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Volume 107 No. 39 Camas-Washougal, Washington, Tuesday, September 29, 2015
10 Sections, 82 Pages
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75 Cents
Camas tackles structural deficit Issue will be discussed in-depth at January’s planning conference By Heather Acheson Post-Record staff writer If Camas continues on its current financial path, city leaders are predicting a future structural budget deficit. This was the message delivered by City Administrator Pete Capell and Finance Director Cathy Huber Nickerson, during a recent City Council workshop.
“In the near term we are fine, we don’t have any concerns about the budget,” Capell explained. “My concerns are longer term, in that we are using new monies that come from growth, to pay for status quo, so we are not able to set-aside money or invest in what we need to serve that future growth.” The Camas population, currently estimated at 21,210, is expected to grow 37 percent during the next decade to reach 35,000 by 2035. Some of the most significant development during the next two decades will come north of
Lacamas Lake, and also in the Green Mountain area bordered by Northeast Ingle and Goodwin roads. Infrastructure investments will be necessary. The city’s revenue, particularly in the new construction category, is growing. However, expenses are mounting even faster due to factors including higher pension and health care costs, and most significantly labor costs for the city’s 195 employees, which makes up 75 percent of the city’s operating budget. Since 2011, (including projections for 2016) the city’s expenses for Kaiser and Regence health
care plans have increased a total of 45.83 and 38 percent, respectively. Public Employee Retirement System costs have grown 5.87 percent during the past five years. According to the city’s numbers, the bottom line is that overall revenues are increasing 2.9 percent annually, while expenses are increasing 5 percent per year. “To continue to provide Camas residents the quality of service, the quality of life, the people in the field — police, fire, public works, people that are mowing the parks and so forth — we are
going to need to grow almost commensurate with that population growth,” Capell said. He told the City Council that during the next few years the city’s reserve fund would need to be tapped to a point that would likely push it below the accepted level set by policy. “In the near term we are in pretty good shape. What the forecast looks like is we will probably go below the 17 percent reserve for a few years due to some of the additional employees and expenditures we are facing,” he said.
See Deficit, page A8
Volunteers will clean up Lacamas Lake
Port of CamasWashougal Commissioners Bill Macrae-Smith and Bill Ward talked with John Spencer after the Sept. 22 commission meeting. MacraeSmith and Ward appointed Spencer to serve as the District 1 commissioner. Spencer will take the oath of office on Oct. 6.
Work will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday By Heather Acheson Post-Record staff
Dawn Feldhaus/Post-R ecord
Port appoints new commissioner John Spencer will be sworn in Oct. 6 By Dawn Feldhaus Post-Record staff writer The former city administrator of North Bonneville has been selected to serve as the next Port of CamasWashougal Commissioner. John Spencer was appointed Sept. 22, by Port Commissioners Bill Macrae-Smith and Bill Ward. “I am honored and committed to doing something good with it,” Spencer said after the commission meeting. He and five other candidates were interviewed for the District 1 seat by Macrae-Smith, Ward and Port Executive Director David Ripp during a special meeting Sept. 15. The other candidates were Mike Briggs, Nicholas Brown, Lauren Colas, Mark Forbes and Paul Greenlee. “It was not as easy as I thought it would be,” Macrae-Smith said, regarding the selection process. “We had some really good applicants.”
Barry Sullivan and Kelly Orfield withdrew their names from consideration prior to Sept. 15. Ward mentioned good judgement and relevant knowledge as two of Spencer’s qualities. “All of the candidates brought something of high value,” Ward said. “I hope your interest in the port will remain high, and you will remain active in helping us to move forward,” he said to the individuals who were not appointed. Spencer, who is expected to finish Mark Lampton’s term, through Dec. 31, 2017, said he is not sure if he will seek election to the District 1 seat in two years. Lampton died Aug. 3. His widow, Charlene, congratulated Spencer after the appointment. “I told John that I thought he would be good, and Mark would be happy,” she said later. Spencer, a management consultant with Pulse Consulting, LLC, of Camas, is a member of the Clark County Parks Advisory Board. He served as city administrator
of North Bonneville, from 2010 to 2013. North Bonneville had a contract with Pulse Consulting, that involved Spencer doing the initial analysis to help the city evaluate the pros and cons of opening a marijuana store. Spencer said he and an attorney did much of the work to create the North Bonneville Public Development Authority. Under a subsequent contract with the NBPDA, Spencer wrote a business plan, made financial projections and applied for a recreational marijuana store license on North Bonneville’s behalf. He also negotiated a lease, obtained a contractor to remodel the building, obtained financing and wrote finance, personnel and operating policies. “I guided the board through the licensing process and helped hire the store manager,” Spencer said. He will take the oath of office during the Tuesday, Oct. 6, port commission meeting, at 5 p.m., in the port office meeting room, 24 S. “A” St., Washougal.
