Tag Archive for: Camas

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Biz Spotlight: Gresham Roofing & Construction — Roof Inspection Time?

Winter here can wreak havoc on our rooftops, and sometimes a little leak can lead to severe damage — that’s where Gresham Roofing and Construction comes in.

The locally-owned company, which does 30 percent of their business in Clark County, was established in 1968, and was purchased several years ago by Camas resident, Jason Coe, whose children attend Camas High School. Coe is an active supporter of Camas athletic teams, and provided the food at one of the recent Papermaker football unity dinners.

“I really believe in supporting Camas and all that it has to offer,” said Coe. “This is our home and we want to do everything we can to keep it an amazing place to live and raise our family.”

His company also has an amazing crew.

From time to time, you may see Josh Nisbett and Andy Garcia working on a roof. The two work together frequently and ensure homeowners are fully comfortable and aware of the work they’re doing.

“This is your home,” said Nisbett, “and when we come to your house we explain everything upfront and answer any questions. Then, we do our best to get the work done before you come home from work. Aside from having a much better roof, you won’t even know we’re there.”

Roofing

Josh Nisbett and Andy Garza.

Whether you need a full replacement or a simple patch work, Coe’s team offers a full range of services:

  • Residential and steep slope roofing: Shingling, complete re-roofing, custom tile repairs, green roof design and installation, inconspicuous solar panel installation.
  • Roof maintenance and repair: Fixing everything from minor leaks to major damage.
  • Construction services: Need a new deck? Door or window replacement? What about a new shed in preparation for Spring?
  • Commercial and low slope roofing: Providing roofing solutions that help lower energy costs at your business. They work to understand your unique situation.

Gresham Roofing and Construction is fully licensed, bonded and insured — and they hold one of the best safety records in the industry.

If you think your roof may have a problem, or maybe it’s just time to replace it, please call Gresham Roofing and Construction at 503.512.5730. You can also visit www.greshamroofing.com

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Crown Park Pool Closes Indefinitely; Officials, Citizens Ponder Its Fate

Camas, WA —  Following a detailed November 2017 inspection by the Clark County Public Health Department, it was determined that the Crown Park Pool in Camas would require more than $300,000 of significant repairs and equipment replacement to meet code requirements.

Given that information, the Camas City Council on January 2 opted to not open the pool this year.

City officials have been working with some proposed concepts with the Crown Park Master Plan, which was shown to the public last summer.

“We are planning on moving forward with something,” said Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell. “The pool is 60 years old and we’ve been discussing for some time replacement options. We’ve discussed a splash pad at Crown Park, and there’s the option to build a new pool at a different location. Possibly a community center with a pool, work out area, meeting rooms and the ability to host events.”

He noted a new state-of-the-art facility may be too expensive for Camas and Washougal — even if it was a joint venture.

”We can explore having a private partner in there that might be able to do something, so that’s also in the works,” said Capell.

The Camas City Council will address how to handle the issues with the Crown Park Pool at their Annual Planning Conference on January 26 and 27 at the Lacamas Lake Lodge. The meeting begins at 1 pm on January 26, and at 9 am on January 27. Those sessions are open to the public.

City Councilor Deanna Rusch said the full agenda for the two-day session will be available online by January 24. Visit  www.cityofcamas.us for details.

“We know the pool is full of meaning and memories for our Camas community,” said the City of Camas on their website. “Our hope is to provide continued opportunities for summer outdoor fun, whether at Crown Park or elsewhere. Please stay tuned!”

City Councilor Bonnie Carter said the city does understand that citizens desire an aquatics facility of some sort.

“Council voted roughly 10 years ago to put repair funds into the pool, which extended its life expectancy,” said Carter. “The repair cost today is much more with no guarantee that we would get more than one summer. It was a tough decision not to open the pool this year but as one door closes, another opens, and I feel confident the plan to add a splash pad and amphitheatre will be a great addition to Crown Park. There may be an opportunity to partner with another entity to build a pool, but that’s only talk at this point.”

Pool

Zach Macia at a recent competition. He’s a member of the State Championship winning Camas Swim Team.

