The Goldendale City Council took a minimalist approach to filling the three vacant seats on the seven-person council at their meeting last night. Rather than have a marathon session and appoint all three, councilors met a looming 90-day deadline to appoint a replacement for Shannon Middleton, who resigned effective April 5.
Appointing Eleonore Casey to Middleton’s Position No. 6 was a logical step, since she filed for that position in the November election, and is running unopposed. Anybody else the council might appoint for that position would automatically have to step down on November 23, the day that election results are certified.
Councilors did not take the same step for Position No. 7, formerly held by Julie Buck. She resigned in May. Steve Johnston filed for the position in the November general election and is running unopposed. Since he will automatically win in November, anyone else appointed to that position will have to leave after just four months, but councilors postponed that decision until their next meeting on Tuesday, July 6.
The decision on Kevin Fieock’s Position No. 5, which he resigned at the last council meeting, was also postponed. That’s the most complicated position, since before he resigned earlier this month, he filed to run again in November, and is running unopposed. He explained in a letter included in the council packet, that he had to be in Arizona to help his aged mother and her husband move into assisted living. Other circumstances kept him there to a point where he no longer qualifies as a Goldendale resident and had to resign. But if he’s able to re-establish residence in Goldendale, he will be reinstated on the council.
Other races this November include Miland Walling’s Position No 4. He has refiled and has a challenger, Ashley Cooper. It’s the only contested city race this fall.
Loren Meagher in Position No. 3 is also up, and is running unopposed.
Since Feiock’s resignation announcement, the city has received four letters of intent from people interested in serving in that position. Council members decided to have them all interview for that position, and for Position No. 7. That will take place at the July 6 meeting.
In other news, several councilors reminded people to be careful with fireworks, which are limited to just evening hours on July 4 in the Goldendale city limits.
And City Administrator Larry Bellamy said the city has some money coming from the federal government:
“The amount of money we’re going to receive from the American Rescue Plan Act is $489,207. That’s half of what they’re going to give us. The other half will come in 2022.”
Bellamy said there are certain restrictions that come with the use of the money, but it was very welcome, nonetheless.