Volunteers of all ages are needed for the annual Lacamas Lake Cleanup, scheduled for Saturday morning. Organized by Underwriters Laboratories and other area businesses and non-profit organizations, the effort will begin at 9 a.m. Volunteers should meet at the Heritage Park boat launch on Northwest Lake Road, to help pick up litter and debris from around the lake and surrounding trails. Gloves, garbage bags and maps will be provided. Participants should wear waterproof boots. Refreshments, including water, coffee and food, will
be served and prizes will be awarded. The cleanup is scheduled each year to coincide with the lake’s draw-down, which this year was delayed by two weeks. It was an action by Georgia-Pacific officials that came as a result of a request from city of Camas leaders. The additional time allowed recreational users of the lake to take advantage of what is traditionally relatively warm September weather. Historically, Georgia-Pacific begins drawing down the lake’s water levels after Labor Day to facilitate the annual mechanical and surficial inspections of the upper and lower dams, and provide time to conduct any necessary maintenance. This year, however, that effort started Sept. 21. During the draw-down,
See Cleanup, page A2
K-9s demonstrate their talents
Candidates will participate in upcoming forums Two events will be held in Camas By Heather Acheson Post-Record staff writer Voters will have the opportunity to hear from local candidates during two upcoming forums in Camas. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the League of Women Voters of Clark County is sponsoring an event that will feature candidates running for Camas City Council Ward 1 and
Washougal City Council Positions 4 and 7, as well as Clark County Council Chair. The event will begin at 6 p.m., at the Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave. The Camas City Council candidates are incumbent Timothy J. Hazen and Shawn High. Running for the Washougal City Council’s Position 4 seat are incumbent Joyce Lindsay and Jason Dodge, and seeking Position 7 are Molly L. Coston and Dan Coursey. The candidates for the
Clark County Chair position are Mike Dalesandro (Democrat) and Marc Boldt (no party preference). According to LWVCC Spokeswoman Judy Hudson, Washougal School Board District 2 incumbent Elaine Pfeifer has also been invited to the forum. Pfeifer’s name will appear on the ballot alongside that of Jason Ferrier. However, Ferrier decided after the deadline that he would not campaign for the position. The forum’s format will include opening state-
ments, questions from a moderator and closing statements. Candidates receive a list of possible questions 30 minutes before the forum begins. The event will be replayed on CVTV Channels 21 and 22, an be available on-demand at www.cvtv.org.
CYAC forum On Monday, Oct. 19, the Camas Youth Advisory Council, made up of students from Camas
See Forums, page A2
H eather A cheson/Post-R ecord
Vancouver Police Officer Roger Owens and his K-9 partner, Tripp, participate in a K-9 unit agility demonstration during the Camas-Washougal Fire Department open house on Saturday. Owens has been with the VPD since 1998, when he transferred from a department in Tennessee. Tripp began service this year. The German shepherd is named in honor of Tennessee State Trooper Douglas W. Tripp, who was killed in the line of duty on May 19, 1991. The CWFD open house also included a Life Flight helicopter landing and fire suppression and vehicle extrication demonstrations, as well as a variety of agencies providing health and safety information.
What’s Inside... Index Obituaries............ A2 Business............. B5 Around Town........ B2 Hometown........... B1 Schools...............B3
Sports................. A6 Opinion................ A4 Classified ads...... B7 Public Notices..... C2
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AN INSPIRING TREK
SMASHING GOOD TIME
Camas couple hikes Pacific Crest Trail across Oregon:
Camas kicks off league play with a 62-21 victory:
Hometown, Page B1
Sports, Page A6