 

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Camas City Council Appoints Deanna Rusch To Vacant Seat

CAMAS, WA — The Camas City Council, in a series of roll call votes Monday night at City Hall, appointed attorney Deanna Rusch to fill the seat left vacant by former councilman Tim Hazen.

Eight Camas citizens had applied for the seat, and the council spent time with each individual, asking them each five questions. The council then deliberated, voted, and their final decision was made late Monday. This is standard practice when an elected official leaves office prematurely.

“I had applied the first week of December,” said Rusch. “Then, I was contacted last week for the interview. The interview was in front of the whole City Council, the City Administrator, City Attorney, Police Chief, and several other city employees.”

During 12-minute interview, Rusch was peppered with questions about her priorities for Camas, what local issues interest her, what legal boundaries she would have as public official, and how she deals with conflict.

“As a divorce attorney, I deal with conflict daily and often have to deliver unfavorable news,” she said. “But, it was a nice interview, and I really didn’t expect to be appointed. There were so many other highly qualified applicants.”

Rusch will be sworn in January 2, and assume her duties representing Camas Ward No. 1, Seat No.1, which covers southeast Camas, including the downtown area. Her term will end December 31, 2018, so she will begin a campaign for a full term likely next summer.

“We had so many incredible applicants,” said Mayor Scott Higgins. “It’s really very fortunate. We also encourage people to come volunteer for open seats we have on various committees, such as the City of Camas Parks and Recreation Board. These are important positions and impact our future.”

As a councilwoman, Rusch wants to help the city manage growth issues, come up with creative ways to help Camas market its attractions, and continue to attract living wages jobs to the area.

Background

Rusch is single, grew up in Happy Valley, OR, and is the oldest of nine children. She is currently a divorce attorney for McKean Smith in downtown Vancouver, and has practiced law for 11 years. In 2003, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Societies, and Justice from University of Washington, and went on to earn her Law degree from Gonzaga University in 2006.

She moved to Camas two years ago, and looks forward to serving her new hometown.

To learn more visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Holland Partner Group to Build New Campus in West Camas

CAMAS, WA — Holland Partner Group will be building its new headquarters on a 35-acre lot adjacent to Fisher Investment’s campus, said Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell.

The Vancouver property manager and multifamily developer plans to build three four-story office buildings (each 100,000 square feet), a high-end apartment complex, and a 20,000 square-foot upscale market, complemented by some restaurants.

The city refers to the project as the “Grass Valley Development” and will be built on vacant land south of NW 38th Avenue, which is close to the Vancouver border.

Capell said they expect this new development to bring 1,500 jobs to Camas, and that the first building could be occupied in late 2019.

“I think to have another large employer coming to Camas is great,” said Capell. “We’ve been working on this for a long time. We continue to build jobs in our community, and that’s important and exciting. Camas has the best ratio of jobs to citizens compared to other cities in Clark County. We bend over backwards to bring employers here. Holland came to us and wanted to fast track things. That was how this was solidified.”

Proposed specifications and images will be published when they become available.

To learn more about Holland Partner Group, visit www.hollandpartnergroup.com

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Join Wreaths Across America Dec. 16 to Honor Veterans

CAMAS, WA — Local leaders are asking for volunteers to place wreaths for National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday, December 16, 2017, 11 am, at Camas Cemetery, where 847 veterans have been laid to rest. No signup needed. There will be a brief ceremony followed by the laying of wreaths, and finally cookies, coffee & cocoa for all.

More about the event: Each December, the Wreaths Across America organization carries out its mission to Remember, Honor, and Teach by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 1,200 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad.

The organization encourages every volunteer who places a wreath on a veteran’s grave to say that veteran’s name aloud and take a moment to thank them for their service to our country. It’s a small act that goes a long way toward keeping the memory of our veterans alive.

“We are not here to decorate graves. We’re here to remember not their deaths, but their lives,” says Karen Worcester, Executive Director of Wreaths Across America. “A person dies twice: once when they take their final breath, and later, the last time their name is spoken.”

