ packets)
materials generated from the event (summary report, video)
Opportunity for a display at the event
Access to reports generated from the event: written summary report, video
Thank you to our early sponsors: Columbia River Gorge Commission, Washington State, the US Forest Service - Scenic Area Office, and Bohn's Printing, Inc.
For more information, contact Jessica Metta at 509-493-3323 ext. 228 or metta@gorgecommission.org.

Revised Agenda: Gorge Commission Mtg...

Revised...Please note that public comment...has been added to the agenda

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA
July 10, 2007
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, Oregon
9:00 a.m. Call to Order
9:05 a.m. Approval of Minutes – June 12, 2007
9:10 a.m. Public Comment *
9:25 a.m. Opportunity for Tribal Nations to address Commission
9:30 a.m. Commissioner Work Session on Proposed Plan Amendment for Recreation Resort
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session
2:30 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session
4:25 p.m. Other Business
4:30 p.m. Adjourn
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS

External Affairs Committee
July 10, 2007, during the lunch break
Discovery Center, 5000 Discovery Drive
The Dalles, Oregon


The times on the agenda are approximate. The chair of the Commission reserves the opportunity to change the order and time of the items if unforeseen circumstances arise.

The Commission welcomes public comment on issues not on the agenda during the public comment period. With the exception of factual questions, the Commission does not immediately discuss issues raised during public comment. The Commission will either refer concerns raised during public comment to the Executive Director for a response or will request that the issue be placed on a future meeting agenda.

Starred items on the agenda (*) are open for public comment. The Commission chair reserves the right to set time limits on public testimony. People distributing copies of materials as part of their testimony should bring 15 copies. Written comment on issues of concern may be submitted to the Commission office at any time.

If you have a disability that requires any special materials, services, or assistance, please contact us at 509-493-3323 so we may arrange for appropriate accommodations.

Columbia River Gorge Commission, PO Box 730, White Salmon, WA 98672
509-493-3323, Fax: 509-493-2229, e-mail: info@gorgecommission.org, http://www.GorgeCommission.org

Anonymity is poor policy... enourages slander, untruths

Hello! I just learned of your White Salmon Blogspot and checked it out. Looks informative. I do have one problem with it - anonymous input. Historical ethical standards require that if you are not willing to "put your money where your mouth is", keep quiet.If one can't back up his/her position or allegations with fact and hard data, then it is nothing more than gossip or unsubstantiated opinion or malicious untruths from an unknown source. Anonymity encourages slander, libel, spiteful comment, absolute untruths. Why? Because the anonymous originator does not have to accept responsibility for his/her words and the object of that irresponsibility may have no recourse. Not taking responsibility for one's actions has become a major problem in modern society. (Yeah, I am old fashioned.)I submit that anonymous commentary may be ungentlemanly, in the least, is typically a refuge of cowards and often venal in the worst. It is unworthy of being disseminated by any media and reflects poorly on the disseminator.I urge you to rethink your policy on anonymity. Herb Hardin

Gorge Commission Meeting: July 10

COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMISSION
MEETING AGENDA
July 10, 2007
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, Oregon


This regular meeting of the Gorge Commission includes a work session
for Commissioners to discuss issues related to a proposed Plan Amendment for
recreation resort. Although there will be no public comment at this meeting,
the Commission encourages comments via email, fax, phone, and letters. There
will be ample opportunity to comment about recreation resorts in the coming months.


9:00 a.m. Call to Order
9:05 a.m. Approval of Minutes
9:10 a.m. Commissioner Work Session on Proposed Plan Amendment for Recreation Resort
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session
2:30 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. Continuation of Commissioner Work Session
4:00 p.m. Other Business
4:05 p.m. Adjourn