Camas City: Mayoral Appointment, Budget, Pool Site Analysis, Land Buys

It’s an extra busy time these days as the City of Camas works on several major initiatives, including the upcoming mayoral appointment, the biennial budget (which includes funds for five new firefighters), researching land for a new aquatics complex, the general obligation bond, and new business licenses, among others.

Mayoral Appointment

While all of these initiatives are happening concurrently, the new mayoral appointment is a top priority, as it will guide the city’s direction. The September resignation of former Mayor Scott Higgins leaves the office vacant, and it will be filled by City Council appointment. Two internal candidates have officially applied for the job — City Councilors Shannon Turk and Melissa Smith — as well as Georerl Niles, who is Chair of the Camas Parking Commission (a volunteer position).

A 2011 city resolution requires the council to interview them all.

“We have seven on council and so the five remaining council members will decide who becomes the next mayor,”said Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell. “They will interview all the candidates with pre-prepared questions. We’ve always asked the candidates to sit in another room during their opponents’ interviews. They’re interviewed in public and then the council will go to executive session. They will work it out until a candidate has a majority.”

Applications were due Friday, October 26, and the special interview meeting is scheduled for November 14. There will be a public swearing-in at the council on November 19. The new mayor will complete the existing term, and then run again next Fall.

Once the mayor position is filled, a similar process will unfold for the vacant council seat, if the council selects one of the two council candidates.

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Biennial Budget

“The biennial budget has been a long time coming, and it’s starting to solidify,” said Capell. “We got direction from council on their preferences. We know what we’re going to put together for public hearing. But, it’s always subject to change right to the end.”

By statute, the biennial budget has to be adopted the first week in December. Getting there, the city will hold a public hearing on November 19, and the council will act on the final budget on December 3.

The two outstanding issues are with the firefighters, and Capell said: “We’re really the only city in Clark County that doesn’t use utility taxes as a general funding measure. So there was discussion about using our reserves (because they’re healthy) but we can take 1 percent property tax levy and determine the millage rate and apply that to new construction and that becomes the new levy amount — it’s added to prior year’s levy. Or we could diversify our revenue to use the utility tax. The council doesn’t want the utility tax. We have a good understanding of what we need to do.”

The city is responding to public outcry about lack of firefighters so the new deal on the table is adding two new firefighter paramedics, two new firefighter EMTs, and one deputy fire marshall.

“Our partner in Washougal cannot afford their 40 percent share of those five positions, so we’re doing an addendum to our intra-city agreement,” said Capell. “Camas will pay for those five positions, and Washougal will make best effort to pay as soon as possible. The Fire Marshall’s office expense is $130,000 in first year, including the cost of a new vehicle. Salary and benefits total $92,000.”

Firefighter Josh Proctor addresses the Camas City Council on May 21.

Currently, the firefighter paramedics/EMTs will cost $459,000 in salary and benefits. The likely cost will go down to $400,000, Capell said.

“This is a different year because of the new construction, and the forecasts with new employers coming in,” Capell said. “These large capital projects, along with the sales tax increases. We’re in a better revenue position since I’ve been here — which is going on five years. Some of it is one-time money that enables us to buy a vehicle or new technology. We have a policy of maintaining 17 percent reserves in the budget, which is two months of operating budget. We’re looking at 29 percent at the end of this year. We’re pretty healthy. We’re hiring more people than we’ve ever added in any year. Part of it is we’re catching up. We’ve gone 20 years with few additions to staff. Adding two police officers, one police records clerk, an engineer, two people in streets. And two people in Parks maintenance over the biennium.”

New Pool Site

Given the closure of the Crown Park Pool, and diminishing public access to the Lacamas Athletic Club pool, the city has been under pressure to build a new pool complex to meet growing recreational, competitive, and health needs.

For the past couple of months, an advisory committee has been meeting to assess best venues and programs to build a new aquatics complex/community center. In those meetings, the committee has analyzed multiple sites and has narrowed down its search to two locations: a 7-acre site near Burger King off Highway 14 (not far from the Camas-Washougal Marina), and a 28-acre Georgia-Pacific Research and Development site on 6th Avenue (by Young’s Deli).

The city has been doing environmental reviews on the GP site, looking to validate if it’s worth public money to purchase the site, which will also help determine market value. There are utility costs, as well.

“It’s obviously tied to the community center because I think there are other public benefits to that site,” said Capell. “We would like to control redevelopment of the site so it’s good for the community in the long term. It’s connected to downtown and has a lot possibilities.”

General Obligation Bond

The city will be issuing bonds by end of November and has some of the property north of Lacamas Lake already in negotiations. Most of the money they will raise is being used to preserved forested land near the shore line along with open spaces, which amounts to 120 acres.

Explore How Camas Funds Fire Department in the Long Term

Camas is also looking at the current city service model to determine the the best way to manage the Fire Department. Because it’s a merged department with Camas and Washougal, they have a joint committee that is exploring funding options and seeks to update the intra-local agreement.

“There’s a large body of work looking into how we best deliver these services in the long term,” said Capell.

GP Donated Property

GP donated land by the two dams, a mill ditch and a couple of parcels that are off Washougal River near the mill property. It’s open space and Camas will be maintaining the dams once the transfer closes, and they will apply for grants for those donated properties. The plan is to fill the mill ditch and create a new pedestrian/bicycle route, which will create a nice connection to downtown.

“This is why I’m passionate about the GP site for the pool/community center,” said Capell. “It’ll connect several properties throughout downtown.”

Plans for the donates GP property.

Ordinance — A City of Camas Business License

Businesses in Camas do require a state license, but currently Camas doesn’t require a city business license. Having a business license would require the adoption of an ordinance to get it installed by 2020. It’s not a money maker, but will requite a nominal fee, that will the city a better understanding of what businesses are operating in Camas — to make sure sales tax generated in Camas doesn’t go to other places.

Car License Tab Fee

The City Council agreed to delay this until April 2019.

“I’m excited about the revenue generated from that,” said Capell. “It goes to two things: 1) Neighborhood traffic — to have funds to do some speed studies and fix local problems, and; 2) People are willing to pay more for road maintenance and road preservation.”