To learn more, visit http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Camas Cemetery is located at 630 NE Oak St, Camas, WA 98607.

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Camas Strategic Plan: Resources, Finances, Infrastructure, Growth

The City of Camas has developed a three-year comprehensive strategic plan that covers four overarching priorities, nine key objectives, and 20 initiatives to help with city governance, citizen communications, and forecasting.

Over two years, City of Camas Administrator Peter Capell and his team met with city employees, external consultants, and conducted resident surveys to see where priorities should be to help Camas navigate the next several years.

The 2018-2020 Strategic priorities are:

  • Meet community needs with optimal use of resources
  • Build financial stability for the city of Camas
  • Ensure core infrastructure meets community needs
  • Proactively manage growth in line with vision and decision principles

Attached to each overarching strategic priority are several key objectives and initiatives.

“The effort was to get our house in order, and be in a good financial position,” said Capell, who has been with the city of Camas for nearly four years. “We’re dealing with a structural deficit as we manage the limitations of 1% annual increases in property taxes, but have to cope with other costs that are rising at higher rates, such as health care. Essentially, we have to do more with less. So we asked ourselves: are there tools we can used to work within our means? How many more firefighters, paramedics, and police officers will we need?”

The plan is very comprehensive, and for the purposes of this article, Capell addressed three major issues: Financial stability, aging sewer infrastructure, and Lacamas Lake North Shore protection.

Financial Stability

The city wants a balanced budget and seeks to improve its existing AA bond rating to a AAA rating.

“Having a AA rating isn’t bad, and we don’t really borrow very much,” said Capell. “But, if we can earn a AAA bond rating, we can get a lower interest rate on future projects.”

To meet this priority, the city plans to update all financial policies to meet Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) practices, have an open and transparent program-based budget, update utility rates and impact fees, re-examine the city’s revenue strategy (overall size and diversification), and develop a long-term financial plan.

Aging Sewer Infrastructure

The aging sewer system is a big problem the city is trying to overcome. The city has a high number of STEP system alarms going off seven days a week with a high level of claims, said Capell.

“All we’re doing is responding,” said Capell. “We really want to spend more time on preventative maintenance.”

The city also deals with major pipe bursts, such as the recent break on Brady Road. With so many pipes built in the 1980s, they are doing a thorough water and sewer level of service analysis.

Protecting Lacamas Lake North Shore

Lacamas Lake North Shore.

By law, the City of Camas has to follow the regulations mandated by the Growth Management Act, which is a balancing act between allowing housing development and keeping local green spaces.

“We are trying to prevent sprawl to the best extent possible,” said Capell. “We have an extensive public viewing process, and encourage citizens to participate.”

One highly sensitive area is the Lacamas Lake North Shore. Most citizens want the forested backdrop to remain despite the housing developments already starting in the area. As a result, the city has been granted funds from Conservation Futures, which is a bonded county-wide program that acquires critical property to keep lands beautiful. Camas has received $2.5 million from Conservation Futures, and is using $1.5 million to purchase forested areas along the Lacamas Lake North Shore.

“We want to monitor green space acreage in Camas,” said Capell. “And keep it beautiful.”

The city is also enhancing tools and processes to improve communications with departments, across departments, and with the City Council.

“Although a lot of these things in this strategic plan aren’t tangible now, they will build a better foundation for the city,” said Capell.

We plan to discuss other parts of the plan in future articles.

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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Camas Wrestling Team Wins Tyrone S. Woods Memorial Tournament

Oregon City, OR — Four individual weight class wins propelled the Camas High School Wrestling team to victory at the Tyrone S. Woods Memorial Tournament Saturday — but that wasn’t the whole story.

Sam Malychweski, Gideon Malychewski, Jack Latimer, and Tanner Craig each beat their opponents to win finals with 250 points overall.

Sam was a dominate force, beating every opponent handily. He’s bigger and stronger this year and won his final match by 15 points.

“My personal goal for the season is to win the 195 4A State title,” said Sam. “I felt that we as a team had a good turnout. And, I thought it was awesome that Jack Latimer, Tanner Craig, Gideon and I won our finals matches.”

Craig pinned his way throughout the tournament, and Latimer went up a weight class at 132. Craig’s opponent was Benjamin Ziegler in the 138 pound weight class.

“I feel like it as a good victory,” said Craig, a junior. “But I also know that there is more work to be put in so that I can still win with tougher opponents at tougher tournaments.”

Latimer wrestled outstanding, as well, beating 2-time State champion, Gavin Jolley.

“Jack dominated the match all around,” said Camas Head Coach, Cory Vom Baur.

“I’m really excited about my win,” said Latimer. “I’ve been working really hard for something like this to happen. This was all part of my plan, and I’m really excited to compete next weekend, as well.”

Gideon entered the tournament unseeded, and he had a close match in semi-finals against the No. 1 seed. He competed in the 170 weight class against Vinnie Chestnut from Lake Oswego with a final score of 8-1 in three rounds.

“I felt really good about it because it was the first tournament of the season,” said Gideon. “And knowing that last year I was in the finals just one time I really wanted to come to this tournament and dominate it.”

He did.

Wrestling

Gideon Malychewski won first place in the 170 weight class.

“Gideon is so good at wrestling, he has so much talent,” said Vom Baur. “He has something inside him that can’t be coached. With 30 seconds left Gideon powered his way through tiredness.”

Gideon feels good about the season.

“I was watching our JV wrestlers wrestle in the tourney that we just competed in and I was very impressed with them in the way they wrestled,” Gideon said.

“I didn’t expect us to win the tournament,” said Vom Baur. “We had a good lineup, and we were prepared, but we didn’t have all of our guys there. We told the team that your job is to battle that person in front of you. And they did. Overall, they wrestled well. We haven’t focused as much on conditioning and being mentally tough, but the guys were mentally tough Saturday.”

Vom Baur said it was a team effort to clinch first place. He said that Karter Liefsen placed third, and that Freshman Caleb Ashworth’s efforts stunned people. Ashworth was the rest of the story.

“Caleb pinned three kids!” said Vom Baur. “And he went to semi-finals. He’s a Freshman. Without him we wouldn’t have won.”

The boys compete next at Westview High School this Friday.

To learn more, visit www.camaswrestling.com

Wrestling

Sam Malychewski won his weight class at Saturday’s tournament.

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Camas Basketball: Boys Win Season Opener Against Prairie

Camas, WA — Fans cheered on the Camas Boys Varsity basketball team during their first game of the season Thursday night to a victory over Prairie, 69-61.

Papermaker Senior Isaiah Sampson had 16 points and 12 rebounds, overcoming the 28 points Prairie’s Kam Osborne scored at the intense game. Junior Carson Bonine scored three first half 3s to put the Papermakers up by eight points at halftime. Prairie did their best to cut the Camas lead, but the Papermakers opened the gap even further during the fourth quarter.

“We played very well as a team and I loved our energy both on and off the court,” said Tre Carlisle, the Camas team captain.

The boys play at Wilson, Oregon tonight at 7. Their next home game is December 6 vs. Black Hills at 7 pm.

Camas JV also won their game against Prairie, 57-42.

Basketball Game Stats

PRAIRIE:  Nate Milspaugh 3, Kaleb Locke 3, AJ Dixson 2, Logan Reed 3,Dante Heitschmidt 8, Kam Osborn 28, Braiden Broadbent 13, Zeke Dixson 1. Totals 15 (6) 10-13 61.

CAMAS:  Isaiah Sampson 16, Carson Bonine 10, Ben Cooke 3, Gabe Mukobi 9,  Connor Shira 3,  Kyle Allen 5, Shane Jamison 4,Fox Bessinger 3, Zachary Chillian 4, Trey Carlisle 12. Totals 16 (8) 13-18 69.

Prairie 13 16 19 16–61

Camas 17 20 10 29–69

To learn more, visit www.chs.camas.wednet.edu

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Events: 4:30 Parade Kicks Off 2017 Camas Homecoming Festivities

Camas, WA — The 2017 Camas Homecoming festivities begin at 4:30 pm today with the traditional parade that begins at Garver Theatre. The parade will feature this year’s Homecoming Royalty Court. Following the parade, Doc Harris Stadium will open its gates at 5:30 pm for the annual Homecoming Football game as the Papermakers host arch-rival, the Union High School Titans.

Tickets go on sale at the Doc Harris gate at 5:30. Please note that no backpacks or open containers are allowed.  Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for visiting students with ASB and CSD Middle School students with ASB, $1 for senior citizens and elementary students – CASH only.  No elementary students are allowed without an adult.  CSD employees please have your school badge for entry at the gate.

Camas (8-0 overall) and Union (7-1 overall) compete tonight for the 4A Greater St. Helens League (GHSL) District Championship title. This will be the first time since 2009 the two teams squared off for a league title in the regular-season finale. Camas has beat Union the last contests, and there’s a lot at stake.

Tonight’s winner earns the GHSL No. 1 seed, which keeps them at home for the first three postseason games. The loser of tonight’s game must travel for the first two playoff games, which begin next week. The undefeated Camas team, ranked No. 1 all season, has kept on pace after winning the State title last December. A Papermaker win tonight will bring Camas six straight 4A GHSL titles.

The game will be broadcast live at  www.nfhsnetwork.com

Homecoming

This is the Camas Homecoming 2017 Parade Route.

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Camas Abandons Plans for Senior Living Center By Round Lake

After hearing from numerous Camas citizens regarding the possible sale of public land near Round Lake to build a senior living center, and begin the process of rezoning that property, the city has decided to halt the entire process.

Camas City Administrator, Pete Capell, issued the following statement today:

The City of Camas received a conceptual plan for a senior living facility to be constructed on public open space property located on Everett Street, south of Lake Road. The plans for this project included provisions for trails and parking spaces for use by the public, as well as providing emergency and maintenance access to the dam and creek.  The City is always looking to better its parks program and with a sale of the property there was a potential to leverage the funds received to obtain a grant in excess of the value of the potential sale proceeds.”

With these ideas in mind, the City felt the idea was worth reviewing.  There were multiple hurdles that would need to be crossed if the City did decide to go forward with a sale. The City first needed to alert the State that the zoning and comprehensive plan designation might be changed for this property.   City staff planned to discuss the possibility to surplus and rezone the property at several public meetings and public hearings, the first being at the Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday, October 25th at 5:00 pm and culminating in a series of workshops and public hearings which would have to be held before the Planning Commission and the City Council.  The onset of these discussions did not commit the City to sell the property to anyone.  In addition, there remained multiple elements which would be negotiated only in the event the property was deemed surplus and in the best interests of the City.

After a discussion with City Council at a workshop on October 16th and the subsequent article in the Camas-Washougal Post Record on October 19th, numerous emails and Facebook messages were received indicating that our community treasures our open spaces and would not support selling the property.

The City is sensitive to the will of its citizens.  While the City believes there was merit in having a public discussion about this proposal and vetting it through the many steps outlined above, City staff have received enough feedback and understand how the community feels about the project and will immediately stop the consideration process of the proposal.

The property will remain as open space in public ownership.

Senior

A local developer had planned to build a senior living center adjacent to Round Lake, in Camas.

A number of the comments we received insinuated that something improper had occurred in the submission of this proposal from an assisted living group that Tim Hazen is affiliated with.  Council members are subject to specific limitations outlined under the Code of Ethics laws of the State of Washington.   Council members are also citizens and are not denied an opportunity available to all other citizens to acquire and maintain private economic interests.  As noted, the planned process would follow all of the required steps with numerous opportunities for the public to comment before a final decision was rendered by City Council. Mr. Hazen further resigned at the start of the process according to both the regulations under the Code of Ethics laws of the State of Washington and general ethical practices, to avoid any hint of impropriety.

Mr. Hazen was an excellent City Councilor and served his constituents in an exemplary manner. Please thank Mr. Hazen for his service to the community. I hope that he will still be willing to serve as a volunteer and leader in our community.

Pete Capell

City Administrator

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

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